Everyone's heard of Jack the Ripper, but in the mid-seventies, another serial killer, Peter Sutcliffe, terrorized England by targeting prostitutes.

Similar to Jack the Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe began by attacking prostitutes. His method of operation was to strike a blow to the head, usually with a ball-headed hammer, then inflict a series of stab wounds on his victim.

Attacks on Prostitutes

The Yorkshire Ripper claimed his first victim, Wilma McCann, a 28 year old prostitute, in October of 1975. After that, Sutcliffe committed murders on a regular basis. The following year Emily Jackson's body was found in Leeds, head battered and with fifty stab wounds to the chest.

Irene Richardson, Patricia Atkinson, and sixteen year old Jayne MacDonald all became his victims in 1977. In October, police found a five pound note left at the scene of his next murder victim, Jean Jordan. Police traced the note to a depot where Sutcliffe worked as a lorry driver. He was questioned and released.

In 1978, the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper became one of largest police operations ever mounted in northern England. Three more attacks followed: Helen Rytka, Yvonne Pearson, ,and Veria Millwood. All the victims to date had either been prostitutes or had been mistaken for prostitutes by the Ripper.

Attacks Continue

By the spring of 1979, Sutcliffe was no longer limiting his attacks to prostitutes. On April 4, Josephine Whitaker, 19, was murdered. Shortly after, student Barbara Leach's body was found in a dustbin. Both women had been stabbed repeatedly with a screwdriver.

Letters to Police-Another False Clue

Police received three letters signed “Jack the Ripper” threatening more murders. A cassette addressed in the same handwriting as the letters was also received, taunting the police for failing to catch him, and promising to strike again. These were discovered to be a hoax.

Capture

The Ripper then murdered Marguerite Walls, and attacked two other women, who both escaped. The close calls may have unnerved him. The final murder took place over a year later, when 20 year old student Jacqueline Hill was found battered and stabbed in November of 1980.

On January 2, 1981, prostitute Olive Reivers got into a car with a bearded man. The police, making a routine check, took Sutcliffe in for questioning . He attempted to hide a ball-headed hammer and knives from the police. Peter Sutcliffe, knowing he was caught, confessed to being the Ripper.

Motive

Lonely and introverted, Sutcliffe was fascinated by prostitutes and red light areas. His wife, Sonia Szurma, was schizophrenic and their relationship marked by violent fights. He claimed he picked up a prostitute to get even with his wife for cheating on him. When the prostitutes humiliated him, it caused him to target prostitutes as his victims. When his compulsion to kill made him attack other women besides prostitutes, he felt regret.

Unlike Jack the Ripper, Sutcliffe was captured. Sutcliffe’s trial began May 5, 1981. He was accused of 13 counts of murder. He tried an insanity plea, but was found guilty and jailed for life at Parkhurst. In 1984 he was transferred to Broadmoor Mental Hospital.

Sources:

The Mammoth Book of Murder edited by Richard Glyn Jones, Caroll & Graff 1989.

The Yorkshire Rpper: The In Depth Study of a Mass Killer and His Methods, Cross Roger Harper Collins; 1995.

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