This is one of the most fascinating and intense killers of all time. Its well worth the read.
Peter Sutliffe
From the years of 1975-1981 Peter Sutcliffe murdered killed 13 women and left 7 others for dead. A total of 20 attacks. The attacks were so brutal that the survivors wished they were dead. The whole of Yorkshire were convinced that Jack The Ripper was back... even after almost a century.
Born in 1946, the parents so excited that they were to have a boy and the father in particular looking forward to him growing up just like him. But Peter was a quite, shy boy. Scared of his father for his masculinity and agression, he prefered to read and cook with his mother. He became a mummies boy quickly and felt secure and comfortable under her wing.
In highschool he took up body building to fit in and his father grew more proud. He showed no interest in girls and only did sports to fit in with the other boys. He went from job to job and had trouble staying with one thing for long periods of time.
Finally when he was 20 he approached a girl and they fell in love. They didnt marry for another 8 years but it was known they always would. In 1973 he found a steady job at last and pressured into marriage, they did so in 1974. He worked at a Cemetary and played morbid jokes with the corpses and often stole rings from the soon to be buried. Soon a deeper obsession arose. He began to cruise the Red Light District (prostitute areas) of Yorkshire and seemed to be eager to pick them up. He had an anger towards them though that the brother in law could not place. It was the brother in law that actually went to police years later and spoke of his suspicians that his friend Peter, may infact be the Yorkshire Ripper. Besides this, Peter was seen as a saint by everyone else. He was warm and caring and a wonderful husband. It shocked everyone when the truth came out all those years later.
Peter took an offer from his job for a redundency package and bought a new car while keeping the old one and a new truck for work. Sonia (his wife) was told shortly later that she was unable to have children. This upset them both. This is when the killing started. Peter began his double life.
In 1975 it started. His first victim blown in the head with a hammer and then slashed up all around the stomach area with a knife. She survived but never left her house again and was scared for life. She feared strangers and unfortunately never saw him coming, so no description could be given. Peter, when back to his wife sleeping and felt elated. It was only the beginning and he knew it, deep down inside.
A month later he attacked again. This time slashing her back half, just above her buttocks area. She survived too but wished he had not. She suffered severe depression and panic attacks for the rest of her life and her daughter too. Her husband stood by her but could never leave her alone and she was not into the relationship like she used to be. Her life was in ruins. Peter, just walked back to his car and thought about the next victim.
With no description and lack of motive, police were baffled. The first KILLING was yet to come. A month later, it happened again and people then began to become afraid. She was bashed on the head and then stabbed 15 times. She was abused as well. A month later the next woman was killed. Hit over the head with a heel of a shoe and kicked to death. She was abused and for the first time her purse was emptied. Blood that was not hers was found. A rare B type blood. He also bit his victim and redressed her. The killer had changed his ways dramatically and these left police even more confused and the previous murders were not linked to this one.
The Yorkshire Ripper had 6 months off, then killed again in 1976. She was left stripped and exposed this time and beaten with a hammer first, then stabbed a whopping 51 times with a screwdriver. He got angry and sloppy this time and left an identifyable foot print in her flesh that proved important later on.
4 months later, he attacked again. She was left with 52 stitches in the back of her head and hated men for the rest of her life. She was depressed and suffered from dizzy spells. She too, wished she had of died.
The Red Light district changed. Women now worked together and wrote down number plate numbers before getting in cars. It got the whole town talking and it got women scared. 5 months later he killed again. Severly bashing a woman leaving parts of her brain in her skull. He stabbed her and left her for dead. Police got tyre tracks from this scene.
A month later he killed again. 6 stab wounds with a chisel. He left another foot print, linking the crimes without knowing it. 3 months later a 16 year old girl was murdered and her father died of a broken heart less than 2 years later. This one wasnt a prostitute. This murder woke up the whole community and everyone was home before dark. Pressure was put on police and many more were brought over from other areas to help with the investigation. Every lead seemed to lead to a dead end. The Ripper was able to stay free to roam.
2 months later he attacked again. This time she survived remarkably and a nightwatchman was able to describe the Ripper's car. The victim was unable to work from then on and hospital bills took most of her compensation. She was fined for stealing and got a little more money for interviews of the attack. Her life was also left in ruins.
Police went crazy with interviews and studying cars. A huge investigation was made from the new leads. The victim was also able to make a small description of the attacker. It was something for them to go on.
Meanwhile Sonia and Peter bought a home and continued their happy little lives. The wife complete unaware of her husbands secret life. He killed again a few months later, then went back home and celebrated his house warming party. When returning his guests home, he went back to the body and stabbed it over and over again. The victims son became to greif stricken that he was unable to even speak as depression grew worse.
Finally the police had a real lead. A brand new $5 note was found on the victim and was traced to the Ripper's work. That work place hired over 8,000 men. It took police 3 months to interview most of them, including Peter but nothing stood out about Peter. So, he stuck again. But this victim gave a good description of him and his car. Meanwhile, letters claimed to have been writen by the Ripper was arriving at the Police station too, first they were considered as hoaxes but as time went by and more arrived, they began to take them more seriously. He killed two more in the next 6 months.
Then there was an 11 month break. Police thought he had stopped and never to be seen again or died. That is what they hoped for. The Red District became alive again and like a shark, it attracted Peter once more, he was unable to stop forever. In fact, Peter's mother had died in that time and he felt guilty of her death. It prevented him of thinking of anything else. The neighbours also thought it odd that Peter constantly changed the colour of his cars.
March 1979 another letter arrived at Police headquarters and saliva tests show it was a rare B blood type. He killed again in April 1979. 5 months later he attacked again and a tape also arrived for police, although extensively researched, it was not any good in the end.
The public were now screaming at police and wanted action. The police now looked at regulars on the Red District area and eliminated over 20,000 possible suspects. Peter was not yet eiliminated. He was interviewed many times and despite the fact that he was a Blood type, had a bite mark similar to those found on the victim bitten, wore boots sizes to those found and had the car in question.. he was never a strong subject.
In April 1979 he shocked his work mates by telling them he had been having an affair with one of the women he met on his truck runs. they had gotten very close and his wife had no idea. But by April 1980 he was in risk of losing his job and his trips to his new girlfriend.
In 1981 he attacked 4 women and killed two of them. Because he stangled one of them (not like the other Ripper killings) the killing was not linked to him. Another woman was attacked but because he fled it was not believed to have been the Ripper either. Despite the accurate description. Another killing, hammer blows to the head, was also written off and not being a true Ripper killing and lastly, his last attack left the woman scared of men forever and wishing she were dead.
The Ripper struck again but police were reluctant to admit it may be him. He only killed seedy women they said, not normal respectable ones on this side of town.
Finally the brother in law with his ever growing suspicions went to police and gave them Peters name. None of this was investigated however and they ended up catching him themselves.
In the Red light district a Rover pulled up trying to get a girl to come in with him. She declined. An hour later, he showed up again. Police patrolling the area spotted the Rover and had a suspicious feeling immediately. He was found with rope and a knife. He was immediately brought in for questioning. While he was in his cell, he hid the other knife that he had on him in the toilet cistern. Suddenly all their evidence fitted into place with this man. They found his hammer and all his movements were backtracked and he was in the areas in which the women were killed. His wife varifying that he was rarely home and when he did come home on nights of the murders.
Finally Peter gave in and admitted to it all. A long confession followed and police gleamed with victory.
In 1981 he was trialed and despite his attempts to plead insanity. He was found guilty for 13 counts of murder. He now serves life imprisonment. How it changed my life:Some say Peter had a bad experience with a prostitute when young where he was unable to perform and she laughed at him so much that it made him ashamed and scared of them ever since. But, with most Serial killers... can you really believe everything they say?
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