Peter Sutcliffe, the notorious serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper, has died aged 74 after serving nearly 35 years in prison. He was convicted in 1981 for murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980 across Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. His victims included Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson, Irene Richardson, Patricia Atkinson, Jayne MacDonald, Jean Jordan, Yvonne Pearson, Helen Rytka, Vera Millward, Josephine Whitaker, Barbara Leach, Marguerite Walls, and Jacqueline Hill.
Sutcliffe's killing spree finally ended on January 2, 1981, when he was stopped by police in Sheffield with 24-year-old sex worker Olivia Reivers in his car. Officers noticed he was driving with false number plates. A search of the area uncovered a knife, hammer, and rope—tools he had used during his attacks. At the police station, a strip search revealed Sutcliffe was wearing an upside-down V-neck jumper exposing his genitals and padding on his knees to avoid scratches while kneeling over victims.
During a 15-hour confession, Sutcliffe admitted to the murders, claiming he had been instructed by "the voice of God" to kill sex workers. He was given 20 life sentences and told he would never be released. Criminologist Professor David Wilson noted the case caused widespread fear in northern towns and cities, and drew attention to police failures in catching the killer earlier.
Sutcliffe's first known attack was in 1969 when he hit a prostitute in Bradford with a rock-filled sock, but no charges were pursued. He struck again in 1975, attacking Anna Rogulskyj with a hammer and knife, and later slashing Olive Smelt. His first murder was of mother-of-four Wilma McCann on October 30, 1975. Sutcliffe also attacked 14-year-old Tracy Browne, who required emergency brain surgery.
