The Yorkshire Ripper.

[Workingman]

I am from Leeds and my sister and her friends, about aged 19 at the time, had their lives change by this monster. They would only go out in groups. To get home they had to take known taxis. Sis and Sue as last on the route would come here and Sue would sleep over and go home in the morning. All males over 30 or so were 'suspects - yes, all males. This went on for over five years and affeted some millions of us.

Uni students had special buses laid on for students to get to and from entertainment hot spots and home, the rest of us had to be 'careful'.

Unless you lived here at the time you will find it hard to understand how it still effects us to this day.

So, he's dead, and it is some relief and closure, but it will never change what he did to us for five long years.

[JoM]

I’ve heard a few accounts saying the same on the radio in the last 24 hours. Awful.

My Mom and sister have often talked about the fear around this area in the mid-60s at the time of the Cannock Chase murders and abductions, Julie was at junior school in Hednesford at the time. It went almost overnight from girls being allowed to play with friends on the streets to having to be under the watchful eye of parents and no one walked home alone, or with friends, from school as was quite normal before. Running along to the corner shop to help Mom stopped happening. Mansty Lane, where two of his victims were found, is near to us and overlooked from one of the paths on the common, I often look across and think about those poor little girls

[cromwell]

It's a pity he wasn't removed from the earth a long time ago, but better late than never I suppose.
I remember the ripper years well, women around here were scared stiff to go out and no wonder.

A couple of true stories about that time. My late father had been a policeman and was still in touch with a lot of ex-colleagues.
One day a lot of Detective Sergeants working the Ripper case met up for fish and chips at Harry Ramsden's in Guiseley. One said "We are going round the county interviewing 80 year old Geordies and I will tell you now, when it all comes ut the bloke who is doing this won't live above five miles from where we are sitting now".
And he wasn't far off.

Second one. Years later I worked for the police and an Inspector told me "If the Yorkshire Ripper had been hidden at the bottom of a bottle of whisky, George Oldfield would have found him inside a week".

The people who were in charge of our local police at that time did themselves no favours, and I always thought it was significant that the Ripper was caught by coppers on patrol rather than by detective work.

[Workingman]

Jacqueline Hill was Sutcliffe's last (known) victim on 17 Nov 1980. He murdered her on scrub land at the back of Headingley Arndale Centre about a mile from where we lived.

The plot is now developed but some time this week flowers a wreath and a card will be placed on the side of the path, as has happened every year since her death. RIP.

The Yorkshire Ripper case will become one of those 'must do' studies for criminology students and academics for years to come. We know for certain that he murdered 13 victims and was charged with another seven attempted murders. However, there are other unresolved murders, I think about five, and many dozens of sexual attacks of varying degree that fit his modus operandi.

[Kaz]

I did live in Bradford in '78 and Frank's post completely resonates with me. Everywhere you went at night - pubs, clubs etc - there was an announcement before closing, reminding the women to take care, travel home with friends, and always arrangements for anyone without a ride home. The fear was very real.

[Kaz]

It doesn't help that these men always present as perfectly normal, often family men. Take Fred West, Mick vaguely knew his brother, drank with him once or twice, and the brother was a very nice man apparently, and Mick is sure he couldn't have had a clue as to what was going on. Doreen also knew one of the daughters, through her district and Macmillan nursing - lovely girl apparently, if a bit on the quiet side........

Everyone knows everyone else in Gloucester, the West case absolutely floored the whole population here.......

[victor]

should have hung him