Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper"

Between 1975 and 1980, Peter Sutcliffe murdered thirteen women and attempted to murder at least seven others across Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, England. He was dubbed the "Yorkshire Ripper" by the press.

A flawed investigation

Despite being interviewed by police nine times during the investigation, Sutcliffe evaded capture for years. The inquiry, one of the largest manhunts in British history, was later criticized for its focus on victims' occupations, which delayed recognizing the full scope of the danger.

Capture and trial

Sutcliffe was arrested in January 1981 after being found with a sex worker in his car. He was convicted in May 1981 of thirteen counts of murder and seven of attempted murder, and sentenced to twenty concurrent life terms.

Death

Sutcliffe spent decades in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital before being transferred to a high-security prison. He died in November 2020 at age 74, having tested positive for COVID-19 shortly before his death.