The three women murdered by the so-called 'Crossbow Cannibal' all came from good working-class families in Yorkshire, but their addictions to heroin, alcohol or crack cocaine led them to sell their bodies in Bradford's red light district, making them vulnerable to violence, their families have said.
Susan Rushworth, 43, a mother of three and grandmother, was last seen walking in Bradford on 22 June 2009. Her marriage had ended due to domestic violence and she became addicted to heroin. Her daughter, who also worked the streets, said her mother was horrified at first but they eventually worked together. Rushworth was being treated for her addiction but is thought to have lapsed after an epileptic fit.
Shelley Armitage, 31, a mother of two, was captured on CCTV on 26 April this year before she disappeared. She had problems with alcohol and drugs and had worked the streets since the age of 15. Her friend described her as 'a good egg, genuinely pleasant, friendly and kind-hearted'.
Suzanne Blamires, 36, known by her street name Amber, was captured on CCTV being attacked by Griffiths in May. Her mother Nicky said: 'She did not have the life she was meant to have. What has happened to her will haunt me to the day I die.' Blamires had trained as a nurse but took the wrong path, her mother said.
Some residents criticised the police response, saying officers were slow to act. Zoe Harford said it took three days to take a statement, adding: 'I feel it would have been different had the missing woman not been a street worker.'
