Peter Sutcliffe, the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper, evaded capture for years partly due to a police error involving a phone directory. Sutcliffe, who died aged 74 after serving nearly 35 years in prison, was convicted in 1981 for murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980 across Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
During the investigation, police mistakenly focused on a suspect named Peter William Sutcliffe from a phone directory, but the killer's full name was Peter William Sutcliffe. The error led officers to dismiss him as a suspect, allowing him to continue his attacks. Sutcliffe targeted vulnerable women in red-light districts, instilling fear in northern towns and cities.
He was finally captured on January 2, 1981, when police stopped him in Sheffield with sex worker Olivia Reivers in his car. Officers noticed false number plates and, upon searching the vehicle, found a knife, hammer, and rope. 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, consistent with his method of attacking victims.
After two days of questioning, Sutcliffe confessed, claiming the 'voice of God' had instructed him to kill sex workers. He was sentenced to 20 life terms and told he would never be released. His known victims include Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson, Irene Richardson, and others. Sutcliffe also attacked at least nine other women, leaving them with severe injuries.
