BBC Four has commissioned a new series, which will take a fresh look at Peter Sutcliffe’s murders.
In 1981, he was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to kill 7 others. It was only after the biggest manhunt in British criminal history that the killer, nicknamed The Yorkshire Ripper, was brought to justice.
After the intense 6 year search, Sutcliffe was only caught, when stopped for a minor motoring offence. It later transpired that he’d already been questioned 9 times during the investigation.
The new box-set history series for BBC Four is being made by Liza Williams, who’ll examine the case from a new perspective. She’ll ask whether the prevailing attitudes of the time, towards women and prostitutes in particular, influenced the investigation.
During the 3-hour series, Williams will meet relatives and friends of those he murdered, as well as finding survivors of the attacks. She will talk to police officers, journalists and look at the story through “contemporary eyes.”
“We are keen to make contact with any family members or friends of victims in this case. Their memories will help us to reflect who these women really were, and the life long impact their loss has had on loved ones,” she said.
The Yorkshire Ripper (working title) is a Wall To Wall Media production.
It is due on air in 2019.
