Bradford serial killer

[Chris]

It's being reported that Stephen Griffiths, the man being questioned by the police, is studying for a Ph.D. in criminology.

"A former neighbour said: 'He suffered from depression. He said he was doing a PhD in murder and Jack the Ripper."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1281514/Criminology-PhD-student-Stephen-Griffiths-quizzed-Yorkshire-prostitute-murders.html

[Rigby]

Was just reading about this a few minutes ago:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2989311.ece

His MySpace is taken down but seems like a very strange individual. Ironically, the other students in his department now have firsthand experience of the kinds of people they are researching

[Chris]

Although it's maybe worth remembering that in the Ipswich case the first man arrested by the police - and vilified by the tabloid press on the assumption that he was the murderer - turned out to be innocent.

[Rigby]

Although it's maybe worth remembering that in the Ipswich case the first man arrested by the police - and vilified by the tabloid press on the assumption that he was the murderer - turned out to be innocent.

Yes, worth remembering but this guy seems a bit weird so surely he's guilty ?

Is it me or did the UK National Media keep rather quiet about these missing women ? Were lessons learned from Ipswich regarding mass - albeit localised - panic ?

[Stephen Thomas]

Although it's maybe worth remembering that in the Ipswich case the first man arrested by the police - and vilified by the tabloid press on the assumption that he was the murderer - turned out to be innocent.

Good point and it often happens but in this case, apparently, the 'suspect' was fllmed on CCTV committing one of the murders with a crossbow.

[Rigby]

Which he is going to struggle to deny that he owned:

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/bradford+murder+suspect+amazon+book+wishlist/3661142

I so wish the media would drop all Ripper connections and connotations as if this was him and if Oor Jack and (Fellow-Bradfordian) Petey Sutcliffe are his inspiration then such titular adulation is exactly what he wanted.

[tnb]

Rigby - it could well be that the police passed on certain instructions to the press learned from the Ipswich case, but I would say it is more likely in the most part that the sad and simple truth is that missing prostitutes are not national news. Only when they turned up dead did these women become any different (in a news sense) to probably hundreds of other sex workers all over the country who have run away or for other reasons have not been seen by anyone (or at least anyone who would be likely to give a statement to the police) for a week or two or three. If and when their bodies are discovered, of course, as in 1888, the newspapers who would not have found a column inch for them alive go into a kind of hyperbolic frenzy in order to say how tragic their lives were. Or am I just getting cynical?

I don't think there was ever any hope that the 'Ripper' tag would be ignored, regrettable as it is for the reasons you suggest. It does illustrate the intriguing way in which the 'name' has passed into folklore and along the way shed many of its original associations - in this case, as in Ipswich, the phrase seems to have been 'passed on' from Sutcliffe rather than 'Jack...' directly. It has been attached because of what appear to be similarities - in victimology and also in this case geographically. To Sutcliffe, yes, but to the original 1888 version very few. Via Sutcliffe, a case which had at least one additional similarity in the form of the 'Wearside Jack' hoax, it seems that 'Ripper' has come to mean simply 'prostitute murderer', and its origins in relation to the verb 'to rip' have been all but forgotten. I doubt a lot of people reading that headline today have any real idea of the fate of the original Ripper's victims.

That may please whoever is responsible for these latest murders but perhaps one consolation is it would likely mightily p*ss off 'Jack'.

[nugnug]

isn't it just a bit early to be speculating on his guilt or innocence

[Rigby]

isn't it just a bit early to be speculating on his guilt or innocence

When is the right time then ? He's arrested and being questioned on suspicion of some sort of involvement and there is - so we hear - CCTV footage of someone killing a woman (in his road ?) with a crossbow. Fella owns a crossbow, is into 'dark' things inc. 'Ripper' crimes against women - so we hear. I hope the Police have learned from Colin Stagg's saga and have enough evidential suspicion to be onto a winner here and get this guy off our streets for ever.

[tnb]

Rigby - That's a bit of a confused analogy to be fair, as the failing in the case of Stagg was not that the police didn't get enough evidence to convict him but rather that they should never have tried to concoct a case against him in the first place. But I take your point. We are not judge and jury, however, and Nugnug is right - sometimes just being 'weird' is not enough, and let's hope if this man is guilty that they have remembered that solid evidence is needed. To be fair, this does appear a little more clearcut! Appearances ain't everything though...I think it's fair to say we would expect a PHD criminology student to plan a murder spree a little more efficiently. Unless being discovered was the whole point, that is...

Nugnug - I am sure your intentions are admirable, and as I have said above I agree with the sentiment. But as Rigby says when is the right time? Let's face it, we discuss, to a greater or lesser extent, people's innocence or guilt on largely unfounded allegations every single day on here and on the basis of evidence a great deal more circumstancial than appears to be the case here. Is this any more or less morally questionable because of the distance of years? Look at the newspapers - It is human nature to speculate, I am afraid. I think you will find that most people on here, or interested in true crime in general, will discuss the case much more objectively and sympathetically than much of the national press.

[Chris]

... Nugnug is right - sometimes just being 'weird' is not enough ...

It's to be hoped that having an interest in serial killers and spending an unhealthy amount of time discussing them on the Internet is not enough!

[tnb]

It's to be hoped that having an interest in serial killers and spending an unhealthy amount of time discussing them on the Internet is not enough!

Here, here Chris! I made exactly that point on Facebook last night to our very own Shipley resident, Mr. Andrew Firth!

[Andrew Firth]

Did someone say something? My ears are burning for some reason....

Andrew

[tnb]

Merely defending your honour, old boy!

Am in the middle of asking a question on the photographs and drawings threads to which I am sure you could offer a reply, by the way.

[silverstealth]

The image above shows the Longlands area, back in 1888, and before it was the Bradford equivalent of Whitechapel.

The photos below were taken at Tetley St just off Thornton road