Helen Rytka - Yorkshire Ripper Victim

Tuesday, 31st January, 1978, was a very bleak and snowy night. Despite the weather, twins Helen and Rita Rytka were out working their patch by the railway arches on Great Northern Street in Huddersfield.

At 9.25 pm, Peter Sutcliffe was cruising the area when he spotted Helen on her way back to the place where she was due to rendezvous with her sister. For safety Helen and Rita would meet every twenty minutes by the public toilets.

Helen had time to spare, so she allowed Sutcliffe to persuade her to get into his car. They drove to a well used spot nearby - Garrod's Timber Yard near the railway.

As Helen moved to get into the back seat of the car Sutcliffe attempted to hit her with a hammer. He missed, hitting the car more than Helen. Helen asked: "What was that?", prompting Sutcliffe to answer: "just a small sample of one of these", before hitting her on the head with a hammer.

Helen collapsed to the floor as Sutcliffe suddenly realised that they were all in view of two taxi drivers. He grabbed Helen by the hair and dragged her to the end of the timber yard.

Sutcliffe climbed on top of Helen and told her she would be okay if she kept quiet. He then proceeded to have sex with her as she was bleeding to death.

Once the taxi drivers left Sutcliffe got up to locate his hammer. Helen spotted a chance to escape. Unfortunately Sutcliffe saw this and hit her several more times with the hammer. Sutcliffe followed up by repeatedly stabbing Helen through the heart and lungs with a kitchen knife.

Sutcliffe hid her body in undergrowth and left the scene.

Helen's twin, Rita, was apprehensive of going to police as she was worried about how she would be treated - being a young sex worker. She eventually got the courage to report Helen missing on Thursday, 2nd February, 1978.

Helen's body was found the following day by a police dog. Her body was naked apart from her bra and jumper.

Assistant Chief Constable Oldfield took charge of this murder inquiry and established an incident room at Huddersfield.

The title: "The Yorkshire Ripper" was used by the press after Helen's murder.

Following Helen's murder George Oldfield took decision to use the media interest to appeal for help from both the public and the Yorkshire Ripper himself. Oldfield even appeared on Jimmy Young's BBC radio show to appeal for help. Oldfield was confident that somebody knew who the Ripper was.