Jacqueline Hill - Yorkshire Ripper Victim

Monday, 17th November, 1980, was a horrible, wet, miserable day.

As night fell, Peter Sutcliffe made his last delivery of the day, to Kirkstall Forge in Leeds, before returning to Clark's depot at around 7 pm. Instead of heading home, Sutcliffe used a public phone box to tell his wife, Sonia, that he was in Gloucester making a delivery and would not be back until late. 

By 9pm Sutcliffe was sitting in his Rover outside the Arndale Centre. Sutcliffe was sitting in his car outside Kentucky Fried Chicken, eating a takeaway and watching people passing by. 

Jacqueline Hill was twenty-years-old, a student in the third year of an English degree at Leeds University. That evening Jacqueline had attended a probation officers' seminar in the city centre before catching a bus home. She got off at the stop opposite the Arndale Centre, and headed up Alma Road to walk the hundred yards to her hall of residence. 

Sutcliffe had noticed Jacqueline and headed up Alma Road in his Rover. Once in place, Sutcliffe waited for Jacqueline to pass by. As Jacqueline passed Sutcliffe he brought his hammer gown onto the back of her skull. 

Sutcliffe heard footsteps approaching, so he dragged Jaqueline onto some spare land behind the Arndale centre. Sutcliffe then tore the clothes from Jaqueline's body and stabbed her repeatedly in the chest, and once in the eye. It would later become clear that Sutcliffe used a yellow handled screwdriver to stab Jaqueline.

Jacqueline's hand-bag and glasses were left on the pavement during the attack. An Iranian student found them and called the police. Police made a quick search of the area, but failed to find Jaqueline. They were soon called out to a burglar alarm.

Jacqueline Hill's body was not discovered until 10am the next day. Home Office pathologist David Gee examined Jaqueline's body in situ and quickly came to the conclusion that it bore the hallmarks of a Ripper attack.

Jaqueline's bra had been pulled up to expose her breasts and there were obvious head injuries. The post-mortem took place later that day. 

News of Jaqueline's murder soon hit the media and speculation quickly grew that the Yorkshire Ripper had struck again.

West Yorkshire Police denied that the attack had been the work the Yorkshire Ripper. Detective Superintendent Alf Finlay insisted there was nothing to link Jacqueline's murder with the Ripper. Finlay's statement was greeted with disbelief and outright hostility by reporters.

David Gee's autopsy found that the blows to Jacqueline's skull had been made by a ball-peen hammer.

On the morning of Wednesday, 17th November, Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield made the news public and official. The public were absolutely outraged. For the next three nights, feminists marched through Leeds under the banner of Women Against Violence Against Women.

Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, summoned Home Secretary, William Whitelaw, to 10 Downing Street and read him the riot act. Thatcher was so angry at the evident failures of the Ripper Squad that she had decided to go straight up to Leeds and take personal charge of the investigation. Whitelaw convinced Thatcher that if, or when, the Ripper struck again she would become the focus of public fury.