Jayne MacDonald - Yorkshire Ripper Victim

On Saturday, 25th June, 1977, Peter Sutcliffe met with some regular drinking companions for a night out in Bradford.

After dropping his friends home at the end of the night Peter Sutcliffe headed for Chapeltown in Leeds.

Sixteen-year-old Jayne MacDonald was also having a night out in Leeds' Chapeltown. Jayne MacDonald had earlier kissed her father goodbye and left their home in Chapeltown for an evening with friends at the Hofbräuhaus, a German-style ‘Bierkeller’ which was located in the city centre.

Jayne MacDonald was not a prostitute. She had started her first job as a sales assistant in the shoe department of a local shop.

Jayne MacDonald met a male during the evening and left with him at 10.30pm. They headed towards Leeds' Briggate with a group. They enjoyed a late supper - leading Jayne to miss the last bus home. Jayne's new friend took her to his home to see if his sister could give Jayne a lift home. After finding the house empty they headed towards Jayne's home in Scott Hall Avenue.

The youngsters parted company at the gates of St James' Hospital at around 1.30am. Jayne attempted to call a taxi from a kiosk on Harehills Road. Having received no answer Jayne started to walk home.

Surprisingly, her route took her past the Gaiety Public House where Emily Jackson was seen and where Marcella Claxton reported that she had seen Peter Sutcliffe following her attack.

As she reached the adventure playground on the Chapeltown Road Jayne was attacked, and murdered, by Peter Sutcliffe. In his usual style Sutcliffe rained hammer blows to Jayne's head. He also stabbed her more than twenty times in the chest and back. Jayne's skirt was disarranged and her jumper was pulled up to expose her breasts.

Two youngsters found Jaynes MacDonald's body at 9.45am that morning.

At this point Chief Constable Ronald Gregory appointed his most senior detective, Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield, to oversee all the Ripper investigations.

Reports suggest that Chief Constable Ronald Gregory wanted Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield to reassure the public that Jayne MacDonald was not a prostitute and that the killer had murdered her by "mistake" because of the area she was in, and the fact that she was out at that time of the morning. George Oldfield did convey this message to the public.

Jayne MacDonald lived just a few doors away from Wilma McCann.