Josephine Whitaker - Yorkshire Ripper Victim

On the night of Wednesday, 4th April, 1979, Josephine Whitaker visited her grandparents who resided on Huddersfield Road in Halifax. Josephine wanted to show them her new watch, an expensive purchase for £60.

Josephine Walker was nineteen years old and was working as a clerk for the Halifax Building Society.

Josephine didn't leave her grandparent's house until 11.40pm, having refused an offer of a bed for a night as she had to be up early the next morning for work.

Josephine Whitaker took a route through Savile Park which would lead to Ivy Street where she lived.

On that same night Peter Sutcliffe had been out drinking with long-time friend and drinking partner, Trevor Birdsall. Shortly after closing time, Sutcliffe dropped Birdsall off and set off towards Halifax in his grey Sunbeam Rapier.

As Sutcliffe got to Savile Park he spotted Josephine Whitaker, walking alone. He quickly parked his Sunbeam rapier, tucked a hammer and giant rusty Philips-head screwdriver into his pocket, and began to follow her.

A few minutes later, Sutcliffe caught up with Josephine, and asked her if she had far to go: Josephine talked about her trip to her grandmother's house and that it was quite a walk home.

As they made progress across the field, in a section without lighting, Sutcliffe hit Josephine from behind with his ball-peen hammer and knocked her to the ground. Sutcliffe noticed people coming along a pavement, so he dragged Josephine's dying body thirty feet into the darkness, away from the road.

Josephine was moaning loudly when Sutcliffe pulled her clothing back, turned her over, and stabbed her twenty-one times with the screwdriver in the chest and stomach, and six times in the right leg. He also thrust the screwdriver into her vagina, over and over again, in the same wound.

Josephine's body was discovered the next morning. Her skull had been fractured from ear to ear. Examiners also found size 7 wellington boot prints near the corpse.

Although Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield initially cautioned reporters against assuming that the Ripper had killed again, he and the team at Millgarth Police Station knew that Josephine Whitaker was the Yorkshire Ripper's latest victim.

Assistant Chief Constable Oldfield set up an incident room in Halifax to deal with this crime whilst the integrated incident room at Millgarth Police Station continued to operate over the full series of crimes.