What happened to The Yorkshire Ripper? Find out where he is now

Netflix recently released a true-crime miniseries called The Ripper and the show has created a lot of buzz on social media ever since. Based on the crimes that occurred in West Yorkshire and Manchester between 1975 and 1980, the show narrates the horrific tale of a serial killer who killed 13 women within a span of 5 years. The British serial killer had terrorised not only entire Britain but the whole world with the slurry of disturbing murders committed by him. Read on to find out, “What happened to The Yorkshire Ripper?”

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What happened to The Yorkshire Ripper?

Source: @plymgal69 (Twitter)

In the new miniseries, Netflix looks back at Sutcliffe's heinous crimes and speaks to the families of the victims. This true crime story still sends shivers 40 years later. In 1981, Yorkshire lorry driver Paul Sutcliffe was convicted of murder. The Netflix series reveals that the serial killer had murdered 13 women and attempted to murder seven more between the years 1975 and 1980. In January 1981, Peter was jailed after police caught him with a 24-year-old prostitute called Olivia Reivers.

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Did they find The Yorkshire Ripper?

A report in The Sun reveals that Sutcliffe was arrested by police in 1981. The murderer's car was pulled over by police when they thought his license plates may have been fake. Inside the car, they found a young woman, a sex worker who Sutcliffe had just met. Authorities also found a hidden knife and hammer. 

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Where is Peter Sutcliffe now?

When Sutcliffe was caught by the police, he was sentenced to 20 concurrent life sentences. After serving 40 years in prison, Peter Sutcliffe died on November 13, 2020, after contracting COVID-19. The report in The Sun reveals that the 72-year-old had refused treatment and was also suffering from underlying conditions such as pneumonia, diabetes, and heart disease. Peter's ashes were reportedly given to his brother Mick Sutcliffe, who is 70 and also suffers from lung disease.

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Was Peter Sutcliffe married?

Surprisingly, Sutcliffe did not start his killing spree until after he was married. He got married to Sonia Sutcliffe in 1974 and the pair remained together till thirteen years after he was sentenced. It was when Peter had been in prison for 13 years that Sonia filed for divorce. Sonia Sutcliffe held a funeral two weeks after he died. During his time in prison, he was first imprisoned at Parkhurst prison in the Isle Of Wight, but three years after he was sentenced, he spent time in a high-security psychiatric facility on the grounds that he had been "suffering from a grave form of mental illness”. However, in 2016, the killer was moved back into mainstream prison, serving at Frankland Prison in Durham before he died.

How was The Ripper on Netflix made?

The new Netflix miniseries, which was released on December 16, has received a visceral reaction from viewers. Many viewers on Twitter have expressed shock at how the case was poorly handled during the '70s and '80s. The Ripper on Netflix has investigators, journalists, survivors and the victims' families telling their stories. It also reveals how the prejudices and misogyny of the time played a part in these women being so tragically let down.