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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
How Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer who derailed serial killer investigation 'tried to hide his voice when he was finally snared'
The Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer who derailed the investigation into the serial killer desperately tried to hide his voice when finally arrested, a retired police chief has revealed. Chris Gregg, 68, of West Yorkshire Police, has spoken out about the conman 20 years on from the investigation that unmasked him. The so-called Yorkshire Ripper, a reference to Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper, killed at least 13 women from 1975 to 1980 in a reign of terror across northern England. Peter Sutcliffe was eventually identified as the man behind the killings and jailed for life in 1981. He died in prison in November 2020, aged 74. But it only came after a man named John Humble, dubbed Wearside Jack, had falsely confessed to the killings in 1978 and 1979, in a two-minute voice recording and three letters sent to police and journalists. West Yorkshire Police believed the letters and tape were genuine and diverted resources to Humble's home town of Sunderland. His cruel efforts hobbled police investigations - leaving Sutcliffe at large to kill three more women before his eventual arrest. No one knew it was Humble behind the hoax confessions for a further 24 years after Sutcliffe's conviction in 1981 - until a cold case review by police in 2005. And now investigator Mr Gregg has told The Mirror about finally snaring him - revealing Humble initially just 'kept nodding' in police interviews, knowing his voice would immediately give him away as the man behind the hoax tape. It was only when officers informed Humble a 'one in a billion match' had been made between his DNA and a tiny saliva spot on one of the letters that he eventually confessed - knowing he was caught. With Humble now speaking up in interviews, he then agreed to read aloud a transcript of his original manufactured tape. And only now, a quarter of a century on from that moment, has Mr Gregg re-listened to the recording - describing it as 'chilling' to hear it again. It was advances in forensic science, plus a new police record of Humble - from his arrest for being drunk and disorderly in 2001 - that finally created the breakthrough. With officers finally able to match his DNA to the saliva sample on the hoax letter, they soon found themselves closing in on the culprit. The former security guard was arrested at his home in in the Ford area of Sunderland, where he lived with his brother - just a few miles from the area voice experts had said the hoax taper's accent was from. He was soon brought to Yorkshire for interviewing by Mr Gregg, the new lead of West Yorkshire Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID). And the cop soon knew he had got the right man, when Humble began reading aloud the tape transcript. The former Detective Chief Superintendent said: 'Humble had quite a remarkable memory. 'He took himself back to when he made it. It was an incredible moment to hear him read it out.' He continued: 'Those last three Ripper victims may not have died had it not been for Humble.' Barbara Leach, 20, of Bradford; Marguerite Walls, 47, of Leeds; and Jacqueline Hill, 20, also of Leeds, were all killed by Sutcliffe between September 1979 and November 1980. Sutcliffe was arrested just eight weeks later - but might have been apprehended sooner had Humble not derailed the inquiry. Mr Gregg, who had been at the heart of the £6million hunt for the hoaxer, said: 'It proved to be tragic. He did something that he never needed to do.' The envelope with a seal that bore the key saliva sample to enable the DNA match was only discovered due to Mr Gregg's sheer determination. Having worked on the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry, he knew he had to get to the bottom of it, enlisting the two original detectives for help. He first worked out the three hoax letters had been destroyed in the original forensics process, having been analysed using a chemical with a destructive effect. But he was not going to give up that easily - and remembered scientists often keep small snippets of evidence in high-profile cold cases such as this one. So, Mr Gregg wrote to the head of the forensics lab in the West Yorkshire town of Wetherby, asking if they could search for any remaining samples. And they were in luck. The police chief received a random phone call several months later to say the lab had found a 3cm sample of the final hoax letter. It was in perfect condition, preserved between two glass slides - and gave them the answers they had been looking for. Mr Gregg said it was one of the defining moments of his career in the police: 'If we had not found him, I am convinced that he would have taken that secret to the grave. 'He had not told a living soul what he had done.' Humble, who was sentenced to eight years in in 2006 after admitting perverting the course of justice, died on July 30 2019.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Yorkshire Ripper hoaxer 'Wearside Jack' tried to hide voice when finally caught
Top cop Chris Gregg reveals how police tracked down John Humble, 20 years after he faced justice for the most infamous hoax in British criminal history The alcoholic loner behind the infamous taped message which derailed the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry tried to hide his voice when he was arrested. The former detective who brought 'Wearside Jack' to justice told how John Humble 'kept nodding' in his first interview with police, knowing that the mere sound of his voice would give him away. It was only when he was told that a 'one in a billion match' had been made to his DNA from a tiny sample of saliva taken from one of his hoax letters to cops that he finally confessed. The Mirror interviewed retired police chief Chris Gregg to mark the 20th anniversary of the investigation into the most infamous hoax in British criminal history. Humble, then aged 50, agreed to read out a transcript of the original tape sent to police; it was 'chilling' for Chris, who heard it again for the first time in a quarter of a century. The hoax by Humble, who died in 2019 aged 63, cost the lives of three women after his 'I'm Jack' tape and three separate letters - one to the Daily Mirror - diverted the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry away from the real killer. With the nation horror-struck as the Ripper's murder spree went on, Humble sent detectives a two-minute recorded message and letters that hobbled the police inquiry in 1978 and 1979. Peter Sutcliffe was jailed for life in 1981, but the identity of the hoaxer remained a mystery for another 24 years. A cold case review conducted by West Yorkshire Police in 2005 finally brought a breakthrough thanks to advances in forensic science and the tiny sample from one of the hoax envelopes. It was matched with the police record of the DNA of Humble, who had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly in 2001. It led cops straight to the door of the former security guard who lived with his brother in the Ford area of Sunderland, just a couple of miles from where voice experts said the hoaxer was from. He was arrested and brought to Yorkshire to be interviewed by a team led by Chris, the new head of West Yorkshire Police CID. As Humble read the transcript of the 1979 recording which he had sent to derail the entire Yorkshire Ripper inquiry, Chris knew he had 'got his man'. The former Det Chief Supt told the Mirror: "Humble had quite a remarkable memory; he took himself back to when he made it, it was an incredible moment to hear him read it out. "He had made it 1979 and yet to listen to it again all those years later was just extraordinary because it was exactly the same. He took himself back in time to when he did it and it was quite remarkable to hear it again." The 'voice of the Ripper' tape left its mark on the families of the victims of the real killer Peter Sutcliffe. Chris recalled: "I remember being outside court after Humble had been jailed with Richard McCann, the son of Yorkshire Ripper victim Wilma McCann. He told me: 'The voice of the killer was always the voice on that tape, because I was a child, that was how I felt about it'. "Those last three Ripper victims may not have died had it not been for Humble, it proved to be tragic, he did something that he never needed to do. We had a stroke of luck with that piece of the old envelope being found, but you make your own luck." Humble, who died in 2019, had initially refused to let detectives hear his voice in interview, nodding his head to answer questions, knowing his first spoken words were likely to confirm his identity. But he was then told about the DNA match to the envelope which he had sealed more than 25 years earlier. The discovery of the envelope was down to the sheer determination of Chris Gregg. He had been part of the hunt for the Wearside Jack which had cost £6m and the lives of Barbara Leach: 20, from Bradford, who was killed in September 1979; Marguerite Walls: 47, from Leeds, murdered in August 1980, and Jacqueline Hill: 20, from Leeds, the Ripper's last victim in November 1980. Sutcliffe was finally arrested eight weeks later. The cold case review was begun by Chris after he was appointed head of CID in 2004. He brought a breakthrough thanks to advances in DNA technology and a sample of saliva from the third hoax letter seal, which was sent to the police. The second one, post marked Sunderland, 10am, 13 March 1978, was sent to the 'Chief Editor, Daily Mirror Publishing Office, Manchester (0161 STD Code) Lancs.' Chris, 68 now and retired from the force, was determined to solve the case after working on the original Yorkshire Ripper investigation. He recalled: "I told the two detectives to accumulate all the Sutcliffe material to bring into a major crime store and establish what happened to letters and tapes. First port of call - do you have letters and tape? "There was a drawer at the old police forensic labs in Wetherby which was still marked Ripper letters. But it was empty. The letters were tracked, the three of them all went to the London forensic lab and they had used a chemical which had a destructive quality. "The papers did not just turn purple, but black, they had to fumigate the lab afterwards, but it proved that those letters were destroyed in the fingerprint process." He went on: "Not to be deterred, I knew from my experience, in high profile unsolved cases, scientists would keep snippets of exhibits, cut out garments in a murder for example, and save them for advances in science. "So it was not a far fetched idea to think it may have happened with Wearside Jack." He wrote to the Head of Lab in Wetherby and asked 'can you categorically say there is nothing left from the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry?' Months later, he received a call 'out of the blue' to say they had found a 3cm seal from letter No 3, to the police, the last one to the force. It was perfectly preserved between two glass slides; they were covered in dust. But the seal inside quickly gave the 'one in a billion match' to Humble. It solved a crime which made headlines around the world. Chris said: "It was one of the most defining moments of my career. If we had not found him, I am convinced that he would have taken that secret to the grave. He had not told a living soul what he had done."
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Is Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story a true story?
Netflix has released a limited series about Fred and Rose West 📺 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Netflix has released a documentary on serial killers Fred and Rose West. The limited series arrived on streaming today (May 14). But is it based on a true story? Netflix has shined a spotlight on Fred and Rose West in a new limited series. Dubbed 'A British Horror Story' it is the streamer's latest splashy documentary show. It follows other previous programmes about other infamous UK figures - like Jimmy Saville and the Yorkshire Ripper. All of the episodes arrived on the streaming service today (May 14). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But is it based on a true story? Here's all you need to know: When was Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story released? Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story | Netflix The full limited series arrived on Netflix this morning (May 14). It began streaming at 8am and all of the episodes were released at that time. How many episodes are in the limited series? The documentary features three episodes in total - and each have runtimes between 47 minutes and 57 minutes. It runs for just over two and a half hours in total. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Is Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story based on a true story? It is a limited documentary series and recounts the events around the real life serial killers Fred and Rose West. The show features people talking about their memories from the time - as well as archival footage. The synopsis via Netflix reads: 'Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story is a definitive documentary series revealing the lives and crimes of Britain's most notorious and prolific husband and wife serial killers. 'With exclusive access to previously unseen police video and unheard audio recordings, the three part series will show how the Gloucestershire police were able to unearth the remains of the West's 12 victims to build a case against them that would bring closure for the families of the victims. 'The series features family members of some of the victims - a few of whom are speaking for the first time - giving insight into the pain and torment they went through for decades. From discovering that their missing loved ones were brutally murdered, to the trauma they experienced and the strength they displayed during the trial.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
The Guardian
31-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Are some clubs cursed? The narrative can be as powerful as the truth
A month ago, Leeds United were merrily on top of the Championship. They had just beaten Sunderland with two late goals and Sheffield United with three. They had gone 16 games unbeaten and were playing with authority and conviction. More than that, they seemed to have the deepest squad in the Championship. The Sunderland game had turned when they had brought on Willy Gnonto and Largie Ramazani; nobody else in the division could bring that sort of quality off the bench. Since then they've won one of five games and slipped to second. It's happening again. Saturday's game with Swansea was simultaneously thrilling and extremely predictable. US international Brenden Aaronson put Leeds ahead in the first minute, the sort of goal that is usually said to calm nerves. But there is such a thing as scoring too early. Leeds never really got going. Illan Meslier saved a penalty and Swansea hit the post before equalising after Meslier dropped a corner. Gnonto seemed to have won it with four minutes remaining but, six minutes into injury time, Zan Vipotnik's drive went through the Leeds keeper. The 2-2 draw meant Sheffield United, who had beaten Coventry on Friday night, remained top and Leeds are now level on points with third-placed Burnley. The automatic promotion that had seemed probable a month ago could easily become a spot in the play-offs – where Leeds have been seven times before, never having been promoted through them. It shouldn't matter – Sunderland, in fourth, also lost in the play-offs six times before finally breaking the hoodoo in 2022 – but the mood of a football club is a strange thing and Leeds at the moment are firmly set in anxiety. This is what always happens to them; they always slip up at the last. Clubs shouldn't really have a personality, but they do. The managers, the players and the owners may change, but something fundamental always remains; an energy passed on through the generations from fan to fan. For Leeds that energy is oddly negative, something the novelist David Peace expresses not only in The Damned Utd, his novel specifically about the club, but also in the Red Riding Quartet, his disturbing and paranoid series dealing with police corruption in the years of the Yorkshire Ripper investigation. In the late 1960s and early 70s Leeds United were arguably the best side in England, if not Europe. They won two league titles and an FA Cup, but they should have won far more: they also came second in the league five times and lost in three FA Cup finals between 1965 and 1973. Late-season slip-ups became habitual. Rationally, that was probably because they were trying to compete in multiple competitions with a squad that wasn't big enough, but their manager Don Revie came to believe the club was cursed. Revie was a details man. He meticulously researched opponents, planned for every eventuality, left nothing to chance. He did everything possible to give his side the best chance of winning, which stretched to an array of superstitions. He wore a lucky mohair suit and insisted his wife wear a lucky coat. He kept two lucky chunks of wood in his pocket. Whenever he checked into a hotel he would immediately walk to the nearest lamp post and touch it. He thought birds brought bad luck so he had Leeds take the owls off their badge and drop their traditional nickname of 'the Peacocks'. A local priest had a recollection that Leeds's Elland Road stadium was built on an old gypsy camp, so Revie brought in a fortune-teller from Blackpool, Laura Lee, to take a look. She confirmed 'the smell of a curse' and performed a ritual, scattering seeds on all four corners of the pitch and the centre-circle and doing, as Revie put it, 'other things I can't reveal' – widely believed to have been urinating. It didn't help. The dark energy remains, alleviated only twice since Revie left the club in 1974. First there was Howard Wilkinson, a man with no truck for the supernatural, or indeed anything beyond the most dourly pragmatic, who led them to the title in 1992. Then there was Marcelo Bielsa, Revie-like in his insistence on the most thorough research and preparation, but somebody who confined his search for a competitive advantage to the temporal. Bielsa changed the mood, but late-season declines were a theme even for him. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion When he was at Norwich, current Leeds manager Daniel Farke's football was high tempo and high risk. What is happening to Leeds now is probably just the consequence of that as energy levels diminish late in the season, combined with an error-prone goalkeeper. The situation has been exacerbated by a crowd that has come to expect the worst, whose anxiety drifts down from the stands and infects the players. It's all perfectly rational and explicable. But just because a curse doesn't exist doesn't mean that the belief in one can't exercise a profound psychological effect. This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@ and he'll answer the best in a future edition.
