In the chilling annals of criminal history, few names send shivers down one’s spine quite like that of Peter Sutcliffe, infamously known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
Sutcliffe’s reign of terror cast a dark shadow over England during the late 1970s, as he embarked on a gruesome killing spree, leaving a trail of fear and unanswered questions in his wake.
But amid the horror and infamy of Peter Sutcliffe’s story, a mysterious figure remains concealed in the shadows – his ex-wife, Sonia Sutcliffe. While the world’s attention fixated on the heinous crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper, Sonia lived a life veiled in secrecy.
In this exploration, we look into the enigma that is Sonia Sutcliffe, shedding light on her life and her connection to one of the most notorious serial killers in history.
Who is Peter Sutcliffe?
Peter William Sutcliffe also known as Peter Coonan, was an English serial killer who was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980.
His birthday is June 2, 1946. In reference to the Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper, he was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper in press reports.
In 2010, the twenty consecutive life sentences that had been imposed upon him were changed to a whole life order. Sutcliffe killed two people in Manchester and one person in West Yorkshire.
Sutcliffe initially attacked women and girls in residential areas but appeared to have shifted his focus to red-light districts because he was attracted by the vulnerability of prostitutes and the perceived ambivalent attitude of the police toward prostitutes’ safety.
What happened to Peter Sutcliffe wife?
Sonia Sutcliffe has a private life, and not much is known about her whereabouts at the moment. At seventy-three, the ex-wife of infamous British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe continues to live a solitary life.
She is still elusive, and little about her life is known to the general public.
In a 2015 interview, she said that she wanted the truth about her life to be known, but she also mentioned previous obligations that would keep her busy for a number of years, without revealing what they were or when she might reveal more.
Peter and Sonia first got together in 1967, and in 1974—just before he went on a murderous rampage—they were married.
Even though he was found guilty in 1981 of killing thirteen women, Sonia continued to live with him until their 1994 divorce.
In Yorkshire, England, Peter Sutcliffe murdered thirteen women while they were married. Since her divorce, Sonia Sutcliffe has kept a low profile and avoided discussing her personal life in public.
At the moment, Sonia Sutcliffe and Michael Woodward are wed. She remarried Michael Woodward in 1997, having divorced Peter Sutcliffe in 1994.
Sonia Sutcliffe supported Peter Sutcliffe throughout his trial and stayed in their Bradford, West Yorkshire, marital residence until their 1994 divorce. In 1997, following her divorce from Peter Sutcliffe, she wed Michael Woodward once more.
Is Peter Sutcliffe dead?
In November 2020, Peter Sutcliffe passed away from complications resulting from COVID-19.
Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, passed away in prison, but due to a string of mishandled police operations, the most notorious serial killer in British history nearly escaped punishment.
In fact, Sutcliffe eluded the authorities multiple times, even though the pursuit of the Yorkshire Ripper was the largest manhunt in British history.
Despite 2.5 million policeman hours expended on catching him, Sutcliffe was allowed to continue his murderous spree for more than five years.
He was questioned nine times during the police investigation, but he was not apprehended until he was accidentally discovered driving with a prostitute in his car. Ultimately, between 1975 and 1980, he attacked 20 women, killing 13 of them.
After several outrageous mistakes by the police, Sutcliffe was even shocked that he had escaped detection earlier.
Sutcliffe was so shocked that the police had made so many egregious errors that he was surprised he had not been caught sooner.
He testified at his Old Bailey trial that “they had all the facts; it is just a miracle they did not apprehend me earlier.”
The Ripper incident room at Millgarth police station used a card index system that was overwhelmed with information and not properly cross-referenced, leading to evidence against Sutcliffe getting lost in the system.
