Steve Wright, the "Suffolk Strangler" (originally dubbed Jack the Ripper II due to the similarities of the crimes), has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in jail with no chance of being released for the murder of five prostitutes in Ipswich, Suffolk. He will die behind bars.
Police have also said that the Suffolk Strangler may also be the mysterious "Mr Kipper", the man responsible for the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh in 1986.
Britain has more people serving life sentences than the rest of Western Europe COMBINED.
There have also been calls for Britain to bring back hanging - and it is very possible that it could be brought back.
Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright will die in jail
By Gordon Rayner and Nick Allen
22/02/2008
The Telegraph
Steve Wright will spend the rest of his life in jail for the murder of five prostitutes as police investigate whether he was responsible for a string of other unsolved cases.
Wright was sentenced today, 24 hours after he was found guilty of the murders of Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Annette Nicholls, 29, and Paula Clennell, 24 in December 2006.
Estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared in 1986 when she went to meet a man called "Mr Kipper." She has never been found. Could the Suffolk Strangler and Mr Kipper be the same person?
Sentencing him, Mr Justice Gross said: "It is right you should spend your whole life in prison.This was a targeted campaign of murder.
"Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk," the judge told Wright. "But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did."
He added: "You killed them, stripped them and left them... why you did it may never be known."
Detectives now want to interview Wright over the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh and a number of other unsolved killings in East Anglia.
Miss Lamplugh’s father Paul has told The Daily Telegraph that police have confirmed to him the serial killer is a potential suspect over the death of his 25-year-old daughter, who worked with Wright on the QE2 and stayed in touch with him before she vanished in 1986.
The disappearance of Miss Lamplugh remains one of the most notorious unsolved cases in Britain. Her body has never been found and she was declared dead in 1994.
Police have been told by psychologists that it is "highly likely" Wright, 49, has killed before, and the murders by him of five prostitutes in Ipswich bear striking similarities to several unsolved killings in East Anglia in recent years.
In addition to Miss Lamplugh, Wright could be questioned over as many as five unsolved murders and disappearances in the last 16 years.
The families of two of Wright's victims last night called for the return of the death penalty after a jury at Ipswich Crown Court took just eight hours to deliver guilty verdicts on all five charges.
Watch: Police interview with convicted serial killer Steve Wright
The former forklift truck driver, the so-called "Suffolk Strangler", stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read out, while relatives of his victims shouted "yes" before several of them broke down in tears.
Wright strangled or suffocated all of his victims before dumping their naked bodies in countryside near Ipswich, deliberately "posing" two of the bodies in the shape of a cross.
Although Wright’s only previous conviction is for theft, the Telegraph can reveal that he has a history of domestic violence and sexual deviance, and repeatedly tried to strangle one of his two ex-wives.
Attention has now shifted to the chilling question of whether he had killed other women before he was finally stopped in December 2006.
It is almost unknown for serial killers to wait until they are approaching 50 before claiming their first victim, and Suffolk Police announced yesterday they would conduct "cold case" reviews of unsolved murders and offer their help to other police forces.
Wright’s details are understood to have been circulated abroad via Interpol, as he travelled extensively during his time as a steward on the QE2.
Wright became friendly with Suzy Lamplugh in the early 1980s when she worked in a beauty parlour on the cruise liner, and when he later moved to Brixton in south London, where he ran a pub, he regularly met up with her. She disappeared after going to meet a client known as "Mr Kipper".
Last night Paul Lamplugh, 76, of Mortlake, West London, said: "The police dealing with Suzy’s disappearance have remained in touch with me over the years and I speak to them every six months or so.
"They have discussed Steve Wright with me before. The last time they were in touch was just before the trial started. They certainly haven’t ruled anything out, and I know they have been in touch with Suffolk Constabulary.
"Perhaps now the Metropolitan Police will push on with a full investigation into the possibility Steve Wright was responsible for Suzy’s disappearance.
Watch: Evidence against Steve Wright was compelling
"I don’t believe the police have investigated any possible link as yet. I am sure they were waiting for the conclusion of this trial before going ahead. I will be pleased to see a renewed police effort to discover what happened to my daughter."
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are not prepared to discuss who we may or may not interview in connection with an ongoing investigation."
But one source told the Telegraph: "We would like to speak to him about this, even though we have no direct evidence to link him with Suzy Lamplugh’s disappearance."
The families of several prostitutes who have been murdered or disappeared in East Anglia in recent years also said they hoped police would conduct thorough investigations to discover whether Wright could have been their killer.
John Bettles, whose daughter Michelle, 22, was found strangled in Dereham after disappearing from Norwich’s red light district in 2002, said he wanted police to look again at the case, as Miss Bettles was a regular at the Ferry Boat Inn, which was once run by Steve Wright.
"I would like to see these cases re-opened," he said.
"I know for a fact that Michelle drank in the Ferry Boat Inn. I would like to know if there was a link there, you can’t be 100 per cent sure that there wasn’t.
"If Wright was frequenting prostitutes in Norwich it’s got to be a great possibility that they met. Was he in Norwich at the time? We need to know the answer to that."
Lin Pearman, whose daughter Natalie, 16, was strangled while she was working as a prostitute in Norwich in 1992, said the police had told her she would be the first to know if there was "a link" and a former boyfriend of Mandy Duncan, 26, whose body was never found after she disappeared in 1993 while working as a prostitute in Ipswich, said he now felt there was "definitely" a link with Wright.
Following Wright’s conviction, Miss Nicol’s family said in a statement: "Whilst five young lives have been cruelly ended, the person responsible will be kept warm, nourished and protected. In no way has justice been done.
"These crimes deserve the ultimate punishment and that can only mean one thing. Whereas Tania and the other victims were given no human rights by this monster, he will be guarded by the establishment at great cost to the taxpayers of this country, and emotionally to the bereaved families.
"The public must insist that this government look at returning the death penalty for cases such as this, otherwise many more families will go through the same suffering that we have had to endure."
Craig Bradshaw, brother-in-law of Paula Clennell, said: "Steve Wright will hopefully serve the rest of his life in prison. I wish we still had the death penalty as this is what he truly deserves."
Wright's defence team said they would be considering whether there were grounds for an appeal, but stressed this was routine in all criminal cases.
telegraph.co.uk
Police have also said that the Suffolk Strangler may also be the mysterious "Mr Kipper", the man responsible for the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh in 1986.
Britain has more people serving life sentences than the rest of Western Europe COMBINED.
There have also been calls for Britain to bring back hanging - and it is very possible that it could be brought back.
Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright will die in jail
By Gordon Rayner and Nick Allen
22/02/2008
The Telegraph
Steve Wright will spend the rest of his life in jail for the murder of five prostitutes as police investigate whether he was responsible for a string of other unsolved cases.
Wright was sentenced today, 24 hours after he was found guilty of the murders of Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Annette Nicholls, 29, and Paula Clennell, 24 in December 2006.
Estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared in 1986 when she went to meet a man called "Mr Kipper." She has never been found. Could the Suffolk Strangler and Mr Kipper be the same person?
Sentencing him, Mr Justice Gross said: "It is right you should spend your whole life in prison.This was a targeted campaign of murder.
"Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk," the judge told Wright. "But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did."
He added: "You killed them, stripped them and left them... why you did it may never be known."
Detectives now want to interview Wright over the disappearance of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh and a number of other unsolved killings in East Anglia.
Miss Lamplugh’s father Paul has told The Daily Telegraph that police have confirmed to him the serial killer is a potential suspect over the death of his 25-year-old daughter, who worked with Wright on the QE2 and stayed in touch with him before she vanished in 1986.
The disappearance of Miss Lamplugh remains one of the most notorious unsolved cases in Britain. Her body has never been found and she was declared dead in 1994.
Police have been told by psychologists that it is "highly likely" Wright, 49, has killed before, and the murders by him of five prostitutes in Ipswich bear striking similarities to several unsolved killings in East Anglia in recent years.
In addition to Miss Lamplugh, Wright could be questioned over as many as five unsolved murders and disappearances in the last 16 years.
The families of two of Wright's victims last night called for the return of the death penalty after a jury at Ipswich Crown Court took just eight hours to deliver guilty verdicts on all five charges.
Watch: Police interview with convicted serial killer Steve Wright The former forklift truck driver, the so-called "Suffolk Strangler", stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read out, while relatives of his victims shouted "yes" before several of them broke down in tears.
Wright strangled or suffocated all of his victims before dumping their naked bodies in countryside near Ipswich, deliberately "posing" two of the bodies in the shape of a cross.
Although Wright’s only previous conviction is for theft, the Telegraph can reveal that he has a history of domestic violence and sexual deviance, and repeatedly tried to strangle one of his two ex-wives.
Attention has now shifted to the chilling question of whether he had killed other women before he was finally stopped in December 2006.
It is almost unknown for serial killers to wait until they are approaching 50 before claiming their first victim, and Suffolk Police announced yesterday they would conduct "cold case" reviews of unsolved murders and offer their help to other police forces.
Wright’s details are understood to have been circulated abroad via Interpol, as he travelled extensively during his time as a steward on the QE2.
Wright became friendly with Suzy Lamplugh in the early 1980s when she worked in a beauty parlour on the cruise liner, and when he later moved to Brixton in south London, where he ran a pub, he regularly met up with her. She disappeared after going to meet a client known as "Mr Kipper".
Last night Paul Lamplugh, 76, of Mortlake, West London, said: "The police dealing with Suzy’s disappearance have remained in touch with me over the years and I speak to them every six months or so.
"They have discussed Steve Wright with me before. The last time they were in touch was just before the trial started. They certainly haven’t ruled anything out, and I know they have been in touch with Suffolk Constabulary.
"Perhaps now the Metropolitan Police will push on with a full investigation into the possibility Steve Wright was responsible for Suzy’s disappearance.
Watch: Evidence against Steve Wright was compelling "I don’t believe the police have investigated any possible link as yet. I am sure they were waiting for the conclusion of this trial before going ahead. I will be pleased to see a renewed police effort to discover what happened to my daughter."
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are not prepared to discuss who we may or may not interview in connection with an ongoing investigation."
But one source told the Telegraph: "We would like to speak to him about this, even though we have no direct evidence to link him with Suzy Lamplugh’s disappearance."
The families of several prostitutes who have been murdered or disappeared in East Anglia in recent years also said they hoped police would conduct thorough investigations to discover whether Wright could have been their killer.
John Bettles, whose daughter Michelle, 22, was found strangled in Dereham after disappearing from Norwich’s red light district in 2002, said he wanted police to look again at the case, as Miss Bettles was a regular at the Ferry Boat Inn, which was once run by Steve Wright.
"I would like to see these cases re-opened," he said.
"I know for a fact that Michelle drank in the Ferry Boat Inn. I would like to know if there was a link there, you can’t be 100 per cent sure that there wasn’t.
"If Wright was frequenting prostitutes in Norwich it’s got to be a great possibility that they met. Was he in Norwich at the time? We need to know the answer to that."
Lin Pearman, whose daughter Natalie, 16, was strangled while she was working as a prostitute in Norwich in 1992, said the police had told her she would be the first to know if there was "a link" and a former boyfriend of Mandy Duncan, 26, whose body was never found after she disappeared in 1993 while working as a prostitute in Ipswich, said he now felt there was "definitely" a link with Wright.
Following Wright’s conviction, Miss Nicol’s family said in a statement: "Whilst five young lives have been cruelly ended, the person responsible will be kept warm, nourished and protected. In no way has justice been done.
"These crimes deserve the ultimate punishment and that can only mean one thing. Whereas Tania and the other victims were given no human rights by this monster, he will be guarded by the establishment at great cost to the taxpayers of this country, and emotionally to the bereaved families.
"The public must insist that this government look at returning the death penalty for cases such as this, otherwise many more families will go through the same suffering that we have had to endure."
Craig Bradshaw, brother-in-law of Paula Clennell, said: "Steve Wright will hopefully serve the rest of his life in prison. I wish we still had the death penalty as this is what he truly deserves."
Wright's defence team said they would be considering whether there were grounds for an appeal, but stressed this was routine in all criminal cases.
telegraph.co.uk