Killer 'out of control'

[Sepideh_UK]

The call that could lead to the killer




Police investigating multiple murders of prostitutes in Ipswich have praised the public's response after 2,000 calls were received in one day. But what are the chances of one of these calls leading to the killer?

One night in May 2002 two poachers fishing illegally on the River Leven in Scotland spotted a bedraggled man starting a fire and then tossing something large and cumbersome onto it.

They thought nothing of it at the time. The man looked like a tramp and they presumed he was just lighting the fire to keep warm.

But when they heard later that the dismembered body of a 19-year-old prostitute, Amy Anderson, had been found on the banks of the Leven they knew they had to call the police.

They were no doubt wary of getting into trouble for poaching, but they called and led detectives to Michael McArthur, a 57-year-old drifter who was jailed for life in 2005 for murdering Amy.


Police found Amy Anderson's killer after a call from the public

It is just such a scrap of information which Det Ch Supt Stewart Gull needs in order to catch the killer of five women from Ipswich whose bodies have been found in the last 10 days on the outs***ts of the town.

"I really do feel for Suffolk Police, they have a mammoth task on their hands," says Wayne Murdock, who retired as a detective superintendent with Gloucestershire Police two years ago.

He led the investigation into the murder of Bristol prostitute Carol Clark, whose body was found in the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal in March 1993.

Her murder remains unsolved but it was not for the lack of trying.

'Forensic value'

Mr Murdock told the BBC News website: "Prostitute murders are very, very difficult to solve in isolation. We looked all across the country looking for possible links with similar cases.

"These days, what with the motorways, you can get to Scotland and back in a day so there is a danger that your killer may not be local."

With Carol Clark, as with the Ipswich murders, the first task was to work out exactly when she had died.

"She went missing on the Friday and was found on the Sunday, but we worked out that she had been kept alive over the weekend, because there was evidence in her stomach of a recent meal," said Mr Murdock.

If they have had five murders, the chances of there being something of forensic value on one of the bodies has to be good

Wayne Murdock, former detective superintendent

But the Carol Clark case was never definitively linked to any other murder and this made it harder to solve.

Mr Murdock said statistically the Ipswich team had a better chance of finding their killer.

"If they have had five murders, the chances of there being something of forensic value on one of the bodies has to be good and DNA has come a long way since Carol Clark," he said.

But he said the answer to the puzzle might lie in one of the hundreds of pieces of information from the public.

'Prioritising'

Suffolk Police said they had received 2,199 calls between 6am and 11pm on 12 December and Det Ch Supt Gull said all the information would be carefully prioritised.

Mr Murdock said this might be key to the success of the investigation: "They will be prioritising lines of inquiry. Some will be high priority and others less so.

"They don't want to discourage people ringing in with information, no matter how innocuous it might sound, even if it has resource implications."


Kevan Roberts was spotted with his victim's bike

Emma Coleman had considered it innocuous when she saw - through a hole in her fence - her neighbour holding a reddish-pink mountain bike in his back garden one day in August 1997.

It was only later, when her neighbour Kevan Roberts went on trial for murdering Norfolk schoolboy Thomas Marshall, that she realised the significance of what she had seen.

She read that Thomas was last seen on a reddish-pink bike and when she called the police they immediately called her as a witness in Roberts' trial. He was jailed for life in 1999.

With the murder of prostitutes there is the added problem that the victims existed in a clandestine world which was hidden away from "normal society".

But Mr Murdock said that, from his experience, there might be a surprising amount of evidence out there about the Ipswich women.

He said: "With Carol Clark, we found a diary which contained a lot of information about her clients, and that may be the case with these girls."

Mr Murdock said he wished the Suffolk detectives all the best and the fact that Carol Clark's murder remains unsolved clearly plays on his mind: "You don't forget certain cases. You retire and hand the file over but you never forget."

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Town gripped by shock and fear

When the bodies of five women turn up in the space of 10 days, it is bound to send a shudder of fear through any town.


All five were working as prostitutes but the shock and anxiety has spread to the wider community in Ipswich.

"Every woman is now asking themselves the same question - what if he runs out of prostitutes and starts attacking other women?" said Jean, who works in a petrol station near the Portman Road red light district.

Female staff working late shifts at the station have been handed attack alarms by managers, who also have also been making sure they get lifts home.

Working girls often popped into the 24-hour garage but Helen, another cashier, said: "We've seen a lot less of them recently. I hope they are heeding the warnings to stay indoors."


Map: Where the bodies were found
Sergeant Murray Osman, on patrol in nearby Handford Road, said: "Many of the working girls have taken notice of the press appeals we've made and are staying off the streets. That's good news."

While the streets of Ipswich were largely deserted after dark, there was a sizeable police presence.

Everywhere were uniformed officers in pairs, police vehicles and even unmarked cars - single male drivers were stopped and their details checked.

"We have got reassurance patrols out tonight, not just for the girls but also for the residents. They will be on duty throughout the night," said Sgt Osman, whose older brother Russell played alongside Terry Butcher at the heart of the town's illustrious football team in the early 1980s.


For years, that has been Ipswich's claim to fame - a country town which, under Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, punched above its weight in world football.




Sadly the town is making headlines for very different reasons now.


"Hunt for the Suffolk Strangler" screams the headline of the Ipswich Evening Star newspaper, which appeared to have sold out in many of the shops.

"It's terrible what's going on," said Ben, who has lived in Ipswich all his life. "It's not the sort of thing you want Ipswich to be known for."

Of his girlfriend, Paula, who stood beside him, he said protectively: "She's not allowed out on her own."

She said: "It's quite scary. It would be good if they could catch him as soon as possible."

Ben said: "I'm not a psychologist but it seems that, with the last two girls they've found, he's almost announcing to everybody what he has done.

"One of them was left only a few feet from the road."

The backstreets around Portman Road have been notorious for years for kerb-crawlers, but on Tuesday night there was no sign of women working on the streets.

Youth concern

At a youth club in the town centre, teenagers Teila Fair and Louie Barrett had little sympathy with the prostitutes.

Teila, 16, said the murders had come as a shock and had reminded her and her friends of the terrible consequences of dabbling in drugs.

Every woman is now asking themselves the same question - what if he runs out of prostitutes and starts attacking other women?

Jean, cashier

Teila lives in Nacton where the body of Anneli Alderton was found on Sunday, and she said her parents were very worried about her going out.

She said: "They're going to pick me up, but I wish the buses ran later because there's no way we can afford taxis."

Louis, also 16, said there were fewer people at the youth club this week. "Some girls have left early and other just didn't come at all.

"I guess they were scared."

Busy nightlife

But some pubs and restaurants were far from empty. In fact, the town looked quite busy for a Tuesday night and many women had ventured out.

I did not see a single woman walking alone - all were walking in pairs, with boyfriends or in larger groups.

Rebecca Wesson, from Redditch, and Elisabeth Radocha, from Amsterdam, were visiting Ipswich on a work trip.

They were being chaperoned by workmates Greg Wells and Mandeep Chahal.

"We've been making sure they are picked up and dropped off at their hotel. You have to be careful," said Mr Chahal.

Ms Radocha said: "I've heard the news. It's a bit shocking. I definitely wouldn't go out alone."

Mr Wells said: "There are definitely fewer people out tonight than there were last Tuesday night."

Sgt Osman said that with Christmas round the corner there were lots of people going out and so police were offering advice for women.

"People should plan their routes in advance and, if you are going out in a group, make sure you come home as a group."

The people of Ipswich are clearly anxious that the serial killer in their midst is caught soon.

Ben said: "I just hope the police can catch the bastard who's doing it as soon as possible."

[Sepideh_UK]

Suffolk murder trail

Five Ipswich prostitutes have been murdered and their bodies dumped in countryside near the town. Use the links in this map to find out more about each location.



Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk, has a population of 120,000. It lies on the main railway line from London to Norwich and is connected by road to the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich and to London.

The red light district, where the five women were known to work, is near the Portman Road football stadium on the western side of the town. Police have flooded the area with officers and are warning all women in the town not to go out alone.

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HINTLESHAM, 2 DEC, GEMMA ADAMS

The naked body of Ipswich prostitute Gemma Adams, 25, was found in a brook near the village of Hintlesham by a member of the public. She had been missing since 15 November.

Police said Ms Adams was last seen wearing a black waterproof waist-length jacket with a hood, light blue jeans with studs on the pockets, a red top and white and chrome Nike trainers.

The cause of her death has not yet been confirmed.


----------------
Gemma Adams' body was found on 2 December. She was 25. Her partner reported her missing on 15 November, having walked with her into Ipswich town centre, where she had gone to work as a prostitute.

Miss Adams lived in a suburb of the town and she grew up in Kesgrave, a village close to Ipswich.



Gemma Adams was 25 when she was murdered
Her father Brian is a 53-year-old businessman and during her childhood Gemma enjoyed horse riding and learning the piano.

She left school at 16 and did a course in health and social healthcare at Suffolk College, Ipswich.

But around a year later, she was using heroin and also became estranged from her family who attempted to get her into rehabilitation.


It is thought she turned to prostitution to fund her drug habit.

Her father said: "Gemma was a normal happy girl until we lost her to drugs when she was about 17. We had lost contact with her for a couple of years.

"She was bright and bubbly and full of fun. That's the only way to describe her. She was good company, bright and intelligent."

He said his daughter had lost her job at an insurance company before drifting into prostitution.

He continued: "It's every parent's worst nightmare. Once your child is involved with hard drugs your heart is already broken."

Miss Adams was wearing a black waterproof waist-length jacket, blue jeans, a red top and white and chrome Nike trainers at the time of her disappearance.

Her naked body was found in a stream at Hintlesham near Ipswich.

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COPDOCK, 8 DEC, TANIA NICOL

Police divers searching the brook at Copdock found a second naked body near a mill. She was identified as Tania Nicol, 19, another prostitute missing since 30 October.

When she was last seen, she was wearing a light coloured top, mid-blue cut-off jeans, and pink sparkly high heeled shoes.

Ms Nicol's body was found in Belstead Brook - the same stretch of water as Gemma Adams but two miles away.

The area has been flooded recently and police have said it is possible the two bodies were dumped at the same time but floated apart.

Again, it is not yet clear how Ms Nicol died.




The body of 19-year-old Tania Nicol was found on 8 December, after she disappeared on 30 October.

Miss Nicol was local to Ipswich, having grown up on a housing estate on the outs***ts of the town.


A childhood picture of Tania Nicol who lived in an Ipswich suburb


She lived there with her mother, Kerry, and her younger brother.

She had dreams of being a pop star while a pupil of Chantry High School but ended up in a series of low-paid jobs.

Her devastated father, Jim Duell, made an appeal to the public to help catch the killer of his "loving and sensitive" daughter.

"Unfortunately drugs took her away into her own secret world, a world that neither of us were aware of," said Mr Duell.

The killer, he added, could not take away their courage, fortitude and memories.

Miss Nicol was reported missing by her mother, after she had not heard from her for 48 hours.

She was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and pink high-heeled shoes when she was last seen.


Her body was later discovered in a pond at Copdock, near Ipswich.

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NACTON, 10 DEC, ANNELI ALDERTON

A walker found the body of a third prostitute, Anneli Alderton, 24, in woodland near the village of Nacton.

A motorist had seen her body on 7 December but thought it was a mannequin and failed to report it.

She had also been stripped and police later said she had been strangled.



Anneli Alderton was found dead on 10 December. Suffolk Police said she had been asphyxiated. Police also revealed that she had been three months pregnant - although they said that was not relevant to the inquiry, "however sad it may be".


Anneli Alderton was asphyxiated, Suffolk Police have said
A passing motorist reported seeing her naked body in an area of woodland at Nacton, three days after another motorist mistook it for a mannequin and failed to report it.

The 24-year-old was known to work in Ipswich as a prostitute.

She was a popular student at Copleston High School and had ambitions of being a model.

Her behaviour began to worry friends when her father, Roy, a computer programmer, died of lung cancer.

Miss Alderton, who had a son, had lived in Cyprus and was a fluent Greek speaker. She had been jailed three times for persistent theft.

A woman who works as an escort and gave her name as Emma said she had known Miss Alderton for seven years.

"She was a lovely girl, very kind-hearted and would do anything for anybody," she said.

"Her friends introduced her to crack when she was about 13 and eventually she turned to prostitution.

"She was so young. Unfortunately she got involved with the wrong crowd."

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LEVINGTON, 12 DEC, PAULA CLENNELL AND ANNETTE NICHOLLS

Police discovered the naked bodies of Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls in countryside near the village of Levington.

The first body was found by a member of the public and the second was spotted by police helicopter.

Ms Clennell, 24, who worked as a prostitute in Ipswich, had been missing since 9 December. She had been strangled.

Annette Nicholls, 29, had been missing since 4 December. Police have not yet confirmed how she died.





PAULA CLENNELL
Paula Clennell's body was discovered on 12 December in woodland near Ipswich.


Paula Clennell's father did not know she was a prostitute


The 24-year-old had not been seen since very early in the morning on 10 December.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled.

She apparently predicted her own demise by 25, such was the extent of her drug problem.

The sex worker's parents divorced 10 years ago and she was schooled in a referral unit.


Miss Clennell's father Brian, who lives in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, said he had not known his daughter worked as a prostitute.

He described Paula as being "like any other young woman", who had a "kind-hearted and loving soul".

She was last seen at 0020 GMT on 10 December, wearing a navy blue anorak with a horizontal light blue band across the chest and one sleeve.


ANNETTE NICHOLLS
Police confirmed on Friday that the fifth woman who has been murdered was missing Annette Nicholls, who also worked as a prostitute.

Miss Nicholls, 29, had been missing since 4 December. Her body was found on 12 December near Levington.


Annette Nicholls went missing on 4 December


She had been a devoted single mother of an eight-year-old son and had wanted to be a beautician. Miss Nicholls began taking heroin three years ago.

Friends have suggested Ms Nicholls was embarrassed about working on the streets but it is believed that she was quite well-known.

She was reported missing by her family, who had become concerned after seeing the publicity surrounding the murders of Tania Nicol and Gemma Adams.

She was 5ft 3in (1.59m) tall and slim, with long brown hair.

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