AP News, December 11th, 2006
Police investigating the deaths of three prostitutes whose bodies were found a few miles apart in rural eastern England said Monday they were concerned about two other women reported missing in the same area _ raising fears that a serial killer may be on the loose.
The bodies of the three women have all been found since Dec. 2 around Ipswich, 70 miles northeast of London. Police have confirmed that the first two had not been sexually assaulted.
Two of the bodies were found a few miles apart, one in a stream and one in a pond. The third was found in woodland several miles away. All were nude.
Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull said a serial killer may be responsible.
"We are keeping an open mind. We may be looking for one perpetrator, there may be more," he said.
Police had made no arrests, but Gull said there were "a number of interesting lines of inquiry that we are pursuing."
The three victims are Gemma Adams, 25, whose body was found Dec. 2; Tania Nicol, 19, whose body was found Friday; and a 24-year-old woman, not yet formally identified, whose body was found Sunday.
Adams had not been seen since Nov. 15, and Nicol had been missing since Oct. 30, police said.
The third death "is a deeply disturbing development," Gull said. "While we can't formally link the (cases), the facts speak for themselves."
Suffolk police said they were also concerned about Paula Clennell, 24, who has been reported missing since Saturday, and 29-year-old Annette Nicholls, last seen Dec. 3 or 4. Both worked as prostitutes in Ipswich.
"There could be an innocent explanation as to why these girls are missing," Gull said. "However, in the current climate, we are concerned for their welfare and are making urgent inquiries to locate them."
The killing has stirred memories of one of Britain's worst serial killers, "Yorkshire Ripper" Peter Sutcliffe, who admitted in 1981 to killing 13 women, mostly prostitutes, in northern England during the 1970s. He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison.
Assistant Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer urged prostitutes to stay off the street, and to help police with any information they have.
"If you are out alone at night, you are putting yourself in danger at this time," she said.
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On the Net:
Suffolk Police http://www.suffolk.police.uk
