13 differences between Jack the Ripper and the Yorkshire Ripper

Is Jack the Ripper the same as the Yorkshire Ripper?

Most people think of Jack the Ripper when they hear “The Ripper.” However, England’s actually had two serial killers named “Ripper.” That’s what the new Netflix original documentary, The Ripper, is about. The four-episode docu-series covers the case of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, who was called the Yorkshire Ripper before he was finally caught and his real identity was discovered. It’s a must-watch for true crime fans.

The documentary doesn’t focus on Sutcliffe, though. It does detail his crimes, but it pays most of its attention to the victims and the police efforts trying to stop him –or the botched efforts that were riddled with errors that let Sutcliffe remain free for longer than he should have been, that is.

However, comparisons are also drawn between him and Jack. Because Sutcliffe’s crimes were similarly gruesome, and in some cases involved the same type of targets. That’s how he earned the name “The Yorkshire Ripper.”

Let’s take a look at 13 ways these serial killers differed though, starting with where and when they committed their crimes.

13. Different locations

Jack the Ripper killed his victims in London. Peter Sutcliffe claimed some of his first victims’ lives in West Yorkshire, but he also struck in Manchester.

Specifically, he murdered six women and attacked four more in Leeds, murdered three and attacked two in Bradford, murdered two in Manchester, murdered one each and attacked one each in Huddersfield and Halifax, and attacked one each in Keighley and Silsden.

12. Different time period

Another key difference between the two is when they committed their crimes. Jack the Ripper stalked the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The Yorkshire Ripper’s reign of mayhem lasted from 1975 to 1980.