The Ipswich serial murders , commonly known as the work of the Suffolk Strangler , took place between 30 October and 10 December , during which time the bodies of five murdered sex workers were discovered at different locations near Ipswich , Suffolk , England.
Their bodies were discovered naked but there were no signs of sexual assault. Two of the victims, Anneli Alderton and Paula Clennell, were confirmed to have been killed by asphyxiation. Suffolk Constabulary linked the killings and launched a murder investigation codenamed Operation Sumac. Due to the size of the investigation police officers were drafted from several other police forces.
Two arrests were made in connection with the murders. The first suspect, who was never officially named by police, was released without charge. Forklift truck driver Steve Wright , age 48, was arrested on suspicion of murder on 19 December and charged with the murders of all five women on 21 December. Wright was remanded in custody and his trial began on 14 January at Ipswich Crown Court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, although he admitted having sex with all five victims and that he had been paying for sex workers' services since the s.
DNA and fibre evidence were presented to the court that linked Wright to the victims. He was found guilty of all five murders on 21 February , and was sentenced the following day to life imprisonment , with a recommendation that he should never be released from prison. The murders received a large amount of media attention, both nationally and internationally. The press often compared the murders to those committed by Peter Sutcliffe , who murdered thirteen women and attacked seven others mostly sex workers in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester between and There was some concern that the level of media coverage at the time could jeopardise a fair trial.
The murders also sparked debates in the media over the laws surrounding prostitution. On 2 December , the body of a young woman was discovered in the water of Belstead Brook at Thorpe's Hill, near Hintlesham , Suffolk , by a member of the public who was working as a Water Bailiff. According to a police statement, she had been asphyxiated and was about three months pregnant when she died. In a press conference, investigators from the Suffolk Constabulary warned all women to stay away from the red light district of Ipswich.
