Dramatizing one of the most infamously notorious and shocking serial killer cases in the world, the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe, commonly dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, between October 1975 and January 1981, South Yorkshire police undertook the biggest manhunt in British criminal history. The search for Sutcliffe lasted five years, involved over a thousand officers and changed the way the British police worked forever.
Episode 1
The police struggle to catch the killer of a woman murdered in Leeds, and a desperate mother is forced to make a difficult decision.
Episode 2
The police face the prospect of a multiple murderer at large in the wake of more linked murders, but the testimony of a survivor could turn the tide.
Episode 3
The investigation spreads to Bradford with the murder of another young woman, and a female police officer is tasked with dangerous undercover work.
Episode 4
When another woman survives an attack, detectives hope that they are in with a chance of finding their man as a driver in Leeds emerges as prime suspect.
Episode 5
The police revisit historic attacks in the hope of identifying further victims, and George Oldfield is fired up by the arrival of a letter from the killer.
Episode 6
West Yorkshire Police launch a huge public appeal in the hope of rooting out the killer as some detectives begin to voice concerns about the investigation.
Episode 7
After a chance arrest, the killer is finally caught and the failures of the investigation are laid bare in the wake of the trial.
