Jean Jordan - Yorkshire Ripper Victim

Jean Jordan lived with her partner and two small children in a flat in Lingbeck Crescent, Manchester. She was believed to have entered into prostitution in 1975 to make ends meet. She is reported to have two police cautions for soliciting.

Jean Jordan was also known as 'Scotch Jean'.

On Monday, 26th September, 1977, the Sutcliffe's moved into their new house in Garden Lane, Heaton. On the same day Peter Sutcliffe purchased another Ford Corsair - this time it was red.

On Saturday, 1st October, 1977, Peter Sutcliffe spent the day working on his new car in the drive of his new house. 

Later that evening Sutcliffe was in Moss Side, Manchester kerb-crawling in the red Ford Corsair. At 9.20pm Sutcliffe persuaded Jean Jordan to get into the Ford Corsair. During 'negotiations' Peter Sutcliffe paid Jean with a brand-new £5 note - in advance. This £5 note would lead to one of the most important investigations in the Yorkshire Ripper Inquiry.

Jean Jordan gave Sutcliffe directions to allotments on Princess Road, Chorlton, close to the Southern Cemetery. Jean had hidden the £5 note in a 'secret' pocket in her handbag.

As Jean Jordan was walking to the area where she wanted to complete business Sutcliffe rained down hammer blows to the back of her head - at least thirteen times.

The allotments on Princess Road were always busy with courting couples and prostitutes with their clients. It was after attacking Jean with the hammer that Sutcliffe realised they weren't the only ones at the allotments. Sutcliffe witnessed cars arriving and leaving.

Sutcliffe dragged Jean's body into the bushes to hide it from view. He then headed back to his red Ford Corsair and headed for home.

Reports suggest that Sutcliffe had realised he'd made a mistake leaving the £5 note behind and that it could potentially be traced back to his employers, T. & W.H. Clark. Sutcliffe was said to have monitored newspapers in the days following the murder of Jean Jordan. Sutcliffe came to the conclusion that her body was yet to be found.

On Sunday, 9th October, Peter and Sonia Sutcliffe hosted a house-warming party. After the party he drove his parents home to Bingley, before heading back to Manchester to look for Jean's body and the £5 note.

Sutcliffe found Jean's body and started the search for her handbag. He found the handbag and searched it. He didn't find the £5 note in the 'secret' pocket. He continued to search the area. In desperation he pulled Jean's body from the bushes and searched around it. With no sign of the £5 note Sutcliffe stripped Jean's clothes from her body.

Sutcliffe was angered at not finding the money that he stabbed Jean's body multiple times, slashing her breasts, abdomen and vagina. Sutcliffe actually vomited at the site - which was put down to the stench after her stomach was ripped open.

Sutcliffe finally used a saw and a large piece of glass to try and remove Jean's head from her body. Sutcliffe used the glass to try to mislead investigators - as this would not be the Yorkshire Rippers usual modus operandi.  He had to finally give up as the glass was totally inadequate for the job.

Jean's body was found on 10th October, 1977, nine days after her murder.

On the 15th October, 1977, Jean Jordan’s handbag was found some 189ft away from the body. It contained the new £5 Bank of England note which was thought to have been paid to the victim by the murderer. The recovery of this note some two weeks after the death marked a significant new stage in the series inquiry.

Chief Superintendent Ridgway of the Greater Manchester Police took charge of the investigation and recognised immediately the possibility of a link with the crimes in West Yorkshire.

Weight was added to this initial suspicion when it was discovered that the £5 note recovered from Jean Jordan’s handbag was probably from a consignment of £25,000 (i.e. 5,000 £5 notes) delivered to the Manningham, Shipley or Bingley branches of the Midland Bank on 29th September 1977. A team of detectives from Greater Manchester moved to the West Yorkshire area and, accompanied by West Yorkshire officers, undertook extensive inquiries to trace the person to whom the recovered £5 note had been paid.

*The £5 note had the serial number: AW51 121565