Peter Sutcliffe terrorised West Yorkshire in the late 1970s, killing 13 women and attacking many more. He was caught nearly fifty years ago - and he's been dead for five - but his face is still instantly recognisable. His name synonymous with evil and brutality.

Writers Sally-Anne Martyn and Daniel Sellers were both just children at the time of Sutcliffe's crimes, but grew up in the heartlands of Yorkshire and watched as their families and communities were devastated by the man the media dubbed The Ripper. The Sutcliffe case has had a lasting impact on the criminal justice system and influenced the way we look at prejudices in society, particularly the way victims are portrayed. But it has also had a profound effect on the way Daniel and Sally Anne write. In Daniel's crime novels and Sally Anne's psychological thrillers, the ghost of Sutcliffe is ever-present. The Shadow in The North.

Sally-Anne Martyn is the author of psychological dark thrillers 'The Clinic' 'The Home' and 'The Beauty Queen.' Her fourth dark thriller / horror will be published by Boldwood Books in October 2026. Click here for links to buy Sally-Anne's books. Daniel Sellers is the best selling author of the Lola Harris Mysteries and the Yorkshire Killings (which includes The Lollipop Man mentioned in the episode) Click here for more information on where to buy Daniel's books. If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• True Crime by Tea Time
• Night Falls by Lost Harmonies
• Blueprints by Tom Olivier
• Whispers in the Attic by Cosmo Lawson

Outro: Wild Mountain Thyme by Harpo Marks

Tom visits Reading Magistrates Court with his old university friend Sian.

In the dock are those accused of drug dealing, shoplifting, jumping bail and a whole range of other crimes and misdemeanours. The Court hustles and bustles with lawyers, legal advisors, police officers, translators, and robed attendants, but there is no doubt who is in charge: A no-nonsense, middle-aged Irishwoman sits right in the middle of proceedings, and though hers is a voluntary position and she's never studied at the Bar, her word is the Law.

Magistrates are a vital part of the British legal system. They are the first port of call for defendants in 95% of criminal cases - from terrorists to those accused of speeding.

For Sian, it is her first taste of what to expect when SHE takes up the position of Magistrate. Her application is in, and she's waiting for a vacancy to come up in her local area.

It's almost like her entire career has been leading to this moment. Calling her to the Bench.

*** Sian is the co-founder of Storm Safe Crisis Communications, a specialist consultancy providing scalable crisis communications support for businesses of all sizes, including response planning, scenario development, media frameworks and retained advisory services. Find out more via the website : Storm Safe Crisis Communications or contact her through LinkedIn : Storm Safe Crisis Communications

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Timeless Piano by Immersive Music
• Sweet Little Things by Jack Pierce
• A Palace in the Pines by Big Score Audio
• Ticking Time by Eskimotion

Kevin Sanders is nearing the end of his sentence at the notorious Lewisburg federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania. He's been in prison for nearly 10 years, but he is quiet and nonviolent, and doesn't fit in at Lewisburg - which is home to some of the worst criminals in the country.

Kevin wants to just keep his head down and serve out his time, but he becomes embroiled in a brutal gang war instigated by the Aryan Brotherhood. One morning he finds himself locked in an exercise cage with a sworn enemy of the Brotherhood, and faces a stark choice: Fight or die.

His case is picked by a public defender named Scott Powell who ropes in his old school friend Carla Conti to tell Scott's story. Carla and Kevin become unlikely friends as the team fights to clear Kevin's name, and expose the corruption and gang violence that is rife in America's federal prisons.

But before long, both Kevin's and Carla's lives are in danger.

You can buy Carla's book Chained Birds from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FKWFG9F4

And preorder her next book, The Jacklighter, from Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carlaconti/the-jacklighter-a-true-crime-story - where there are also bundles available that include the eBook and audiobook of Chained Birds.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Private Investigation by Peter McIsaac Music
• Set the World on Fire by Ferrari Tzar
• IRL by Wolves
• Moody Western by Brightside Studio
• Down in the Canyon by Ryan Scott

*IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode follows on from THE KILLER ON THE WATER. If you haven't listened to that one yet, please check it out first!*

In this special Bonus Episode, Sarah Bax Horton puts forward the case for a new suspect in the hunt for Jack The Ripper!

In her book, ONE ARMED JACK, Sarah details the extraordinary coincidences and circumstantial evidence that point to her man as a prime suspect in this most notorious of unsolved crimes.

We chatted at Tower Hill on the site of Sarah's ancestor Harry Garrett's police lodgings. Harry is Sarah's inspiration and the reason she became one of the UK's foremost experts on the Whitechapel murders of the 1880s.

You can buy One Armed Jack on Amazon.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected].

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

London, 1888. The city is gripped by fear as Jack the Ripper roams the streets of Whitechapel. But there's another madman on the loose, and the River Thames is his playground.

The identity of The Thames Torso Killer has remained a mystery for nearly 140 years, but author Sarah Bax Horton believes she has found the culprit. Sarah began researching the case in honour of her great grandfather - Harry Garrett - who was a police sergeant in Whitechapel at the time of the murders.

Join us for a story of mass hysteria and murderous bargemen as we try to nail down The Killer on the Water.

Sarah Bax Horton's book, Arm of Eve is available now from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arm-Eve-Investigating-Thames-Killer/dp/1803997486

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Destabilize Me by Daniel Belardinelli
• Mysteries of the Deep by Sunshine Music
• The Watchtower by Cosmo Lawson
• A Thin Line by Lost Harmonies

Bill Kimberlin is not your standard criminal psychologist. For more than 20 years he has visited inmates on Death Row in his home state of Ohio, and across the US.

What started as a project to expand his professional knowledge has become something of a calling. To date, he has built years-long relationships with 10 men on Death Row, and has witnessed three executions, with more scheduled for the coming months and years.

It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Bill is not affiliated to any law enforcement agency. He is not a lawyer or a spiritual adviser, nor does he attempt to profit from his subjects' notoriety. He is simply there to listen and learn. And to help these killers understand more about themselves.

You can buy Bill Kimberlin's book Watch Me Die from Amazon.

Follow Bill on Instagram to see some of the anonymous artwork he has acquired from men on Death Row.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• The Prowler by Cosmo Lawson
• Solving a Mystery by Jack Pierce
• Soul Search by Patrick Rundblad

Outro: Living Like a Wildfire by A Hext

*IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode follows on from WHO KILLED MRS HOOD? If you haven't listened to that one yet, please check it out first!

In this special Bonus Episode, we focus on the crucial piece of evidence that convicted Herbert Bennett of his wife Mary's murder in September 1900.

Her necklace was discovered in Herbert's lodgings after her death, helping to convince a jury that he was the man who killed her.

Now, that same necklace is framed on Paul Fitchett's wall - and is a daily reminder to him of why he must continue the fight to clear Herbert's name.

But how did the necklace get there?

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected].

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

In September 1900 a woman's body was discovered on the beach in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. She had been strangled with a bootlace. The police had no idea who she was, but they established she had been staying in the town at a boarding house with her infant daughter, Ruby. She had checked in under the name 'Mrs Hood'.

It took several weeks to work out her true identity. Her name was Mary Bennett, and her estranged husband, Herbert, was quickly arrested and charged with her murder. He was convicted in a trial at the Old Bailey, and hanged in March 1901.

Now, Ruby's grandson Paul Fitchett is on a mission to find out the truth about his great-grandparents and crack the tragic case that left Ruby an orphan. He strongly believes Herbert was innocent - but can he prove it?

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• A Mysterious Fairy by Adieu Adieu
• Still by Shaun Freerson
• The Ancient Mystery by Tom Olivier
• Seek the Solution by Cloud Revolution
• Open Seas by Liam Mansfield
• Glimpse of the Darkness by Emmett Cooke

Emily Patterson was the last victim of one of North America's first known serial killers. But she was also a loving mother to two small boys, a pillar of her local community in Canada, and the long lost ancestor of crime writer Denise Beddows.

It was Emily's bravery as she tried to fight off the evil killer Earle Nelson - known as the 'Gorilla Killer' due to his abnormally large hands - that led to his capture and execution in 1928.

While most books about serial killers are sensationalist accounts about monsters and their brutal crimes, Denise tells the story of each of Nelson's victims. They are the women history left behind. They are The Forgotten 44.

You can order Denise's book - The Forgotten 44 - from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Forty-Four-Victims-Survivors-Americas/dp/B0CGGC4QT8

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected].

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Questionable Behavior by Sunshine Music
• Moving Heart by Firefly Music
• Crime of the Century by Flash Fluharty
• The Disappearance by Emmett Cooke
• Lamentations by Mark Fabian
• Castigan's Folly by Nathan King

In 1998, author and historian Susan Ronald was in a bank vault in Zurich, Switzerland checking the assets of an elusive billionnaire for a huge investment project. There she stumbled upon evidence of a huge stash of art looted by the Nazis.

Nobody took her story seriously until, more than 15 years later, the German authorities discovered thousands of priceless works of art - many stolen from Jews - secretly hoarded away by a man named Hildebrand Gurlitt - Hitler's personal art curator.

Susan Ronald's book Hitler's Art Thief is available to buy from her website or any online book store.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected].

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Or Facebook

Or Instagram

Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Pizzicato Mystery by Studio Le Bus
• Axed by Mojo Handful
• Warpath by Swan Productions
• Mystery at Midnight by Lee Miller
• Searching for Hope by Taizo Audio
• The Bells of Bavaria by The Commandeers