10 Careless Mistakes That Got Serial Killers Caught
1. The Yorkshire Ripper Didn't Register His Car Properly
Although the United States had its fair share of prolific serial killers operating in the 1970s, England was haunted by its own now-infamous killer, The Yorkshire Ripper. Between 1975 and 1980, at least thirteen women were killed by the Ripper.
The Yorkshire Ripper was clumsy compared to other serial killers. Many of the crime scenes and bodies had evidence left behind including boot prints and tire tracks. Police went on a manhunt that included interviewing hundreds of thousands of individuals — including the Ripper himself, Pete Sutcliffe, nine times!
How was Sutcliffe caught? Falsely registered license plates.
Police picked up Sutcliffe as he was soliciting a prostitute in his car. Before he was carted away, he was permitted to take a leak behind an oil drum. The Yorkshire Ripper tried, and failed, to ditch a hammer and knife in this spot — police returned the next day and collected the murder weapons.