Barbara Leach - Yorkshire Ripper Victim
On the 2nd September 1979 Barbara Leach, a 20 year old student, was murdered by Peter Sutcliffe in the University area of Bradford.
A post-mortem examination revealed that she had been struck a single blow to the head with a hammer after which she was stabbed in the abdomen and shoulder blade a total of eight times. From examination of the injuries it was possible to say that the weapon used to cause them was, in all likelihood, the one used in the murder of Josephine Whitaker five months previously.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gilrain led this inquiry and established his incident room in Bradford. The crime was immediately linked with others in the series and Detective Superintendent Holland who, on hearing of the murder, had immediately returned to West Yorkshire from leave in Scotland.