John Humble, who came to be known as Wearside Jack, claimed to be the Ripper in three letters and an audio tape sent to officers during the 1970s.
His Tyne and Wear accent led police to search for the Ripper in Sunderland while the real killer - Peter Sutcliffe - lived in Yorkshire.
It's still not clear why Humble sent the tapes and letters. BBC News reports that it could have been down to boredom, or revenge after alleged rough treatment by the police.
Sutcliffe, 59, is serving life for the murders of 13 women in West Yorkshire between 1975 and 1981.
POSTED...
Tue 21 Mar 2006 at 2:36pm
