Beast of Manchester dies.

[arthurchappell]

to get back on topic, Hardy's killings produced the biggest manhunt seen in Britain before that of Yorkshire Ripper Sutcliffe - 23,000 people were questioned. Hardy was arrested for two murders but admitted to a third one too, of a girl only listed as missing - though he later claimed to be totally innocent of all the crimes once imprisoned

[Manchester Man]

It is strange but the National Press never really appeared to pick up on this case.

Hardy murdered 3 young girls in a vile and sadistic way, mutulating the bodies. As said, the first and youngest victim was only listed as missing (for 2 years) until Hardy confessed.

ATB
Ray.

[Cupcake]

Possibly because the murders weren't linked prior to his confession?  He was caught for one and confessed to the other two.  He'd been cleared in one investigation and nobody knew the first victim was dead, so there wasn't really a "serial killer" vibe ahead of the arrest.   Added to which, the press in the 70s were not the voracious vultures they are now..... they possibly didn't want to publish every gruesome detail? 

[Manchester Man]

Hi Cupcake,

What you say makes sense.

It is a little strange but there was a situation that within two years a young girl goes missing and two other young girls are murdered. All within a mile of each other. I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but you would have thought some questions would have been asked. Perhaps they were, but no answers were found.

10 years earlier and he would have hung.

ATB
Ray.

[Corrupt council]

just wondering  how many serial killers has Manchester produced?


hindley/bradey  and shipman are the 3 that come to mind but are there more as the beast seems to have well been on his way but no one seems to have even heard of him.

[Macktheknife]

I remember living in Manchester in the 70's before Sutcliffe was caught.  There were some seriously scared women about and even the lads watched where they walked at night.  Nver heard of the Beast, though.  Interesting.