✝️ Yvonne Pearson, age 21 – January 21 1978, Bradford, England, United Kingdom 🏴 💔
Yvonne was mother of two: Colette was aged two, Lorraine just five months.
She had several convictions for being prostituted. Yvonne was due in court in five days later on a charge of soliciting. It would not be her first conviction for the offence, and there was the prospect this time of going to prison.
Yvonne was murdered by Peter Sutcliffe (“The Yorkshire Ripper”). On the night of January 21st, Yvonne Pearson left her two children in the care of a 16-year-old neighbour and went to the Flying Dutchman pub to have a few drinks and to possibly earn some money from prostitution. At 9.30pm, Yvonne left the Flying Dutchman public house, which is on Leeds Road. Yvonne headed towards Lumb Lane in the heart of Bradford’s red-light area. Yvonne was approached by Peter Sutcliffe and they agreed on the price, £5.
As they got out of the car Yvonne was hit on the head with either a lump of masonry or with a heavy walling hammer. He repeatedly bludgeoned her across the head with the hammer. As they got out of the car Yvonne was hit on the head with either a lump of masonry or with a heavy walling hammer. Sutcliffe was briefly interrupted by another car. He attempted to suffocate Yvonne by forcing sofa stuffing down her throat. Once they were alone again Sutcliffe pulled down Yvonne’s trousers, bared her breasts, and started kicking her about the body. He also jumped up and down on her chest, breaking ribs. Sutcliffe then covered the body with soil, rubble and turf. Finally he dragged the sofa over the top.
It was some weeks before she was discovered on March 26, 1978 as it was wrongly thought she had gone to ground to avoid an upcoming court case.