LONDON — Reuters Last updated on Monday, Mar. 30, 2009 03:06PM EDT
A man was found guilty on Thursday of murdering five women in eastern England in a 2006 killing spree that shocked the nation and led to one of Britain's biggest manhunts.
Forklift truck driver Steve Wright, 49, was convicted of carrying out a deliberate campaign to murder the women, all drug addicts aged under 30 who worked as prostitutes. He left two of the bodies in a cruciform position with arms outstretched.
The murders drew comparisons with infamous 19th century serial killer “Jack the Ripper” and threw a spotlight on a murky world of drugs and illicit sex.
The naked bodies of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were all dumped around the eastern town of Ipswich within 10 days.
Mr. Wright, labelled the “Suffolk Strangler” by the media, had undertaken his campaign of violence while his 63 year-old partner Pamela — who was unaware of his trysts with prostitutes — was working night shifts.
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