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Steve Wright (serial killer)
Encyclopedia
Steven Gerald James Wright (born 24 April 1958) is an English
serial killer
, also known as the Suffolk Strangler. He is currently serving life imprisonment
for the murder of five women who worked as prostitutes in Ipswich
, Suffolk
. The killings took place during late 2006 and Wright was found guilty in February 2008.
village of Erpingham
, the second of four children of military police
man Conrad and veterinary nurse
Patricia. He has an older brother David and two younger sisters, Jeanette and Tina. While Wright's father was on military service, the family had lived in both Malta
and Singapore
. Wright's mother left in 1964 when he was 8; his father divorced his mother in 1977; both later remarried. Wright and his siblings lived with their father, who fathered a son, Keith and daughter, Natalie with his second wife, Valerie.
Wright left school in 1974 and soon afterwards joined the Merchant Navy, becoming a chef
on ferries sailing from Felixstowe
, Suffolk. In 1978 in Milford Haven
, he married Angela O'Donovan. They had a son, Michael. The couple separated in 1987 and later divorced. Wright became a steward on the QE2, a lorry driver, a barman and just prior to his arrest, a forklift truck
driver. Former prostitute Lindi St Clair
said she was attacked by Steve Wright in the 1980s. His second marriage was to 32-year-old Diane Cassell at Braintree
register office in August 1987. They split in July 1988 while he was a pub
landlord in Norwich
. He was in a relationship with Sarah Whiteley from 1989–1993 and they had a daughter together, born in 1992. It was during this time that he also managed a public house in South London
. This post was lost due to his gambling
and heavy drinking. He was convicted in 2001 of theft, stealing £
80 to pay off his debts. This was his only criminal conviction prior to the murders. It is known that throughout these times Wright built up large debts largely through gambling, and had recently been declared bankrupt. Wright had twice tried to commit suicide
, first by carbon monoxide poisoning
in his car in the mid-1990s; secondly in 2000, by an overdose of pills. A Thai woman, Somchit Chomphusaeng, says she married Wright in Thailand in 1999.
is a coincidence) in 2001 in Felixstowe and they moved to the house in Ipswich together in 2004. Wright had always admitted that he had used prostitutes and had done since he was in the Merchant Navy, and continually throughout his life. In Ipswich he admitted he went to certain massage and sauna establishments that were actually brothel
s. Throughout his trial he had stated that he had used prostitutes on many occasions, including three of the victims and when his partner began working night shift
s and their sex life became almost non-existent, he returned to prostitutes who were based on the nearby streets, procuring a dozen in the final three months of 2006.
Between 30 October and 10 December 2006 Wright murdered five prostitutes in Ipswich. Forensic evidence led to his arrest on 19 December. At the time of the murders Wright was working as a forklift truck driver. He was found guilty of all five murders on 21 February 2008. On the following day, he was sentenced to life imprisonment
and the judge recommended that he should never be released
.
It was announced on 19 March 2008 that Wright would be appeal
ing against his convictions. However, on 2 February 2009, it was announced that Wright had decided to drop this appeal case.
case; he had worked with Lamplugh on the QE2 ocean liner during the early 1980s. Lamplugh was last seen alive in 1986 and was legally declared dead in 1994, but her body has never been found. However, the Metropolitan Police have stated that this is not a strong line of enquiry.
Cleveland Police
have not ruled out a link between Wright and the murder of Vicky Glass, a heroin addict
who vanished from Middlesbrough
in September 2000. Her naked body was later found in a stream on the North Yorks Moors.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, also known as the Suffolk Strangler. He is currently serving life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for the murder of five women who worked as prostitutes in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. The killings took place during late 2006 and Wright was found guilty in February 2008.
Early life
Wright was born in the NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
village of Erpingham
Erpingham
Erpingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 541 in 210 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of North Norfolk....
, the second of four children of military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
man Conrad and veterinary nurse
Veterinary technician
In North America, the principle paraveterinary workers are called veterinary technicians or veterinary technologists-Job description:Technical skills include:...
Patricia. He has an older brother David and two younger sisters, Jeanette and Tina. While Wright's father was on military service, the family had lived in both Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Wright's mother left in 1964 when he was 8; his father divorced his mother in 1977; both later remarried. Wright and his siblings lived with their father, who fathered a son, Keith and daughter, Natalie with his second wife, Valerie.
Wright left school in 1974 and soon afterwards joined the Merchant Navy, becoming a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
on ferries sailing from Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
, Suffolk. In 1978 in Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, he married Angela O'Donovan. They had a son, Michael. The couple separated in 1987 and later divorced. Wright became a steward on the QE2, a lorry driver, a barman and just prior to his arrest, a forklift truck
Forklift truck
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The modern forklift was developed in the 1920s by various companies including the transmission manufacturing company Clark and the hoist company Yale & Towne Manufacturing...
driver. Former prostitute Lindi St Clair
Lindi St Clair
Lindi St Clair is an author, leader of the Corrective Party, and campaigner for prostitutes' rights.Formerly Britain's most famous 20th Century prostitute but now retired and confirmed as a Christian, St Clair achieved recognition when she accused the Inland Revenue in the High Court of England...
said she was attacked by Steve Wright in the 1980s. His second marriage was to 32-year-old Diane Cassell at Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
register office in August 1987. They split in July 1988 while he was a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
landlord in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. He was in a relationship with Sarah Whiteley from 1989–1993 and they had a daughter together, born in 1992. It was during this time that he also managed a public house in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
. This post was lost due to his gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and heavy drinking. He was convicted in 2001 of theft, stealing £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
80 to pay off his debts. This was his only criminal conviction prior to the murders. It is known that throughout these times Wright built up large debts largely through gambling, and had recently been declared bankrupt. Wright had twice tried to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, first by carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
in his car in the mid-1990s; secondly in 2000, by an overdose of pills. A Thai woman, Somchit Chomphusaeng, says she married Wright in Thailand in 1999.
The Suffolk murders
Wright met Pamela Wright (the shared surnameSurname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
is a coincidence) in 2001 in Felixstowe and they moved to the house in Ipswich together in 2004. Wright had always admitted that he had used prostitutes and had done since he was in the Merchant Navy, and continually throughout his life. In Ipswich he admitted he went to certain massage and sauna establishments that were actually brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s. Throughout his trial he had stated that he had used prostitutes on many occasions, including three of the victims and when his partner began working night shift
Night Shift
A night shift is either a group of workers who work during the night, or the period in which they work. See shift work.Night Shift may also refer to:* Night Shift , a fictional team of supervillains in the Marvel Universe...
s and their sex life became almost non-existent, he returned to prostitutes who were based on the nearby streets, procuring a dozen in the final three months of 2006.
Between 30 October and 10 December 2006 Wright murdered five prostitutes in Ipswich. Forensic evidence led to his arrest on 19 December. At the time of the murders Wright was working as a forklift truck driver. He was found guilty of all five murders on 21 February 2008. On the following day, he was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
and the judge recommended that he should never be released
Whole life tariff
This is a list of prisoners who have received a whole life tariff through some mechanism in jurisdictions of the United Kingdom.Eight of these prisoners have since died in prison, while three of them have had their sentences reduced on appeal, meaning that there are currently at least 48 prisoners...
.
It was announced on 19 March 2008 that Wright would be appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ing against his convictions. However, on 2 February 2009, it was announced that Wright had decided to drop this appeal case.
Possible links to other crimes
Wright is still being investigated in connection with other murders and disappearances, including the Suzy LamplughSuzy Lamplugh
Susannah "Suzy" Lamplugh was a British estate agent reported missing on 28 July 1986 in Fulham, South West London, England. She was officially declared dead, presumed murdered, in 1994. The last clue of her whereabouts was an appointment to show a house in Shorrolds Road to someone she referred...
case; he had worked with Lamplugh on the QE2 ocean liner during the early 1980s. Lamplugh was last seen alive in 1986 and was legally declared dead in 1994, but her body has never been found. However, the Metropolitan Police have stated that this is not a strong line of enquiry.
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in north east England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately and has a population of over 554,000....
have not ruled out a link between Wright and the murder of Vicky Glass, a heroin addict
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
who vanished from Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
in September 2000. Her naked body was later found in a stream on the North Yorks Moors.
External links
- Ipswich serial killer Steve Wright, ITV Local