Suspected Serial Killer

It isn’t often that we hear news of a serial killer in our midst, especially not one that has a suspected kill tally of 85 deaths since 2008. You may or may not have heard of “The Manchester Pusher” but due the large volume of people dying in Manchester’s canals and waterways over the last few years, this has led police and residents to believe that it is, indeed, the work of a serial killer.

How Did We Get Here?

Over the best part of the last decade, there have been a large number of people reported missing in and around the Greater Manchester area – many are assumed to have gone missing after a night out. A lot of those missing persons have been discovered dead in the canals and waterways, on the assumption that they had fallen in after a few too many drinks.

So, are these deaths coincidental accidents or is there something more sinister at play? Is there a serial killer out there, preying on victims looking for a short-cut home before needlessly ending their lives, or is it a simple case of a lot of bad timing and hastily made decisions that have ended badly? Many believe the former to be true.

Murder or Suicide?

When Jack the Ripper tormented the streets of London targeting prostitutes, he was the first major serial killer of his kind and

the media ignited frenzy over the safety of residents in London’s East End. It was believed he chose his victims because he didn’t like women.

Similarly, Dennis Nilson, who targeted young men in North London, was thought to be very disturbed and targeted his victims based on guilt over his own sexuality. One author suggests that the Manchester Pusher is working on a similar assumption and is targeting victims based on this.

Despite the assertions, Greater Manchester Police are adamant that there is no evidence to suggest that there is a connection between any of the deaths, or that a majority were of a similar sexual persuasion, despite many of the bodies found being male.

So, if there isn’t a killer on the loose, are these deaths a colossal series of unfortunate events or a lot of suicides? Academics believe this not to be the case. Canals are rarely used in suicide attempts, and the sheer volume of deaths indicates suspicious circumstances.

Notoriety Awaits

With such a high number of fatalities, if it does emerge that these incidents are related then this could be one of the biggest serial killer cases in British history. Having taken place over such an extended period of time, it is fair to say that the Manchester Pusher could well be as calculating and as cold as Jack the Ripper, if less vulgar and cruel in his methods.

If you feel like putting on your detective hat, then join us on our Jack the Ripper tour where we shine some light on the victims, the suspects and question just how exactly he got away with it all. Book your tickets today.