HORRIFIED locals living in the same grim flats once stalked by the Crossbow Cannibal say they believe the monster left more victims behind – with their remains yet to be discovered.
Serial killer Stephen Griffiths was jailed for life in 2010 for the “wicked and monstrous” murders of three women in Bradford.
NB PRESS LTDThe block of flats has since been renovated and rented out to new residents[/caption]
HandoutStephen Griffiths was jailed in 2010 for the killing of three women in Bradford[/caption]
HandoutGriffiths’ victims: Susan Rushworth, 43, Suzanne Blamires, 36, and Shelley Armitage, 31[/caption]
The brute, who introduced himself in court as “the Crossbow Cannibal“, told police after his arrest: “I’ve killed loads”.
Fifteen years on from his horrific crimes, residents living in the notorious social housing flats where Griffiths killed are convinced there are more grisly secrets hidden within its cracked brickwork.
Elizabeth Smith, 28, who recently moved into the apartments on troubled Thornton Road, said: “Everyone knows there are more bodies.
“He said there were more bodies. I 100% believe they need to search this place again. Something’s not right.
“I’ve bleached the lift so many times because of the smell. It’s rotten.
“They just replaced all the carpets, but the smell is still there. It’s been playing on my mind for months.
“I genuinely believe there are other bodies in there.”
Griffiths, now 55, was locked away for life in 2010 after admitting to the murders of sex workers Susan Rushworth, 43, Shelley Armitage, 31, and Suzanne Blamires, 36.
‘It was a slaughterhouse’
The monster had a twisted fascination with death from an early age.
His father saved up to send him to a private school, but Griffiths dropped out before his A-Levels.
He went on to earn a degree in criminology at the University of Bradford, where he treated murder cases like blueprints, meticulously studying the methods of the most notorious killers in history, including Jack the Ripper and Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe.
Griffiths’ first known victim was Susan Rushworth, 43 who disappeared around June 2009. Her body has never been found, and cops believe he dismembered her in his bathroom.
Shelley Armitage, 31, disappeared in April 2010. Her body, too, was never recovered, but a small piece of her flesh was found in the River Aire.
His final victim was Suzanne Blamires, 36.
Suzanne was seen on CCTV running out of Griffiths’ flat followed by the killer who was then seen dragging her by the leg.
She was killed with a crossbow before Griffiths “gestured” to a nearby CCTV camera looking towards his flat.
Griffiths later taunted police, saying he had eaten part of her, calling it “part of the magic.”
The monster admitted using power tools to dismember victims and told detectives: “It was just a slaughterhouse in the bathtub”.
Bethany Horne, 26, who also resides at Griffiths’ former complex, said: “The place gives me the chills, especially when I’m on my own – knowing what happened there.
“It’s a really scary thought to think they could be other bodies there.
“The whole place just smells rotten.”
Dean Hutchinson, 38, lives underneath Griffiths’ former flat and is convinced his apartment is haunted.
“I’ve had cups and glasses fall off the shelves for no reason whatsoever. They just smash on the floor.
NB PRESS LTDThe flats sit next to a derelict blocks haunted by sex workers and drug users[/caption]
HandoutA crossbow police believe he used to murder with found by cops[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDNew resident Bethany Horne said living in the same apartment block gave her the chills[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDGriffiths was caught by CCTV footage that showed him attacking Suzanne Blamires[/caption]
HandoutGriffiths being interviewed by cops when he boasted of his murders[/caption]
“I’ve never believed in ghosts or spirits, but it’s like there’s a bad energy around the place.
“You walk around the flats and it just smells. It’s a smell I can’t describe – like rotten.
“My mum thinks I’m crazy but I can’t explain it.”
‘I’ve killed a lot more’
Griffiths, of Thornton Road, was arrested on 24 May, 2010, when the CCTV footage of him attacking Ms Blamires at the flats was discovered by a caretaker at the complex.
He told the officers arresting him: “I’ve killed a lot more than Suzanne Blamires – I’ve killed loads.
“Peter Sutcliffe [the Yorkshire Ripper] came a cropper in Sheffield.
“So did I but at least I got out of the city.”
Fifteen years on, locals say the area around the flats – part of Bradford’s notorious red-light district – still attracts the same characters who might have crossed paths with the Crossbow Cannibal’s victims.
When The Sun visited the area, we saw sex workers brazenly walking the afternoon streets, with cars slowing to roll down their windows to negotiate a price.
Elizabeth, who grew up in Bradford, added: “When I told my mum I was moving in she wasn’t happy at all, and since I’ve moved here, I hate it.
“I don’t like living around here. You can’t walk down the street without cars beeping and windows being rolled down, and men asking if you’re working.
“We’ve had men in the building knocking on doors trying to find a sex worker.”
Bethany continued: “I get asked for business all the time. Cars will pull up and men will try and get me to get in. It’s terrifying.
“You walk down this road in the evening and you’ll see all the young girls going with men down the back roads.
“After what happened with the Crossbow Cannibal you would think they’d be too scared to work around here but it hasn’t put them off.”
NB PRESS LTDElizabeth Smith believes there are more victims[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDResidents have been haunted by “bad smells” since the killings[/caption]
Dean Hutchinson lives underneath Griffith’s former flat
Garth Durkin, 65, who has run Aloha Sunbeds on nearby Grattan Road for nearly 10 years, told how his client list had plunged by a third with customers too scared of being accosted by beggars, drug addicts and prostitutes.
He said: “You’d think after something like that, it might scare the scene into changing, but it hasn’t.
“The street corners are still dotted with sex workers, and drug addicts lurk around.
“You’d think that kind of horror would be a wake-up call, but here we are.”
Griffiths was linked to the unsolved murders of two Bradford women but has refused to be interviewed by detectives.
The Sun revealed last year that he was attacked in max-security HMP Full Sutton by the friend of Ms Blamires after they were housed in the same wing.
West Yorkshire Police responded to a comment saying: “West Yorkshire Police continue to work in partnership to manage on-street sex working in Bradford with a focus on the vulnerabilities of sex workers and the wider community.
“We are aware of some issues that have been raised by residents and businesses in certain areas and are working with our partners to proactively tackle these issues.
“There has been a significant amount of positive progress in Bradford to reduce the impact of on-street sex work and the impact it can have on communities as well as ensuring that we continue to support the, often vulnerable, individuals who are engaging with on-street sex work.”
NB PRESS LTDGareth Durkin says his business has declined after customers were too scared to come to the area after the murders[/caption]
CollectGriffiths as a schoolchild[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
