This post contains spoilers for The Long Shadow episode 5.
With three years passed since Sutcliffe claimed his first victim, CC Gregory orders ACC Oldfield to re-interview some of the women the police think may have survived his attacks in a bid to find new leads. However, Oldfield is more concerned with a series of letters and a taped message he believes has been sent by the killer.
Here's our recap of what happened in The Long Shadow episode 5...
'We can't have everybody knowing everything..'
It’s spring of 1978 and ACC Oldfield is convinced the letter he’s received is from the killer himself, believing his knowledge of Joan Harrison proves the fact because it hasn’t been reported in the press (which isn’t true). The new plan is to put everything into "triple area sightings" ie. men who’ve been spotted driving around in three different red light districts.
They’ll be sure not to embarrass any of these men in the process. Because while being a sex worker means you should be locked up, soliciting a sex worker just makes you a jolly nice chap who mustn’t be inconvenienced at all!
Elsewhere, the female police officers have heard rumours of the letter and PS Meg Winterburn plucks up the courage to ask the aptly named Dick Holland whether it’s true. He tells her not to worry her pretty little head about it as they “can’t have everybody knowing everything”. We’d say you’re very safe on that front, Dick.
Some months later, another letter is sent to The Daily Mirror and Hobson suggests they should let the newspaper publish it. Dick thinks it’s a daft idea, but CC Gregory thinks it’s a good idea. However, an annoyed Oldfield explains the letter was addressed to him alone. What difference that makes is unclear, except for the fact that it massages Oldfield’s ego.
Meanwhile, Marcella Claxton’s friend Calvin is at a local lawyer’s office complaining that he’s being chucked out of his flat on a technicality and solicitor Ruth Bundey thinks it’s just an excuse to get new tenants and put the rent up.
Later on, Calvin goes for a drink with Marcella and tells her about Ruth and how she might be able to get the compensation she deserves. When she meets Marcella, it’s clear Ruth sympathises with her greatly and wants to help her.
'It'll be three years in October... we need something'
The body of Donna DeAngelo, whom we last saw being badly treated by the police after being beaten up by a punter, is discovered under an old mattress in Bradford. It’s clear to see it's been there for some time.
When ACC Oldfield discusses DeAngelo with CC Gregory, he seems reluctant to include her in the official investigation, probably because it doesn’t quite fit with the narrative surrounding the letter he’s received. As usual Oldfield is being led by his own rather ignorant assumptions and not, you know... evidence.
Gregory realises that there might be other women who’ve survived an attack from Sutcliffe and could share more information, but Oldfield sees speaking to women who’ve encountered the killer and lived to tell the tale as a ridiculous notion that might send them down the wrong path. However Gregory says they need something, after all it’s been three years with no real leads to speak of.
Meanwhile, in Ormesby, Jacqueline Hill lies on her bed listening to records when her mother comes to let her know that she has a visitor, a nice young lad who’s in the RAF. It turns out that Jackie will be going to university next year and has dreams of joining the probationary service. Her father isn’t sure about that, but it looks like her mum will explain things to him. Later on, Doreen and her husband drop Jacqueline off at the University of Leeds.
'You lot need to take a good hard look at yourselves..'
DCS John Domaille begins the task of re-interviewing these women, starting in Halifax with Olive Smelt, who was attacked in August 1975. She says her attacker had a friendly voice, but can remember little else and was hit twice on the head and slashed with a knife. She would probably have been killed if Sutcliffe hadn’t been disturbed by an approaching car. It later transpires that Olive has been unable to leave her house since then, due to the trauma of her attack.
Meanwhile, Vera Millward, a sex worker from Manchester, is confirmed as Sutcliffe’s latest victim and the city’s police begin questioning one of her regulars for information. He says she was no longer a sex worker, her name was actually Eva and he paid her, but not for sex, just for a talk.
He used to pick Eva up every Tuesday night, but didn’t on this occasion as he was at a birthday party. He realises that if he’d picked her up as normal, she would almost certainly still be alive. She was a mother of seven, but he puts the blame for her death squarely at the feet of the police, saying they need to be taking a “good hard look at themselves”.
Domaille then questions Tracy Browne, who was attacked with a hammer on a country lane as a teenager in 1975. She provided an accurate photofit of Peter Sutcliffe, but because she was only hit on the head and not slashed on the stomach, Domaille rules her out of the sequence. It’s clearly beyond his comprehension that maybe Sutcliffe didn’t perfect his MO on the very first attempt, but needed time and practice to perfect it. The way he discredits her is painful to watch.
Meanwhile, Anna Rogulskyj is adjudged to have been attacked by the killer, although begs the police not to include her case in the sequence as she’s terrified of being branded as a sex worker. It’s a sorry state of affairs, but on the balance of probabilities, the police are right to include her.
However, the most painful part of this whole section comes when Domaille comes to Marcella’s house under the pretense of asking about her attack. In reality, he simply belittles and insults her, bringing all her old trauma back. What’s the point of questioning someone when you already have a preconceived idea of their story in your head? “We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we weren’t asking these questions,” says Domaille. We’ve got news for him on that front.
'He needs to change the way he's thinking..'
Dennis Hoban watches on the news, until his wife turns off the television. It’s clear his lingering obsession with the case is affecting him, although he has built up an impressive scrapbook, which would surely be useful to his old colleagues.
When Jim Hobson visits, he finds Dennis in very bad health and we get the sense he might not be around for too much longer. Hoban offers his opinion that it’s inevitable the killer is already in the system somewhere. He’s spot on and we’re left regretting the fact that he was moved off the case in the first place. He was the best detective we’ve seen in the whole series and would have made far more progress than any of his predecessors.
Nevertheless, he gives Jim his scrapbook and says Oldfield needs to “change the way he’s thinking”. He’s not wrong. A few weeks later, Hobson gets news that Dennis has died, with his wife Betty describing him as yet another victim of the Ripper. When he calls Oldfield to let him know, it’s clear his health is also a bit of a concern.
Meanwhile in April 1979 Josephine Whitaker is found dead in Halifax, with DS Holland deciding to take the female police officers out of the office to have a look at the crime scene. It’s not a bad idea for him, although let’s face it, the bar is rather low. ACC Oldfield describes it as another mistake on Sutcliffe’s part, while CC Gregory admits that every woman is at risk. His advice is for them to stay home and stay safe.
'I'm Jack..'
ACC Oldfield asks to see PS Meg Winterburn in his office because he wants her to transcribe a tape message that he believes has been sent by the killer.
It’s an amazing illustration of the sexism of the era. Basically, the detectives at the top of the case have never previously trusted the female WPCs with anything of any consequence, so you’d be forgiven for thinking they wouldn’t dream of letting a woman listen to this potentially crucial piece of evidence. But on the other hand, they can’t actually be bothered to type up the message, which is about 200 words at most, as they believe it’s very much beneath them! Unreal.
Either way, PS Winterburn is given the intriguing task of typing up the recording, which begins with “I’m Jack..” It’s a chilling message and one that sends a shiver down Meg’s spine.
After hearing the voice on the tape belongs to someone from the North East, Oldfield calls detective David Atkinson down from Sunderland and DC Jack Ridgeway across from Manchester.
Oldfield thinks going public with the message would be “hasty” (Just a quick reminder, it’s been nearly three years since the first murder and they’ve got nothing to show for their efforts). CC Gregory disagrees, as does DC Hobson, who remembers Dennis Hoban’s final words and says they need to change things up.
Oldfield believes going public with the tape will open the floodgates, but everyone else decides the chance of someone recognising the voice is worth taking. As they walk into the press conference a reporter mutters something about the Keystone Cops, which isn’t that far off the mark. Nevertheless, they play the tape to the journalists. But is it the man they’re looking for? Either way, the tape clearly has a traumatic effect on the families of those whose loved ones have been murdered by Sutcliffe.
