Manchester May Have Serial Killer on the Loose: Psychologist

The alarming number of deaths in Manchester's waterways in the last six years may indicate that there is possibly a serial killer on the loose, according to an academic at Birmingham University.

MOSCOW, January 13 (Sputnik) – A total of 61 bodies have been found in the Greater Manchester’s waterways in just six years.

It was initially assumed that the deaths were by accident or due to suicide, resulting in a number of signs being placed on Manchester’s Canal Street, which runs along the Rochdale Canal, warning of the “significant risk” of falling into the water, reports The Independent.

But, according to an academic at Birmingham University, Professor Craig Jackson, the death toll is so great that there is a possibility of a killer on the loose.

“It’s extremely unlikely that such an alarming number of bodies is the result of accidents and suicides,” Jackson said, reports The Independent.

But the Greater Manchester Police is resolute the deaths are not suspicious, although speculation on Twitter raised a question whether some were pushed into the water, resulting in #ThePusher hashtag.

Chris Brahney, 22, from Timperley, was found dead in the Manchester Ship Canal after he went missing from a Stone Roses concert in June 2012. He became separated from his friends after the gig and his death stayed a mystery as the police could not explain how he ended up in the canal, reports The Independent.

Manchester Metropolitan University student Souvik Pal, 18, was another victim found in the Bridgewater Canal in January 2013, after being thrown out of a nightclub in Trafford on 31 December. He was seen walking away with a man who was never traced. Again, an open ruling was documented.

The workers in Canal Street bars suggest that many people who visit the area drink and take drugs, making them more vulnerable to accidents. Some have suggested that there should be cameras in the area in order to investigate professor Jackson’s theory about the serial killer.

Police have so far played down professor’s theory that a serial killer could be on the loose, saying that it is committed to thoroughly investigate “each and every unexplained death”.

“Only after a robust investigation into the circumstances of each death would the investigators deem one to be ‘non-suspicious’ and pass the file to the coroner,” a statement said.