A “CROSSBOW Cannibal” who dismembered and ate three women after studying murders at university may have killed more people.

Serial killer Stephen Griffiths was handed a whole life order in 2010 for the “wicked and monstrous” murders of three women in Bradford.

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Griffiths murdered Shelley Armitage, 31, Susan Rushworth, 43, and Suzanne Blamires, 36, between 2009 and 2010.

But the brute – who introduced himself in court as “the Crossbow Cannibal” – told police at the time of his arrest: “I’ve killed loads.”

He used a powerful crossbow and a knife, and dismembered and ate parts of his victims.

Serial killer expert Professor David Wilson today said Griffiths’ claim to have killed “loads” more women cannot be ruled out.

Prof Wilson told The Sun: “There is certainly an element of taunting about it.

“He was saying ‘You may think you’ve got me for these three crimes, but I’ve gotten away with more’.

“But every killer I’ve studied has committed more crimes than they’ve faced justice for.

“An example is the Ipswich killer Steve Wright, who was only arrested over the murder of Victoria Hall years into a life sentence.

“Police have to consider a killer’s MO and their geographical range – could there be any unsolved murders which match?

“The difficulty is when people go missing without being reported – police may not even know a crime has taken place.

“Sex workers like Griffiths’ three known victims are often vulnerable in this respect.

“They are the second largest group targeted by British serial killers, after women aged over 60.”

KILLER’S BOASTS

Griffiths researched murders in Bradford in the 19th century as part of his thesis at university

The killer, who was from the city, would go on to kill three sex workers.

He was arrested in May 2010 after CCTV footage of him attacking Ms Blamires at his block of flats was discovered by a caretaker at the complex.

The court heard Ms Blamires was later seen being dragged on the floor by her leg by Griffiths, who was seen to have an item in his hand.

She was then shot with a crossbow, the court heard, before Griffiths “gestured” by holding a finger up to the CCTV camera.

Suzanne died from severe head injuries caused by a crossbow bolt, and was also found with knife wounds.

Her remains were recovered from the River Aire, Yorkshire, in May 2010.

Griffiths told the officers arresting him: “I’m Osama bin Laden.”

Prof Wilson said: “When Griffiths gave his name as the ‘Crossbow Cannibal’, he was courting infamy.

“A lot of serial killers want to known for living a life less ordinary, in contrast to the rest of us.

“They don’t want to be caught – but they do end up in a parallel universe where their behaviour is explicable and accepted.

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“If they get away with their first crime like Griffiths, they may be empowered to commit a second or third.

“Griffiths had studied Peter Sutcliffe as a criminology student – Sutcliffe had also targeted sex workers in Bradford.

“He was acutely aware of media interest in serial killers and exploited it.

“And he was conscious that most serial killers like Peter Sutcliffe are given a nickname.”

STUDENT OF EVIL

Griffiths left school before his A-levels and moved quickly from shoplifting on to more violent crimes.

Aged just 17, he attacked a supermarket manager with a knife and was jailed for three years.

Five years after this stint in prison, he wound up back behind bars, this time for holding a knife to a girl’s throat.

Grotesquely, he began studying homicides and murders on a masters degree at Bradford University.

His obsession with serial killers then turned into action when, in June 2009, he murdered his first known victim – sex worker Susan Rushworth.

The unsuspecting 43-year-old disappeared when getting off a bus in Bradford in June 2009.

Susan was killed with a crossbow and, according to The Mirror, Griffiths dismembered her body in a bath.

Her remains have never been found.

Griffiths would use the same grotesque methods again to murder victim Shelley Armitage the same way, months later.

Shelley was just 31 and also working as a sex worker when she disappeared.

After chopping her body into pieces, Griffiths reportedly used public transport to move bin bags full of her remains to the River Aire.

The monster filmed the butchering of Shelley on his mobile phone, narrating his actions – he then lost this phone on a train, which was eventually handed in to police.

He would be arrested on May 24, 2010, but not before he killed one more victim – Suzanne Blamires, 36.

Griffiths kidnapped Suzanne and held her in his flat for two days before she desperately made a bid for freedom.

She ran out the block of flats, visible on CCTV, and was shot by Griffiths’ crossbow.

Upon her recapture, Griffiths realised there was now video evidence of his cruel killings so he stuck his middle finger up to the camera while dragging poor Suzanne back inside.

Once again he dismembered and disposed of the body before the police came to arrest him.

A shocked caretaker had seen the CCTV footage and alerted the cops – Griffiths was calmly waiting in the flat for them to arrest him.

He had been on a police watchlist for two years before the murders but they had no evidence to enforce an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

Upon his arrest he told the police that Suzanne, who he knew as Amber, was “gone”.

Griffiths then told officers he had “eaten some of her” which was “part of the magic”.

Monstrous Griffiths also told the officers he had “killed loads” of women, however, this claim has never been substantiated.

On December 21, 2010, Griffiths pleaded guilty to and was convicted of all three murders.

‘STAYED WITH ME’

Prof Wilson said: “After his arrest the police looked at Griffiths’ possessions and his internet history.

“I learned that he had read my books and reviewed them online – his knowledge of previous serial killers is not just speculation.

“It made me question how people use the information in my books and how I write about cases.

“In particular, he had reviewed my book about the Ipswich murders, where sex workers were targeted.

“We now know he had not been using my books for education or understanding. That has stayed with me.

“Now I am more careful and self-censoring, even when writing for criminology students like he was.

“There is a distinction between what students need to know and what they may just want to know.

“In the US there is the recent case of criminology student Bryan Cohberger.

“He is accused of murdering three women and one of their boyfriends at the University of Idaho.”

LAG ATTACKED

It comes after Griffiths was attacked in prison by the friend of one of his victims after they were housed in the same wing.

He is now recovering in the hospital wing at HMP Full Sutton after he crossed paths with a friend of one of his victims, Suzanne Blamires, 36.

The fellow inmate was said to be angry he was put on the same wing as his friend Suzanne’s killer.

An insider said the inmate “sent Griffiths flying and knocked him out” after punching him in the face inside a corridor of the prison.

The monster suffered injuries to the face and was “knocked unconscious” when he fell back from the force of the blow.

Prof Wilson said: “There is a hierarchy within British jails.

“At the top are inmates who have been convicted of ‘aspirational’ crimes like bank robbery.

“At the bottom are those convicted of sex offences against children or offenders like Griffiths.

“When another inmate attacks someone like Griffiths, they benefit from his profile. They are also seeking publicity.

“But the prison system has ways of managing conflict and despite his crimes Griffiths will be regarded as a vulnerable prisoner.”

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