A 50-YEAR-old mystery surrounding the death of a Barrow woman in London has been reignited on national TV in hopes to catch the infamous Jack the Stripper serial killer.

The BBC documentary, entitled ‘Dark Son: The Hunt for a Serial Killer’, has made a formal request for the Hammersmith Nude Murderer case to be reviewed.

Former Barrow resident Mary Fleming was the sixth victim of the prostitute killer.

The murders inspired a book, ‘Who Was Jack the Stripper?: The Hammersmith Nudes’ Murders’ by Neil Milkins and, more recently, the BBC television series ‘Dark Son: The Hunt for a Serial Killer’. 

Mr Milkins, who worked closely with the documentary-makers for over 16 months, hopes the programme will convince investigation teams to reopen the case. 

He said: “From a personal point of view, I hope it’s going to be the end of 10 and a half years of hard research to prove what I’ve been convinced of for over a decade. 

“More importantly, for the victims’ families it will provide some sort of closure and I want closure for them.”

Mary Fleming was born in West Kilpatrick, Dumbarton, Scotland in 1933. 

Her parents, Richard and Helen Betty, later moved the family to Barrow. She went on to marry James Fleming at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Barrow in August 1953, giving birth to a son, Michael. As her marriage fell apart, Mary gave Michael to her parents and gave birth to another son, named Robert in 1956, said Mr Milkins.

Mary placed Robert in foster care and found herself in London, he added. 

In 1959 she moved in with 20-year-old Michael Turner, giving birth to a girl named Veronica in 1962 and a boy named David in 1963. 

Mary was murdered on July 14 1964 outside 48 Berrymede Road in Chiswick, London.

Her body was found strangled, beaten, with several teeth removed and flecks of paint on her body; a trademark of the Hammersmith nude murderer. 

Mary was Jack the Stripper’s sixth victim across a 15-month period. 

Despite being dubbed ‘one of the biggest manhunts in Scotland Yard’s history’, the case remains unsolved, lacking forensic evidence to pin down the perpetrator.

The murderer is believed to have committed eight killings between 1963-1965, with the victims all found undressed in or near the River Thames, leading the national press to nickname the killer: Jack the Stripper. 

The documentary named convicted murderer Harold Jones as the case’s prime suspect.

Jones killed two girls in Wales in 1921,when he himself was aged 15. 
He was released in 1941 and died of bone cancer in 1971.