A serial killer IS pushing gay men to their deaths, ‘expert’ claims
A serial killer called ‘The Pusher’ is shoving gay men into Manchester’s canals, an author has claimed.
Although police denied the claims earlier this year, Thomas Sheridan – an author who is also an expert on psychopaths – has linked the 61 deaths since 2004 to the “homophobic killer”.
In an attempt to gain further insight into the crimes Mr Sheridan flew from Northern Ireland to visit the area – and claims he had a possible close call himself.
“Walking along the Rochdale Canal, I was followed by a tall man wearing a hood into a poorly-lit area,” he told the Metro.
“The sense of isolation and vulnerability at the location were quite frankly terrifying.”
“I’m convinced foul play is a point concerning some of the bodies,” he added.
“I concur with the people of Manchester that ‘The Pusher’ is almost certainly the cause of some of these deaths.”
The author also said that he is worried the possible killer may be using Manchester’s renowned gay area, Canal Street, to stalk his victims.
“I believe the killer is targeting gay men or men the killer is assuming to be gay – following them from a night out or more worryingly, picking them up in bars,” he said.
“We may be dealing with a psychopath or extremely disturbed individual. The police need to take this very seriously.”
Their denial came after Dr Craig Jackson – a psychologist at Birmingham City University – suggested that 61 bodies found in the area’s canals and rivers in six years, pointed to the fact that a serial killer may be on the loose.
Professor Jackson said at the time: “It is extremely unlikely that such an alarming number of bodies found in the canals is the result of accidents or suicides.
“Canals are not popular suicide spots, especially for men. They are, however, popular dumping sites. And water can be a sure way to erase DNA evidence.”
A police spokesperson rebuked the claims, saying: “The police have been quite clear – none of these tragic deaths are linked. ‘The Pusher’ does not exist.
“This unwarranted and ill-informed speculation serves no purpose except to cause more distress to people who have lost loved ones.”
