Freddie Mills, boxing champ, or serial killer?

National hero, champion, icon. These are just some of the words used to describe Freddie Mills over the years, but for some, his story is much, much darker...

Michael Litchfield, a former crime writer for The Sun, accused Mills as a serial killer who was behind the deaths of eight women in the 1960s.

The killer was dubbed ‘Jack the Stripper’ due to the corpses being found naked, and was never caught.

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According to Litchfield, Mills confessed his crimes to the lead investigator of the crimes, John du Rose, as they were both members of the Freemasons.

Jack the Stripper made at least eight victims, with corpses found alongside the Thames River in Hammersmith, West London.

Freddie Mills was born in 1919 and slowly but surely rose through the ranks of British boxing, winning fights with his famously aggressive style and ability to withstand punches.

In 1942, Mills won the British light-heavyweight title in front of 30,000 fans at White Hart Lane in Tottenham.

Mills was adamant he wanted a shot at a world title, setting up a bout against American fighter Gus Lesnevich. Mills’, however, was committed to the Royal Air Force during World War Two, and this fight wouldn’t occur for some time.

In Mills’ first shot at a world title, he lost in a punishing fight to Lesnevich, despite the fight happening on Mills' home soil.

Some three years after their previous fight, in 1948, Mills and Lesnevich fought once again. This time, in front of 46,000 fans at White City Stadium in West London. Mills was able to get the victory, beating Lesnevich with brute power and aggression.

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It was only five years later, aged just 30, that Mills decided to put an end to his boxing career. After hanging up his gloves, he used his fame and notoriety to get into business, opening a restaurant and investing in property.

During this time, London was ruled by various gangs and criminal networks, none were more notorious than the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, whose brutal violence saw them rise to prominence in the 1950s. Mills was close to Ronnie throughout the 50s and into the 60s.

“Ronnie and Freddie were very good friends. So much so that a lot of people believed they were lovers. I asked Ron about that before he died and he told me that there wasn't a shred of truth," Ronnie Kray’s ex-wife Kate claimed.

On 24 July 1965, Mills was found shot dead in his car, with the bullet piercing his right eye. Many theories about his death exist, but the police ruled that he had taken his own life. Others suggest he was killed by Chinese gangsters looking to take over a nightclub Mills ran.

Former gangland figure, Jimmy Trippet believes Mills shot himself. “Freddie feared the police were closing in on him for the murders and decided to take his own life rather than face trial. He had apparently been suffering from dizzy spells and bouts of depression for some time,” he said. Backing the theory by Litchfield that Mills was ‘Jack the Stripper’.

Jimmy Trippet's father, confusingly named Jimmy Snr., knew Mills well from boxing circles, leading Jimmy Jr. to say, “In those days the members of the boxing fraternity were like a Masonic circle. A lot of people who were close to him, including my father, are still unwilling to talk about exactly what was said during those times and those who are won't say anything on the record.”

With so much time having passed, it is unlikely we will ever get conclusive proof of whether Freddie Mills was a serial killer or not. Given his death and the circumstances around it, it is certainly not something to rule out.

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