Most Notorious Serial Killer of All Time - Jack the Ripper, who was never actually caught.
Serial killers, while being some of the worst human beings in existence, never fail to intrigue and fascinate us.
Jack the Ripper has become one of the biggest mysteries in the bloody world of serial homicides.
Reign of Terror Begins
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| Illustration of Ripper killings |
The year is 1888,
The Stage, the shadowy and bog-filled streets of the east end of London.
More specifically, the Whitechapel District, an area with an inclination for violence and crime amongst the backdrop of poverty.
But suddenly a chain of murders terrorize the public and authorities in a way never seen before.
The culprit, a man with no clear motive or identification.
Just whispers, referring to him as "Jack the Ripper".
Well most believed that Jack the Ripper took the lives of only five, now referred to as "The Canonical Five". While others believed the ripper claimed the lives of up to 11 women.
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| Red dots indicate a Canonical Murder location |
All five of the canonical victims were prostitutes, as many women in the Whitechapel district had to turn to prostitution as a way to survive.
In those times, east London was a place of absolute decay.
Immigrants from all over the world flooded there for work, but it didn't always work out for them. Poverty and filthiness flourished.
Crowded streets were festered with what the English people might call habitual boozers, and women of "ill-repute" could be seen lingering on many street corners.
People blamed the immigrants for high spikes in crime, poverty and overcrowded streets.
Police had their hands full as London was on the brink of social unrest and rioting.
But the police of 1888 got the shock of their lives when a vicious murderer came into existence and he wasn't like any killer they have ever seen.
The Horrifying murder style
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As his name suggests, he used a knife to perform his horrifying deeds.
Slashing throats and bodies, sometimes to ribbons.
But the most gruesome part was that he also mutilated women's genitals, made all kind of incisions on their bodies, and skillfully removed their internal organs.
These mutilations also include removing the kidneys, uterus, or generally any part of the abdomen area.
He also used to brutally slash the faces of his women victims so they were unrecognizable.
When the man who found out the body of one of his victim was interrogated he said, "the sight that I saw, I cannot drive away from my mind. It looked more like the work of a Devil than of a man".
The Canonical Five Murders
The Timeline of Murders goes like this...
1. On August 31st, 1888, at 3:40 am, the body of Mary Ann Nichols was found in Buck's row in Whitechapel district.
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| Mary Ann Nichols |
Police would eventually arrive on the scene.
Mary Ann Nichols was found dead on her back. Her throat was severely slashed, and her abdomen was cut open exposing her internal organs.
It was later determined that she had been dead for only half an hour, meaning the killer was likely nearby.
2. On September 8th, 1888, the body of Annie Chapman was found at 29th Hanbury Street.
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| Annie Chapman |
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| 29 Hanbury Street |
Her throat was cut and this time the level of evilness escalated as the murderer took her womb.
Dr. George Baxter Phillips was serving as the divisional police surgeon at the time and proposed the idea that the killer had anatomical knowledge by the manner in which Annie Chapman's womb was removed.
3. On September 30th at 1 am, the body of Elizabeth Stride was found on Berner Street by a man named Louis
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| Elizabeth Stride |
This time only her throat was slashed which led police to the conclusion that the murder was interrupted when Diemschutz approached.
It was determined that she was dead for only 30 minutes when examined around 1:15 am.
Shockingly only couple of minutes after the discovery of the body of Elizabeth Stride, the murderer killed again.
4. On September 30th, just 45 minutes after the discovery of Elizabeth Stride, another body was found in Mitre Square, just west of the Stride murder.
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| Catherine Eddows |
Her body was also severely mutilated, including her face. Her uterus was removed as well as her left kidney.
Later police had discovered one of the very few solid evidence in the entire case, a piece of Catherine Eddowes's Apron which was found near the scene of the crime.
Near the apron, a message was written in chalk that read, "The Juwes are the men that will not be blame for nothing". A sign of the Anti-Semitism that was common in the area.
However, the crucial detail of the clue is the fact that it was found east of the Eddowes murder site, in the direction of Elizabeth Stride's murder site, the murder that occurred just 45 minutes prior.
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| A depiction of Body of Catherine Eddows |
This baffling decision could mean that the killer willingly entered an area that was surrounded by cops.
Aside from showing the killer's evasive abilities, this could suggest that the murderer actually lived in this east London area, as it possibly explains the motive for entering a dangerous situation.
5. On November 9th, 1888, the body of the fifth and the last canonical victim, Mary Kelly was found dead at 13 Millers Court in her bed by her landlord's assistant who was seeking for rent.
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| Mary Kelly |
This murder was by far the most gruesome killing as her body was cut open revealing all the internal organs of her body and the body was skinned down.
And with this, we arrived at the end of the five canonical victims, but as stated earlier that some people believed that there could be up to 11 such victims, with Jack the Ripper's reign of terror.
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| Facial Reconstruction of Mary Kelly |
The Infamous Letters - "Dear Boss,..."
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| Original "Dear Boss" letter |
A few days later after the Annie Chapman murder, The Central News Agency receives a letter from the apparent killer.
It reads,
"Dear Boss, I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they won't fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look too clever and talk about being on the right track.
That joke about leather apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shan't quit ripping them till I do get buckled.
Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now.I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear for me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I can't use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope. Ha Ha.
The next job I do I shall clip the lady's ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work then give it out straight.
My knife's so nice and sharp. I want to get to work right away if I get a chance.
Good luck.
Yours truly,Jack the Ripper
Don't mind me giving the trade name."
"I was not codding, dear Old Boss, when I gave you the tip. You'll hear about Saucy Jacky's work tomorrow double event this time number one squealed a bit couldn't finish straight off had not the time to get ears for police.
Thanks for keeping last letter back till I get to work again.
Jack the Ripper"
From Hell...
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| "From hell" letter |
On October 16th, 1888, a man named George Lusk who was the head of the Mile End Vigilance Committee, a group comprised of local businessmen to assist the police, received a letter.
The letter was signed " From Hell" and it was delivered in a box with half a human kidney, which was believed to be Catherine Eddowes's missing kidney.
The letter goes like this...
"Mr Lusk, Sur I send you half the kidne I took from one women prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise.I may send you the blood knif that took it out if you only wate a whil longer.
signed Catch me when you canMishter Lusk"
The Hunt begins...
Because East London was such a pervasive and crime centered in those days, police can't be sure if lots of other murders at the time were his doing or people were just copying him.
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| Headlines of 1888 London |
Police worked hard trying to find out this unholy creature who was responsible for such heinous crimes, interviewing thousands of people and detaining over 80 of them.
It was announced that rewards will be given to anyone who has crucial information on this Ripper and so even the regular people were out investigating these crimes.
East London was on high alert. Cops were the streets patrolling 24/7. Amateur investigators were also not behind them.
Police were focused on people with certain expertise and occupations as removing a kidney or uterus is not a part of the daily routine of most of the people.
It was conceived that Jack was an expert with his murder knife and so the cops looked at Butchers, Surgeons, Doctors, Physicians and generally anyone who might cut up bodies for a living.
Jack the Ripper's Alleged Appearance
When collecting eyewitness testimonies of those who believed they saw the Ripper, a rough outline of the killer can be visualized.
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| Newspaper of 1888 London |
It can be assumed that he was between 25 to 35 years old, roughly 5'5 to 5'7, stocky body, with a fair complexion, and a mustache.
He was seen wearing a dark overcoat and a dark hat.
The Scotland Yard's violent crime command team has said that Jack the Ripper, who one could call "evil incarnated", could be described in appearance as
"Perfectly Sane, frighteningly normal, and yet capable of Extraordinary Cruelty"
The Prime Suspects
1. Montague Johnson Druitt - Druitt was a lawyer who may have been had an uncle and cousin who were doctors. Around the time of his death, Druitt was in his 40s and supposedly had an interest in surgery.
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| Montague Johnson Druitt |
Montague possibly lived with his cousin who was practicing medicine close to where the Whitechapel murders occurred.
It was also reported that about a month before the first canonical murder, Montague's mother went
insane and Montague had written in a note that he feared that he was also going insane.
After the final murder, Montague disappeared, only to be found dead within four weeks of the last murder.
His body was found floating in the Thames River on December 3rd, 1888.
2. Aaron Kosminski - immigrated from Poland, a Jewish resident of Whitechapel, who has reportedly spent some time in a mental asylum in 1889 after the last murder where he resides until his death in 1919.
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| Sketch of Aaron Kosminski |
Kosminski was known for his extreme hatred towards women, particularly prostitutes.
According to that time chief of police, his appearance matched descriptions provided to the police by a man in Mitre Square, which was the night of the double murders if you recall, where the Ripper likely zig-zagged between the police.
Recently, his name made headlines due to his being featured in a book entitled,
"Naming Jack the Ripper" by Russell Edwards.
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| Book Cover Page |
In his book, Edwards claims that a shawl that he purchased at an auction contains DNA evidence proving Kosminski is the killer.
The shawl was brought under the impression that it was found at the murder scene of the fourth canonical victim Catherine Eddowes.
They had found Stains of Semen and Blood on the shawl. When Russell further examines the DNA evidence found on the shawl with the help of a molecular biologist, it was found that the DNA on the shawl matches with one of the descendants of Kosminski.
But later when reexamined it was proved that the DNA found on the shawl does not connect directly with Kosminski as the method used for examining was not always trustful.
3. Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward - also known as "The Royal Conspiracy".
This theory is often criticized due to its unreliability but it is still perpetuated due to its wild popularity.
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| Prince Albert |
Prince Edward was known to the areas where the victims were found, an activity that led to his contracting syphilis, which ultimately drove him crazy.
Some believed that Prince Edward was having a child with a local woman and Queen Victoria demanded that everyone who knew of the child to be taken care of.
It was believed that the insanity caused by syphilis drove him to commit the murders himself.
Conspiracy theorists believed that his involvement in these murders was never discovered because of the royal aids which assisted in covering his identity.
However, as mentioned before, this theory is mostly regarded as unethical as there is no solid evidence to indicate its credibility.
4. Joseph Barnett - who's particularly suspicious as he actually lived with Mary Kelly, the final canonical victim.
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| Sketch of Joseph Barnett |
It was believed that he may have lived in 10 different locations in East London, making him well-versed in the area and capable of navigating back streets.
Barnett worked as a fish porter and it is believed that Barnett was in love with Kelly.
According to an issue of the daily telegraph, on November 10,1888, Barnett referred to Mary Kelly as "his wife", when she was only a roommate.
Barnett also disagreed with Mary being a prostitute and strived to make money to keep her off the streets.
" Marie never went on the streets when she lived with me."
Those were his words.
Some theorize that Barnett committed the first murders to scare Kelly off the streets, which for a period actually worked.
But when Barnett lost his job, Kelly went back on to the streets to make regular earning to meet their ends.
Their financial struggles often led to fights and Barnett also disliked Kelly's love for alcohol.
All this comes to an end in form of one final fight over Kelly bringing home two different prostitutes, an act that Barnett found unacceptable.
This fight apparently got violent. Shortly after, Barnett moved out and only 10 days later, Mary Kelly was found dead in her apartment bed.
After the murder, Barnett was questioned for four hours but eventually set free due to lack of evidence.
Having lived there, Barnett would have intimate knowledge of the household, including how to unlock the door from outside. He was also aware of Kelly's schedule and tendencies.
Details from the scene, suggest Kelly was killed in her sleep, not by an outsider she invited in.
As a fish porter, Barnett would have crude anatomical knowledge.
One newspaper of that time stated that his friends often called him "Jack".
He also matches the physical description and psychological profile.
5. James Maybrick - Maybrick's death coincides with the stopping of the Ripper killings, as he died just one year after the murders.
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| Sketch of James Maybrick |
Maybrick was an upper-class Cotton Merchant who resided in an estate called the "Battlecrease House" in Liverpool.
Some would consider this theory to be absurd as many feel the Ripper was a local man who wasn't likely to be an upper-class. However, it should be pointed out that all the murders occurred on weekends.
It seems appropriate for a wealthy Cotton Merchant to travel on weekends to such places for pleasure, and it is worth mentioning that he would have the benefit of not killing in his neighbor.
Though, what makes Maybrick such a popular suspect is that one of the biggest piece of evidence that links him to the crimes.
That evidence is a diary which was discovered under the floorboards of Maybrick's estate.
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| Book Cover |
A diary that is signed,
"I give my name that all know of me, so history do tell what love can do to a gentleman born.yours truly,Jack the Ripper"
Also in the diary, intimate details of the killings were mentioned and scientific tests confirmed that the dairy matches the era of the Ripper killings. All these facts back up the authenticity of the diary.
Following this discovery, a golden pocket watch was found as potential Ripper evidence.
The pocket watch apparently contains the scratched initials of the five canonical victims. In addition to the phrase, "I am Jack, J. Maybrick" was also scratched.
Further studies on the diary and scratches on the watch suggests that "they may have been very old an is certainly not new, but it is difficult to be precise".
But given the uncertainty around the main piece of evidence and Maybrick's far location from the crimes, it's understandable to have doubts of him as the Ripper.
Conclusion
For over a century, the mystery of Jack the Ripper has continued to fascinate us, scare us and forced us to question ourselves that " how evil a man can be?"
Perhaps one day we will have the means to solve this mystery but for now, the age-old question remains unsolved.
"Who was Jack the Ripper?"
References
- https://www.jack-the-ripper.org/
- https://www.biography.com/people/jack-the-ripper-9351486
- https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/jack-the-ripper.htm
- https://www.casebook.org/
Image source
- http://www.moviepostershop.com/jack-the-ripper-movie-poster-1959/AB55173
- https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7053053/jack-the-ripper-woman-lizzie-williams-claims/
- http://www.jack-the-ripper.org/james-maybrick.htm
- https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/jack-the-ripper-the-suspects/9780752462868/
- https://in.pinterest.com/pin/792281759425844070/
- http://jewishbookworld.org/2014/09/naming-jack-the-ripper-by-russell-edwards/
- http://jewishbookworld.org/2014/09/naming-jack-the-ripper-by-russell-edwards/
- http://wikipicks.blogspot.com/2011/08/interesting-jack-ripper-suspects.html
- http://listverse.com/2009/02/08/top-10-interesting-jack-the-ripper-suspects/
- http://www.ebay.co.uk/
- https://in.pinterest.com/pin/792281759425814778/
- http://whitechapeljack.com/the-whitechapel-murders/
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22110
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032258/Jack-Ripper-1st-picture-Carl-Feigenbaum-identified-killer-lawyer.html
- http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?p=272605
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- http://www.casebook.org/forum/messages/4921/9660.html
- http://whitechapeljack.com/the-ripper-letters/
- http://criminalminds.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper
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