Jack the Ripper — Serial Killer

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WHO WAS JACK THE RIPPER?

Jack the Ripper is the name given to the most well-known murderer in the world. He terrorized the Whitechapel district in London's poverty-stricken East End in 1888. The murders took place from August 31 to November 9, all in the same general area. The Ripper’s name is derived from numerous letters, all signed "Jack the Ripper," that were written to the police and newspapers at the time of the crimes.

The Ripper was responsible for the deaths of at least five women, all of them prostitutes, but the elusive stalker was never caught. After the murders, he vanished into obscurity, leaving us to wonder, over 100 years later ... who was Jack the Ripper?

Several witnesses claimed to have caught a glimpse of Jack the Ripper. An official notice that circulated throughout the police district carried this description: "Age 37; height 5 ft 7 inches, rather dark beard and moustache. Dress-shirt, dark vest and trousers, black scarf, and black felt hat. Spoke with foreign accent."

Because the vicious attacks occurred on women who apparently had no link to the murderer, many experts believe that Jack the Ripper must have been a lunatic who had a strong hatred toward women. The Ripper's victims were all middle-aged prostitutes who lived and worked in the Whitechapel district, so it is likely that he targeted women he was able to lure into secluded areas with the offer of money.

The attacks were particularly vicious. The victim's throats were slit from left to right, and the bodies were subsequently mutilated to varying degrees. The more he killed, the bolder the Ripper became, and the violence escalated with each subsequent attack. The exception to this rule was the attack on Elizabeth Stride, which was believed to have been interrupted by a passing coach.

The weapon used in the crimes was a sharp instrument. The cut marks on the bodies matched those made by a surgeon's knife or possibly a straight-edged razor. Because of the way the women were killed, the police were on the lookout for a suspect with a medical background, a butcher, or even a barber — someone whose sharp instruments were part of their trade.

WHAT WAS THE SETTING?

Whitechapel in the late 1800s was the poorest slum in London’s East End — a downtrodden district filled with drunks, vagrants, and prostitutes, generally referred to as “unfortunates.” Over one million people, many of them Jewish immigrants, lived in this region. Overcrowding and lack of industry led to unemployment, which in turn caused crime, alcoholism, and dreadful living conditions.

Most men took work, if they could find it, as butchers, fish porters, or sweatshop workers. The women were forced to take on even lower-paying jobs as maids, seamstresses, or sweatshop workers, often being forced to supplement their pay by prostitution. Many of the poor didn't have a permanent place to live, and they either slept in alleys or, if they had a few coins, bought a night in a "doss house," which provided rows of cheap beds. Most people in the East End lived a miserable existence filled solely with concern for their daily survival.

WHO WERE HIS VICTIMS?

At least five murders can be directly attributed to Jack the Ripper. All of the victims were women, ranging from 25 to 47 years old, and they were also prostitutes who worked in the Whitechapel district. Most were neither young nor beautiful, and many were alcoholics. They were down-and-out, desperate to earn a few coins to buy drinks, and looking to get out of the cold for the night. You can view pictures of the victims at Jack's London.

Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols

Annie Chapman

Annie Chapman, also known as “Dark Annie,” was the Ripper's second victim. Chapman was a 47-year-old woman, described as being plump with dark hair. She was an alcoholic and also suffered a chronic disease of the lungs. Because of her illness, she probably didn't have long to live when she was killed. Her body was discovered on September 8, 1888 at 6:00 AM, seven days after the first murder victim. Her throat had been slashed, and she had been disemboweled. Prior to her murder, Annie was seen talking to a man described as being 40 years old with gray hair who "looked foreign."

Elizabeth Stride

Jack's third victim, Elizabeth Stride, was 45 years old. Known as "Long Liz," she had dark brown hair and was also missing a few front teeth. On September 30, 1888, Elizabeth was seen leaving a local pub with an unidentified man to whom a local grocer claims to have sold a pound of grapes. When she was found, her throat was slashed, but otherwise her body was not mutilated. Many experts believe this is because the attack was interrupted by a horse and buggy passing through the alley, which caused the Ripper to make a hasty retreat.

Catherine Eddowes

Catherine Eddowes was killed the same night as Elizabeth Stride. She was 46 years old at the time of her murder and had just been released from jail. She had deep auburn hair and hazel eyes. At 1:30 AM (less than an hour after Stride's death), she was found with her throat slashed. This time, though, there was more. Perhaps because his assault on Elizabeth Stride had been interrupted, the Ripper vented even more rage upon his next victim. Her face was terribly mutilated, with her nose and one of her ears cut off. Her pancreas, liver, stomach, and womb were torn from her body, and one kidney had been removed and taken from the scene.

Mary Kelly

Mary Kelly's death occurred five weeks after Eddowes. The youngest and prettiest of Jack's victims, Mary, also known as "Ginger," was only 25 at the time of her murder. She was described as having long, fair hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion. She was better educated than the other victims, too, but she had fallen into a life of prostitution after her young husband was killed in a mine explosion in Ireland. Her body was found at 3:30 AM on November 9, 1888. A witness, George Hutchinson, gave a detailed description of a man he had seen with Kelly shortly before her death. He described him as being of Jewish appearance, respectable, surly-looking, and with a slight, curled mustache. Though the other victims were found outdoors, Mary's body was found in her own lodging, #13 Miller's Court, when the landlord peered into her window. Mary's throat had been slit and the killer had taken his time mutilating her face and corpse. She had been literally torn apart and disemboweled.

Other Possible Victims

There may have been other women killed by the Ripper, although there is insufficient evidence to prove this conclusively. Another woman in the Whitechapel area, Martha Tabram, had been violently murdered shortly before the Ripper crimes. She was not mutilated but was viciously stabbed and attacked in a manner similar to the way the Ripper killed his victims.

And some believe that the killing did not stop after November 9, 1888. It is possible Jack the Ripper moved to a different area and continued to murder women there. Though other unsolved murders have been attributed to him, only the five above are commonly accepted as being his victims. They were all killed in the same eleven-week time frame, and the slashing of the throat and mutilations were similar in each case.

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