Jack the Ripper — Serial Killer

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THE INVESTIGATION

Many detectives worked on the Jack the Ripper case. Among them were Constable Macnaghten, Sir Charles Warren, Robert Anderson, and Frederick Abberline. The police have been criticized for not finding the Ripper, but keep in mind that they were working at a time when fingerprinting and national databases were far in the future. They had to rely entirely on eyewitness reports and clues gathered from the crime scene.

Since many of the original documents on the case were lost, misplaced, or destroyed with the passing of time, most of the known evidence today comes from the few remaining official documents, police notes, and newspaper coverage at the time of the murders. Two important documents that still exist are the police notes of Constable Macnaghten, in which he named three possible suspects, and a letter written from Sir Charles Warren, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, in which he defends his decision to erase graffiti found at one of the crime scenes. Several important documents pertaining to the case have recently been rediscovered.

THE RIPPER LETTERS

At the time of the crimes, the police and the press were literally flooded with letters, most of them hoaxes. As a result of careful study based on content and handwriting analysis, most experts conclude that there are only three authentic Jack the Ripper letters. Two of these were sent to the Central News Agency, and one was sent to George Lusk, who was president of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. To view copies of the actual Ripper letters go to http://www.casebook.org/ripper_letters.

The Dear Boss Letter

The Central News Agency received the first letter on September 29, 1888. In the letter, Jack the Ripper taunted the police and referred to a recent murder and the questioning of a suspect, John Pizar, who was in the news called "Leather Apron." This letter was signed, "Yours truly, Jack the Ripper." The letter got its name from the "Dear Boss" introduction, but there is no evidence as to why this was used as opposed to "Dear Sir" or any other introductory comment.

The Saucy Jacky Postcard

The Central News Agency also received a postcard, written in red ink, a few hours after the double murder of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes. It was believed to be authentic because it referred to the "double event." This, too, was signed Jack the Ripper. Based on similarity of handwriting and specific references to the crime, experts conclude that the same person penned the "Dear Boss" letter and the "Saucy Jacky" postcard. This postcard received its name from the line in it that states, "you'll hear about Saucy Jacky's work tomorrow."

The From Hell Letter

George Lusk received the notorious "From Hell" letter on October 15, 1888. Enclosed with the letter was one half of a preserved human kidney. Though this letter did not bear the signature Jack the Ripper, it is believed to be the document most likely to have come from the killer. The piece of kidney was that of an alcoholic and was believed to be the missing kidney of victim Catherine Eddowes. The letter began "From hell Mr Lusk," hence its name.

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

After the murder of Catherine Eddowes, a piece of her bloodstained apron was discovered in an alleyway. Nearby, a cryptic message was found written in chalk. "The Juwes are not the men to be blamed for nothing." The mention of Juwes led investigators at the time to believe that the message could have been a reference to the Jewish community. Sir Charles Warren erased all traces of the message before it could even be photographed. His explanation was that he feared an outbreak of violence between the immigrant Jews and the other Whitechapel residents.

In his 1978 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, Stephen Knight brings up the idea that the message might refer to the involvement of the secret society of Masons in the murders because the mutilation of Jack the Ripper's victims mimicked certain secret Masonic rituals. According to Knight, the message hinted at some cryptic Masonic connection between the Ripper murders and the secret society of Masons. Despite speculation by Knight and other theorists, no proof that the Masons were involved in the Ripper murders has ever been uncovered.

RIPPER THEORIES

Researchers of Jack the Ripper lore are sometimes called "Ripperologists." They have formed many interesting theories on the crimes. Below are some popular theories.

The Royal Conspiracy Theory

The Royal Conspiracy Theory is one of the most popular Ripper theories. It has its roots in a BBC TV production and the Knight book. Though the BBC production was intended to be a work of fiction, it was based on actual research. Knight attempted to prove that a conspiracy existed.

The theory embraces the controversial idea that Jack the Ripper was created to cover up a royal scandal. Queen Victoria's grandson, Victor, also known as "Prince Eddie," had secretly married a commoner, Annie Crook, who had given birth to his child. To make matters worse, Annie was a Catholic. At that time, religious tensions were high, and it was feared if news broke of the marriage and of a Catholic heir to the throne, it might spark a revolution. In a raid, Prince Eddie and Annie were taken away from where they were living in the East End. Annie Crook was supposedly locked away in a lunatic asylum. The child escaped the raid with her nursemaid, Mary Kelly, and was left in a convent. Kelly then fled to Whitechapel, where she told her incredible story to three friends, who encouraged her to blackmail the Royal Family.

As the theory goes, with a little help from the Masons, Jack the Ripper was created by the Royal Physician, William Gull, to silence the women. Three men were involved in the killings — Dr. Gull, Inspector Anderson, and John Netley. Dr. Gull performed the actual murders. Mary Kelly had told the story to Mary Nichols, Elizabeth Stride, and Annie Chapman. These women, along with Kelly, were therefore systematically sought out and murdered. The women were fed grapes injected with poison to stop them from attempting to escape or fight back. They were then murdered in the carriage, and their bodies were tossed back out into the street. Catherine Eddowes was not an intended victim, but a case of mistaken identity. According to this theory Eddowes, who did not know Mary Kelly, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the dark, she was mistaken for one of the other intended victims.

Knight's book created quite a sensation, but his theory is believed by most experts to be more fiction than fact. Though Dr. Gull has often been considered a Ripper suspect, it's important to note that he was 71 and had suffered a stroke at the time of the crimes.

To read an interesting dissertation on the Royal Conspiracy Theory, follow this link http://casebook.org/dissertations/dst-evansorigins.html.

The Mad Doctor Theory

Because of the nature of the crimes, many believe that Jack the Ripper was a crazed doctor or that the mutilations were the work of someone with anatomical knowledge and at least some medical training. That is why the original investigation focused on doctors such as Tumblety; Cream; Ostrog; and the Royal Physician, Sir William Gull. However some experts — mystery writer Patricia Cornwell among them — argue that no particular medical skill was necessary to perform the crimes, only a sharp knife.

The Jill the Ripper Theory

Could Jack have been a woman? There is a theory that Jack was a crazed midwife. A midwife would have been able to go around unnoticed with blood on her clothing while the police searched for a male suspect. Because Mary Kelly was killed indoors, it has been speculated her murder could be the work of a midwife summoned to carry out an abortion. However, that does not explain why Kelly was so violently mutilated. It also is questionable that a woman would have the sheer brute strength to carry out the Ripper crimes.

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