Jack The Ripper

[Mastermind]

Time to start a thread on the serial killer that inspired a generation of homicidal killers.

It's strange that UM never did a segment on Jack, especially considering his popularity.

Any thoughts, suspects, views on Jack the Ripper, here's the place for them.

[JamesG]

I am no "Ripper Expert" but I have done some reading into this old case and I have some interest in it.

One of my top suspects is Francis Tumblety (1833-1903).

From an article I will list the reasons why he is a suspect and if you want to do additional reading on Francis click on the link provided:



Evans and Gainey outline fifteen reasons why they believe Tumblety should be considered a top suspect in the Whitechapel murders:


1. Tumblety fits many requirements of what we now know as the ‘serial killer profile.’ He had a supposed hatred of women and prostitutes (the abortion with the prostitute Dumas, his alleged failed marriage to an ex-prostitute, his collection of uteri, etc.)


2. Tumblety was in London at the time and may indeed have been the infamous ‘Batty Street Lodger’ -- he therefore may have had fair knowledge of the East End environs.


3. Tumblety may have had some anatomical knowledge, as inferred by his collection of wombs, his ‘medical’ practice, and his short-term work with Dr. Lispenard in Rochester.


4. He was arrested in the midst of the Autumn of Terror on suspicion of having committed the murders.


5. There were no more murders after he fleed England on the 24th November, if one counts only the canonical five murders.


6. Chief Inspector Littlechild, a top name in Scotland Yard, believed him a ‘very likely suspect,’ and he was not alone in his convictions.


7. Tumblety was fond of using aliases, disappearing without a trace, and was the subject of police enquiries before his arrest.


8. Scotland Yard and the American police had been in touch numerous times concerning Tumblety’s flight from France to New York.


9. One of the three detectives inspectors assigned to the case was sent to New York at the same time, perhaps to pursue Tumblety.


10. Tumblety evaded capture in New York City once again.


11. Tumblety had the wealth necessary for frequent travel and could afford to change his clothes frequently should they have become bloodstained.


12. He was an eccentric; but shrewd.


13. He had a tendency toward violence at times, and his career may have included other offences both at home and abroad.


14. Several acquaintances of his in America believed it likely that he was the Ripper when interviewed in 1888.


15. There is a strong case to be made that he was indeed the Batty Street Lodger.




Still, there are many opponents who believe Tumblety’s status as ‘Scotland Yard’s top suspect’ is poorly deserved.

They make note of the fact that Tumblety’s homosexuality would rule him out as a suspect, as homosexual serial killers are concerned singularly with male victims and would be uninterested in female prostitutes.

http://www.casebook.org/suspects/tumblety.html

[Latka Gravas]

I've been fascinated by the JTR case for many years - I'd say it's history's most infamous "unsolved mystery". I've read several books on the case. Here is my speculation regarding this:

-The Ripper was either a doctor, or at the least had some kind of medical training - this was evidenced by the meticulous cuts on the women that were killed.

-He may have had a general hatred of prostitutes due to having possibly gotten an STD from one at some point. Note that during that era, STD's were not curable - as some are today.

-The Ripper may have been a member of the royal family, or at least someone wealthy.

Why did the Ripper stop? There could have been several reasons:

-He died.

-He was institutionalized/jailed (but not for these JTR crimes).

-He left the country.

[SPD Yellow]

Ever read Donald Rumbelow’s book on the case? It contains a wealth of information and goes a long way towards discrediting the wild theories that have emerged.

Me, my theory is that the Ripper was someone local, dirt-poor like the rest of Whitechapel. Illustrations often depict the Ripper as a rich gentleman in a suit with tails, but if that was true, he probably would have been caught quickly enough. Whitechapel was the filthiest, most impoverished part of London, the type of place you wind up in only if you have absolutely nothing to your name. A rich gentleman in a suit and tails would stick out like a sour thumb; people would notice him and ask some questions.

While some have proposed that Jack may have been a doctor or someone with medical training, he just as easily could have worked as a butcher or a meat packer; both would give him considerable experience in cutting up and gutting bodies. Popular culture has portrayed Jack as a calculating genius who carefully planned each crime, but it was likely dumb luck that kept him from being caught, not genius.

The frenzied berserker nature of the attacks speaks to Jack being a disorganized serial killer, rather than the intricate planner. Disorganized serial killers, basically their method is, if they’re out and about and feel like killing someone, if they see someone who fits their needs, they attack and kill them. Disorganized serial killers generally make up a small percentage of serial killers. Usually a disorganized serial killer is suffering from something that affects their ability to reason and function, like they’re under the influence of some gross psychosis or something like that. Their murders tend to be of a frenzied blitz attack, very brutal and gruesome in the injuries inflicted on the victim. Because of the unplanned nature of their crimes, a disorganized serial killer tends to be figured out and caught pretty quickly, due to their sloppiness. But given the nature of Victorian-era forensics, it makes sense Jack might have slipped through the cracks.

In short, Jack was likely a local, dirt-poor, a former butcher/meat packer. He was not a rich society gentleman or royalty. Obviously the guy was likely never the picture of mental stability, but something changed and sent him killing. I agree with the theory that Jack may have been a former john who caught Syphilis as a result, explaining his hatred of prostitutes. Syphilis pretty much eats at the brain, so it would make sense for him to be suffering from some psychosis. Most likely the reason the killings stopped is because he either died or committed suicide, both of which are easily explainable by the Syphilis hypothesis.

Though we still can’t say for certain the number of victims. There are five or six brought up the most, but we can’t be certain that those are the only ones or even that one guy is responsible for all of them. I always wondered about Mary Jane Kelly, myself. All the other victims were attacked and killed in the streets, while Mary Jane Kelly was attacked and murdered in her own home. We also can’t be certain as to whether any of the so-called letters are genuine and which are the product of sales-hungry journalists or some sicko playing a prank.

[Latka Gravas]

SPD Yellow, Thanks for the post. I have not read DR book - but, it definitely sounds like something I will want to check out.

The most definitive Ripper book I read was back in the '90's, and it was titled "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper" by Philip Sugden. Note I read this circa 1996, so it was the original version of the book - not the later versions with additional material.

The idea that the Ripper was a poor person living in Whitechapel does make more sense than the supposition that it was someone wealthy - from outside the area - that was "slumming". I'll buy that he wasn't a doctor/medical student - but, he almost certainly must have had some background re: cutting up things with precision - the idea that he may have been a butcher makes sense.

In any case, these were extremely heinous & brutal crimes. Even though these happened over 130+ years ago, reading about them these days is still chilling, stomach-turning, and extremely disturbing.

[XCalibur]

Other than the obvious issues, I think the problem with Jack the Ripper case is that it was so iconic and high profile that it generated a huge list of suspects. Everyone and their brother came forward came forward saying it was their weird uncle, neighbor, cousin, or whatever making it nearly impossible for authorities to zero in on anyone.

I think you had the same problem with the D.B. Cooper case. To many suspects and to little evidence.

[EighthStreet]

While there was never an Unsolved Mysteries segment on The Ripper there is an excellent In Search of... episode on the case that is very spooky with ominous readings of letters written by The Ripper and some great vintage synthesizer music. Well worth seeking out if you've never seen it.