Jack the Ripper Research

The world's most famous serial killer in the world has had movies and books written about him all over the world and yet, no one ever knew his identity. His name was Jack the Ripper. But, who really was this man? Was he even a real man or simply a mere creation of the tabloids?
The area is Whitechapel, London in the country of England. Whitechapel at this time was a bitter and cold place as it was nearing winter. The streets were dirty and filled to nearly the brim with prostitutes. The rise of prostitutes in Whitechapel happened in the early 1880's and began to increase as the years went by until it reached a swelling number of 1400 prostitutes. Among these prostitutes are five of the most famous. Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. All supposed victims of the same case that haunted Whitechapel in 1888 and still haunts it today.
The first of Jack the Ripper's victims was Mary Ann Nichols. Mary Ann was killed on August 31st, 1888 at around 3:45 AM by a man named Charles Cross who was on his way to work. She was found with her neck nearly sawn all the way through as well as her abdomen being slashed open to expose her intestines. Mary Ann was 43 when she died. At the time of her death, Mary Ann was married to a printer machinst named William Nochols and together they had five children, the oldest at 21 and the youngest at 9. Mary Ann had a problem with drinking and arguing with her partners and William had left her in 1881 adn then took custoty of the children in 1884. Mary Ann went to work and lived in an Eastside London Workhouse where she worked small jobs for the right to live in the workhouse. In 1888, Mary Ann went to work for a respectable family but was fired as she had stolen clothes from the family and was kicked out. Mary Ann then went to live with another prostitue by the name of Nelly Holland who was the last person to see her alive. Mary Ann was kicked out of the place she was living in with Nelly because she couldn't pay and lived on the streets for the last two days of her life. On the night of her murder, Nelly saw Mary Ann on the corner of Osborn Street and Whitechapel Road at 2:30 AM. She was drunk and looking for another man to prostitute herself to. Nelly and Mary Ann talk briefly and go their seperate ways. Around 3:15 AM, nothing has happened on Bucks Row as reported by people who had walked by at the time. When 3:45 AM came around, MAry Ann was dead on Bucks Row.
The second victim was Annie Chapman. Annie was killed on September 7th, 1888 at around 5:30-5:50 AM and was found at around 6:00 AM by Harriet Hardiman's son who lived nearby. Annie was living in one of the nearby doss-houses (A house where someone could rent a room for eight cents a night) at the time of her death. She was married to John Chapmin in 1869 and they had two children together who were both adults by the time of Annie's death. Annie became an alcoholic and her husband left her, sending her some money each week to help her out until his death in 1886. There was no such thing as life insurance during that time so Annie was in trouble financially. On the night of her death, Annie was out to look for a man to prostitute to so she could stay in the doss-house. She was last seen at about 5:30 AM by Elizabeth Long. Her body was discovered at around 6:00 AM where she was left in an almost identical way to Mary Ann Nichols. Her head was nearly sawn off but her abdomen was slashed open and her bowels were removed and placed to the side this time instead of staying in her body. She was also robbed of the cheap rings she wore on her fingers.
The third victim was Elizabeth Stride. She along with Catherine Eddowes were killed on the same night with hours of each other. This was called the Double Event. Elizabeth was killed on September 30th, 1888. Elizabeth had financial help from the church after she said that her husband and children were killed in a shipwreck. She was lying however and when the church found out her husband really died in a poor hospital, they cut off financial help to her. With no help, Elizabeth turned to small jobs like sewing and prostitution as a way to help pay for herself. In early September, 1888, Elizabeth was living with a man named Michael Kidney who didn't like that Elizabeth liked to indulge in drink. Elizabeth and Michael argued often but they would always make up after Elizabeth sobered up. On the night of her death, Elizabeth was seen with many different men. The last time she was seen was around 12:30 AM with another man. Her body was discovered at around 1:00 AM but, unlike the other victims, she wasn't mutilated and only had her throat slit. Many historians believed that the killer was interrupted before he could do anything else and ran off to leave Elizabeth to bleed in the streets.
The fourth victim was Catherine Eddowes. She is the second victim in the Double Event after Elizabth was murdered. Catherine was killed on September 30th, 1888 within the hour of Elizabeth Stride. Catherine at first lived with a man named Thomas Conway who was the father of her two sons and daughter. Catherine and Thomas seperated after a few years and Catherine met and lived with a man by the name of John Kelly. The two worked together to earn the money they needed to live but still, when they returned to London, they were broke. The night of her murder, Catherine went to go and see her married daughter to borrow some money. However, she was arrested for public drunkeness, as she liked to sing loudly while she was drunk and be a public disturbance, at around 8:30 PM. She was released from jail at around 1:00 AM because it was thought that she'd jsut go home. While Catherine was walking she was nearby the are where Elizabeth was murdered only a few minutes before. Police discovered her body around 1:40 AM where it was horribly mutilated to the point of almost being unidentifiable. Many historians believe that she was mutilated so badly becuase the killer was interrupted before he could do anything to Elizabeth Stride and he was angry.
The last confirmed victim was Mary Jane Kelly. This murder was different as Mary Jane was killed in her bed rather than on the streets of Whitechapel. She was 25 when she died by the hands of the Ripper. Two years after she married, Mary Jane's husband died in an explosion and Mary Jane went to live with a cousin in Whitchapel in 1884. When she got there, she turned to drink and prostituition. Mary Jane was pretty and often found herself with a different man. She eventually moved in with Joseph Barnett in the home she was murdered in. Barnett however, eventually left ad was replaced with another prostitute by the name of Maria Harvey. On the night of her murder, Maria left in the afternoon and wouldn't be back until the very next day. Mary Jane's neighbor confirmed with police that that night, Mary Jane was drunk and was taking a man back to her lodgings with her around 1:00 AM. Mary Jane's body was discovered by the landlord who was collecting on rent the next day at about 11:00 AM. Mary Jane was mutilated beyond recognition. Her face was cut up and parts of her body were strewn around the room. The actual cause of death was a slash to the throat. Mary Jane's abdomen was sliced open and her organs were removed and placed around the room along with her breasts being cut off. She was wearing little clothes which led the police to believe she was either asleep during the murder or with a customer.
There were many suspects for the Jack the Ripper case. Among the many suspects of the Ripper case were Prince Albert Victor and famous author of the Alice in Winderland series, Lewis Carrol. Other suspects were Joseph Barnett, Francis Thompson, Montague John Druitt and Hyam Hyams. There are many more suspects in the case but not all can be named. During the time that Prince Albert was alive, he was not connected to the murders as he was not even in London on the important murder dates. Lewis Carrol was only suspected by a few number of people and it was nearly impossible to believe that he could be the killer. Joesph Barnett was a suspect as he was living with Mary Jane Kelly before her death, but left a little while beforehand. Francis Thompson was a very religious man and this brought up the theory that Jack the Ripper had killed the five in an act of God and that he believed that he was the 'Messiah' as the five were all killed on religious days of the nearby church. Even though there was very little evidence to suspect Montague John Druitt of the murders, he was still the number one suspect but died on December 31st, 1888, by drowning in a river. Hyam Hyams was thought to be the killer by his Jewish nature as the are where the murders took place was an are that was largely inhabited by Jewish immigrants as well as his mental state of mind where he was said to be a bit insane.
Scotland Yard was sent multiple letters during the span of the Ripper. Only a few were thought to be really written by Jack the Ripper. Three in particular stand out the most. These three would be 'Dear Boss', 'Saucy Jack' and the infamous 'From Hell' letter. Dear Boss was a letter sent into the police on September 27th, three days before the Double Event. The letter was believed to be a hoax and wasn't taken seriously. The letter was the first ever to have the name Jack the Ripper written in it. The letter had told police that the killer was going to take off the ear of his next victim and send it to the police. The letter was thought over once again as the next victim, Catherine Eddowes was missing part of her ear. The letter also told the police that the killer was trying to write the letter in blood from the last victim, but, it turned 'thick like glue' and he couldn't use it, choosing instead to just write in reguar red ink.
Saucy Jack was a postcard that was sent to the police and was recieved on October 1st, 1888. The postcard seemed to be covered in blood marks and used the same red ink that was used in the Dear Boss letters. The postcard makes reference to the Dear Boss letter and also mention the Double Event. It said that the killer was sorry he couldn't get the ear from the first victim so he went ot the next to take it. However, the ear was never sent to the police so many people believe that this postcard was a fake that someone made up when the details of the event were realeased on the morning that the postcard was sent. This is also the second piece of writing that was labeled Jack the Ripper.
From Hell is the most famous Jack the Ripper letter. This letter was not sent to the media or to the police, but, was sent to a man named George Lusk who was the Presidant of the Whitechapel Viligance Committee. It was adressed to him personally and was very short with plenty spelling mistakes. The letter came with a small cardboard box that contained half of a human kidney preserved in wine. The kidney was examined and is widely believed that it is the kidney of Catherine Eddowes, as it is very similar to her other kidney and by the fact that she was missing one. However, the results were inconclusive. In the letter, it says that the killer cooked and ate the missing half of the kidney and that the killer might send the knife he used to commit the crime to George Lusk. The letter ends with 'Signed, Catch me when you can Mishter Lusk'.
There are many different theories on Jack the Ripper. Some say that he wasn't even real, but, a fictional character said to have been created by the tabloids. Dr. Andrew Cook, a well known historian brought up this fact in his book, Jack the Ripper: Case Closed. He stated that Jack the Ripper was no real person but a fictional character that the media created in order to boost the sales of newspapers at the time. Dr. Cook says that the five murders that happened in Whitechapel were all done by different men for different reasons. He also said that the idea of a lone serial killer was the perfect idea to capture people's attention and imagination and it would definately lift the sales of the papers.
Another theory is that Jack the Ripper wasn't even a man, but, a woman. A still developing theory, the Jill the Ripper theory is one that has been brought up by the most famous inspector during this case, Inspector Fredrick Abberline. He brought up the fact that Jack could have really been Jill, although not many believed in this fact. Jill the Ripper is believed to be a woman who has a deep hatred for prostitutes, espicially those who get abortions, as it is believed that Jill the Ripper couldn't have children of her own. One idea is that Jill the Ripper is a midwife and had a basic medical practice that all midwives had at this time. This is also supported by the fact that Mary Jane Kelly was three months pregnant when she was murdered. It's believed by some that Mary Jane needed an abortion and Jill the Ripper came to give it to her and instead killed her.