Jack The Ripper's ID

[James Harvey]

So - who watched that really interesting PRIMETIME THURSDAY last night where a crime novelist and detective claimed to have discovered the identity of Jack The Ripper? I must say that she does have me convinced about the ID. It does make sense, even if it is circumstansial evidence. Any comments or theories on this?

[Calhoun07]

I missed it. What was their theory and supporting evidence?

[electricsheep]

funny, I just read stuff about the Ripper case on http://www.crimelibrary.com the other day, but like calhoun, i missed the show, so what's going on?

[RockItShipper]

Well, there's a bit on it here: http://casebook.org/

Anyway... her evidence comes from his artwork 20 years after the fact, and citing what I suppose are "non-canon" Ripper crimes as being his handiwork... Also, DNA samples were non-existent but there was matching watermarks on a Ripper letter and the suspect's stationary... Conrwall said her evidence would've been enough for a jury of his peers to convict...

[Joe Tully]

My belief is that there is no way to solve these crimes, and it is a little bit silly to claim that you have discovered who Jack the Ripper was. Jack left very few clues behind him, and the suspects are basically everyone within the London area.

I didn't see this special, but from what I've read at those boards that RockItShipper was kind enough to point out, it sounds like Sickert lived on for quite some time after the killings and had a normal life. This is completely inconsistent with the personality of Jack, who must have been compelled to commit the murders. The idea that he would one day simply decide to stop is absurd. To me, it is most likely that Jack died after the last reported crime.

There are lots of other points made at that other board such as the fact that the stationary would have been available to anyone, and that some of the letters that the special used were some of the possibly fake Jack letters. The paintings are by no means any kind of evidence. And would any of the real "evidence" stand up to reasonable doubt in court? Nope.

I would just like to point out that it is most likely that Jack was someone who we currently have no record of, since we have no record of most of the people in the London area at the time. Maybe this guy is the most likely suspect that we have, but it is more likely that the culprit is someone that nobody knows.

[DR. BELCH]

--Dr. Thomas Cream, who uttered the words, "I am Jack the--" before his neck was broken on the gallows? Or is this just a 19th century example of Munchhausen Syndrome, i.e. cashing in on the media hype by some fool willing to say/do anything for attention, some half-century before the television?

[Maxie Zeus]

Discovery Channel had a documentary on Jack the Ripper some time ago. I wish I could remember who they wound up fingering, but the evidence, while not conclusive, was pretty strong.

The basic argument was that the Ripper was a Jewish butcher, or something like that. The religion was important, because the suspect was placed at the scene of one of the killings by a co-religionist, but one who refused to testify against him. As a result, the police couldn't arrest the Ripper, and instead took to putting him under 24 hour surveillance (this was after the 5th killing), and put pressure on the family to have him sent away. They complied and he ended up in a lunatic asylum. At that point, the police completely relaxed the patrols of east London and, sure enough, there were no more killings.

There is little or no forensic evidence, apparently, and the end of the killings might have only been coincidental with the committment of the suspect. But it's the most elegant explanation I've seen.

Maybe we could talk about the "man in the iron mask" next? :p

[Calhoun07]

That is quite an interesting site you linked, RockItShipper. Plenty of food for thought to sift thru there. I noticed that the Royal Conspiracy Theory is the least plausable, and that is what Alan Moore's From Hell is based on. I am going to have to read the other theories later.