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The 1888 Jack the Ripper case has remained unsolved for
more than one hundred years. Also known as the Whitechapel Murderer and
Leather Apron, the case refers to a series of murders of prostitutes in
the East End of London. The Jack the Ripper name, which originated from
a letter that was written to a publisher at the time by a person
claiming to be the killer, remains the most famous name for the case.
This is despite the fact that those involved with the case do not
believe any of the Jack the Ripper letters were truly written by the
murderer.
Jack the Ripper was not the first serial murderer, but his case has
earned a great deal of attention. This is largely because of the
political atmosphere at the time. The activities of Jack the Ripper were
written about every day in the London newspapers, as were the
often-criticized actions taken by investigators of the case. This
resulted in Jack the Ripper being known, and feared, around the world.
Just how many women Jack the Ripper murdered remains unclear, though the
generally accepted number is five. Some, however, believe Jack the
Ripper may have been responsible for nine murders.
But, the number of Jack the Ripper’s victims is not as shocking as how
they were murdered. Jack the Ripper appeared to have followed the same
routine with each murder.
All of the victims are believed to have been drunk at the time of their
murder. It is believed that Jack the Ripper came into contact with his
victims under the false pretense of paying for their sexual services. At
the time, intercourse was usually completed while standing up in an
alley because the weather was inclement and the streets were too filthy
for a prostitute or client to lie on the street.
When the victims lifted their skirts to engage in sexual intercourse,
both of their hands were occupied, thereby leaving them temporarily
defenseless. It is believed that Jack the Ripper used this brief window
of time to grab his victims around their throats and strangle them until
they were unconsciousness or dead. At this point, Jack the Ripper gently
lowered the victims to the ground. This is evidenced by the fact that
the back of the victims’ bodies did not have bruising, as they would if
they had been dropped or thrown to the ground.
After lowering his victims to the ground, Jack the Ripper cut their
throats. Investigators know the women were on the ground when their
throats were cut because the blood was pooled beside their heads and
under their necks, not down their front sides, as it would have been if
their throats had been slit while standing.
Jack the Ripper then selected souvenirs from his murders. He usually
took the victim’s viscera, though there were never signs of sexual
intercourse with the victims. He also removed the kidney from one victim
and the sexual organs from another. Because Jack the Ripper was able to
remove all of these organs with such precision, while under such
difficult restrictions, most involved with the case believe he had a
good amount of anatomical knowledge.
Investigators of the time developed several theories and created lists
of possible Jack the Ripper suspects, but none of the theories are
suspects were ever proven accurate. Some believe Jack the Ripper’s
identity was purposely kept hidden, while others feel he simply did an
excellent job eluding police. Nonetheless, Jack the Ripper still
interests crime students to this day, with many continuing to
investigate his murders
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