Is Joseph Barnett Jack The Ripper?

Answer 1

Joseph Barnett as JTR suspect is flawed. The theory's biggest supporter it seems is Bruce Paley who published his thoughts in a book that was supposed to reveal the true Ripper. Unfortunatly, his theory makes little sense. In Paley's story Barnett, who was Mary Kelly's live in boyfriend was so enraged by her acts of prostitution that he killed a few 'working girls' to scare her off the streets. This is not a new angle. This is the same theory that was used when trying to explain why James Maybrick was JTR. Supposedly Maybrick was furious that his wife had a lover so he killed prostitutes to get even for her infidelity.

These crimes were not committed by a jealous spouse. These crimes were not about revenge. For the same reasons that Ted Bundy killed, or the Green River Killer Gary Ridgeway, Jack The Ripper killed for his own satisfaction and sexual gratification. This killer had an extreme hatred of women. Anyone that knew Barnett or Maybrick for that matter, knew they were not 'women haters'. Although not much is known about Barnett by all accounts he seemed to be a regular kind of man, hard working when he could find work at all. He had at least some respect and affection for Kelly, since he continued to visit her and give her what money he could spare. If Barnett was going to kill someone out of jealousy it would have been the woman that Mary Kelly had been sharing her bed with, which is the reason Barnett left Kelly in the first place.

In conclusion, it would be wise for anyone tempted to write a Ripper book to have at least some understanding of sexual serial murder and the type of men that carry out these kinds of crimes.