Who was the most well known detective on the Jack the Ripper case?

Answer 1

The most famously remembered today is Detective Inspector George Aberline although there were other DI's on the case. The case was initially headed by DI Edmund Reid until Aberline was sent in to help along with DI's Henry Moore and Walter Andrews.

After the Eddowes murder, which occurred within the City of London, the City Police under Detective Inspector James McWilliam were also engaged. However, overall direction of the murder enquiries was confused and hampered by the fact that the newly appointed head of the CID, Sir Robert Anderson, was on leave in Switzerland between 7 September and 15 October, during which time Chapman, Stride and Eddowes were killed. This prompted the Chief Commissioner of the Met., Sir Charles Warren, to appoint Superintendent Donald Swanson to coordinate the enquiry from Scotland Yard. Swanson's notes on the case survive and are a valuable record of the investigation.

Answer 2

Although there were many men that worked the Ripper murders, the most well known has to be Inspector Frederick Abberline. One of the most decorated detectives in the London police force, he was always disturbed that the crimes were never solved. After his retirement he never spoke publically about the case and unlike many of his collegues, never wrote a book speculating on the killer's identity.

Answer 3

The majority of the crimes occured within the bounderies of the Metropolitian Police, headquartered at Scotland Yard, under the direction of Chief Inspector Donald Swanson, CID*. Over Swanson was the Metropolitian Police comminssioner Sir Charles Warren. Warren had little or no experience in the detection of crimes but was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth and so appointed commissioner. A blustering windbag, Warren did more to derail the case than to solve it, and in fact resigned before Mary Kelly's murder on November 9, 1888.

The Ripper murders set off the largest manhunt Scotland Yard had seen to date, with hundreds working on the case in one capacity or another, but the man that has become synonamous with Jack The Ripper is Inspector Frederick Abberline. Abberline was one of the very few who actually worked the case who did not write a tell-all book on who he thought the Ripper was.

The single victim that was not killed within the jurisdiction of the Metro Police was Catherine Eddows. Eddows, known as the 2nd victim in the 'double header' was killed within the Mile, or sometimes called the 'London Mile'. This was the turf of the London Police, commanded by Acting Comminssioner Henry Smith. Unfortunately, the City Police had no better luck than the Metro Police in solving the crimes and getting justice for the victims.

Scotland Yard has seen many detectives over the 120 plus years since the Ripper's crimes began, try to crack this case. So far, the Ripper's luck is holding.

*CID aka Crime Investigation Department.

Answer 4

The Jack the Ripper murders were investigated by two separate police departments, The Metropolitan Police and the City Police. The Metropolitan covered all areas in the city of London except the one square mile area known as The Mile. The Mile was governed by the City Police. Only Catherine Eddows' murder fell within this mile. All others were investigate by the Metropoartlitan Police out of Scotland Yard.

Sir Charles Warren was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and oversaw the Scotland Yard investigation. Sir Robert Anderson, Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner. James Monro, Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner (resigned August 1888). Chief Inspector Donald Swanson. Edmund Reid, head of H-Division. Frederick Abberline, head of the 'on the ground' investigation. Melville MacNaughten, Chief Constable of Scotland Yard. Major Henry Smith, Acting City Commissioner.