Jack the Ripper

The exact number is unknown. But it is believed to be 5, but many think there were more. He was never caught.

The likeliest candidates to have been victims of the Whitechapel murderer are, in order: Annie Millwood, Martha Tabram, Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Kate Eddowes, Mary Kelly, Alice Mackenzie, and Francis Coles.

The files kept by the Metropolitan Police show that the investigation opened in 1888 encompassed eleven murders from 3rd April 1888 to 13th February 1891 and were known as the Whitechapel Murders. Amongst this eleven murders investigated by the police, five are almost universally agreed upon as having been the work of the Ripper. However there were other murders and there is no absolute proof that the Ripper killed only the 5 or even this 5. Numerous authors proffer numerous possibilities of identity for the Ripper and the actual number of murders. So the whole Ripper scenario is just shrouded in mystery - everyone can have their pet theory that cannot be proven or disproven. In fact apart from the fact that there were murders, nothing is known for sure - perhaps 'Jack the Ripper' was a woman?

It is a common behaviour of serial killers to take something from the victim or crime scene. These items are called 'trophies' and they help the killer relive the kill, extending the thrill until the urge to kill is overwhelming and the killer hunts again. Jack The Ripper was no exception. With victim Annie Chapman her killer removed several rings that she was known to always wear. The Ripper was also in the habit of taken internal organs from his victims. In fact, in the now famous 'Lusk letter' the killer sent one half of a human kidney with the letter. Preserved in alcohol, when examined it was found to be a human kidney in the last stages of Brights disease. Katherine Eddows had been treated for Brights in the months before her murder.

It is possible that other items were taken by the Ripper. These women were for the most part homeless. Moving around constantly, aquiring and trading small items such as needles and thread, soap, buttons, ect. If the killer took other things they may not have been noticed after their deaths.

Yes, Jack the Ripper is a name given to an unidentified serial killer (or killers) active around Whitechapel, London, England in the late 19th century. However, the killer was never found and therefore the name 'Jack the Ripper' is fictional.

Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution is a book written by Stephen Knight first published in 1976. It proposed a solution to five murders in Victorian London that were blamed on an unidentified serial killer known as "Jack the Ripper". It proven to it was well made hoax. I read it when it came out. Book or not, I think that the ripper was a poor man. Anyone that has worked in a butcher shop, knows how to cut organs apart.

Short answer: No. Many people have claimed that they have determined who Jack the Ripper was, among them American mystery writer Patricia Cornwell. Suspects include Prince Albert and many others. No conclusive determination has been made.

Born Mary Ann Walker on August 26, 1845 in Dawes Court, Shoe Lane, off Fleet Street. She was christened in or some years before 1851. At the time of her death the East London Observer guessed her age at 30-35. At the inquest her father said "she was nearly 44 years of age, but it must be owned that she looked ten years younger."

Nichols' body has been found by PC John Neil, 97J. He signals to PC Thain who then joins him and the two are soon joined by Mizen. Thain calls for Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn, who resides nearby. The two return a few minutes later (around 3:50 A.M.) and Dr. Llewellyn pronounces life to have been extinct "but a few minutes." Polly's body is found across from Essex Wharf and the Brown and Eagle Wool Warehouse and Schneiders Cap Factory in a gateway entrance to Brown's stableyard between a board school and terrace houses belonging to better class tradesmen. She is almost underneath the window of Mrs. Emma Green, a light sleeper, who lives in the first house next to the stable gates. Her house is called the 'New Cottage'. She is a widower with two sons and a daughter living with her. That night, one son goes to bed at 9:00 PM, the other follows at 9:45. Mrs. Green and her daughter shared a first floor room at the front of the house. They went to bed at approximately 11:00 PM. She claims she slept undisturbed by any unusual sound until she was awakened by the police.

Observations of Dr. Rees Ralph Llewellyn upon arrival at Bucks row at 4:00 AM on the morning of August 31st. After only a brief examination of the body he pronounced Polly Nichols dead. He noted that there was a wine glass and a half of blood in the gutter at her side but claimed that he had no doubt that she had been killed where she lay.

"Five teeth were missing, and there was a slight laceration of the tongue. There was a bruise running along the lower part of the jaw on the right side of the face. That might have been caused by a blow from a fist or pressure from a thumb. There was a circular bruise on the left side of the face which also might have been inflicted by the pressure of the fingers. On the left side of the neck, about 1 in. below the jaw, there was an incision about 4 in. in length, and ran from a point immediately below the ear. On the same side, but an inch below, and commencing about 1 in. in front of it, was a circular incision, which terminated at a point about 3 in. below the right jaw. That incision completely severed all the tissues down to the vertebrae. The large vessels of the neck on both sides were severed. The incision was about 8 in. in length. the cuts must have been caused by a long-bladed knife, moderately sharp, and used with great violence. No blood was found on the breast, either of the body or the clothes. There were no injuries about the body until just about the lower part of the abdomen. Two or three inches from the left side was a wound running in a jagged manner. The wound was a very deep one, and the tissues were cut through. There were several incisions running across the abdomen. There were three or four similar cuts running downwards, on the right side, all of which had been caused by a knife which had been used violently and downwards. the injuries were form left to right and might have been done by a left handed person. All the injuries had been caused by the same instrument."

The canonical five Ripper victims are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. Nichols' body was discovered at about 3:40 a.m. on Friday 31 August 1888 in Buck's Row (now Durward Street), Whitechapel.

i DO think that he is dead. If you have common sense, You'll know that someone who was estimated anywhere from 30-35 in the late 1880's isn't alive today. That would be about 131 years from today.

Though, we don't know much about him, Don't say my answers aren't accurate, cause no one has ever really figured it out.

Way to go Jack:) One of the best unidentified murders of all time

Almost without exception the Ripper killed in the areas known as the Whitechapel and Spitalfields district. The one exception to this is the murder of Catherine Eddows. Eddows was killed inside the 'square mile' and her murder fell under the durisdiction of the City of London Police instead of Scotland Yard.

People that study serial murder have found that the underlying reason for killers like Jack The Ripper is the power they have over another person. Violent sexual fantasies and the basic need to control lead serial killers to kill over and over again.
Self gratification.

Because the identity of the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper remains a mystery, it is impossible to give an accurate detailing of his life.

However, modern psychological profiling methods have deduced that he was a man between the ages of 25 and 40, probably white, most likely a physical laborer or an accountant. He likely had some anatomical knowledge, which could have indicated a background in taxidermy, butchering, or perhaps come medical learning. He was probably unmarried but may have a wife with whom he had a distant and emotionless relationship. It is likely he had a turbulent childhood and suffered physical and/or mental abuse at the hands of a domineering mother or other matronly figure. He was not wealthy and probably would have been seen as a loner, shy, and quiet by those who knew him but was clean and liked to present himself well.

The theory that Jack the Ripper was a Freemason was posited by author Stephen Knight in order to implicate Sir William Gull the royal physician, a coach driver named Netley, and Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence.

The theory was based on testimonials and news reports, particularly of the Annie Chapman slaying, that Knight purposely falsified in order to promote his theory. The theory, and the author, have since been discredited as serious Ripperologists have uncovered the true testimonials of the witnesses. To whit:

1. Annie Chapman was found clutching grapes. False. She was in fact carrying breath mints. No grapes were found at the scene or near it. Greengrocer Arnold Packard claimed to have sold grapes to Chapman and her killer, but his story was proven to be a fabrication.

2. Annie Chapman has polished silver coins laid out at her feet, along with other articles to form a Masonic pentagram. False. The inquest records given by Inspector Chandler and Dr. Philips, whom examined the body, reveal that only a comb, a piece of muslin, and a pocket comb were found at Chapman's feet. They were not arranged in any particular order.

3. Sir William Gull was in his seventies at the time of the murders and suffered from palsy that made his grip useless. He was often too weak to even move.

4. In at least three of the murder times, the Duke of Clarence was out of the country.

Jack the Ripper was a man who believed god wanted him to kill all prostitutes. People believe he killed between 5 and 11 prostitutes in his time. Jack the Ripper became famous because he was not caught while he was alive and he managed to kill so many. He is also well known for his gruesome ways of killing these women. He usually cut them up, often attempted to cut their heads off, sent their body parts to the police, and even ate some of their body parts.

It would be very difficult to prove that JTR was motivated by God or anything else. This would take at least identifying the man to find out why he did what he did. There is no indication from the bodies or crime scenes that these were religiously motivated murders.

References:Jack The Ripper A to Z.

Jack The Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell.

Because he was a sick twisted soul, but no one caught him so we'll never really know for sure.

The ripper was escalating in his crimes, something common in homicidal maniacs. As the answers above states, he was not apprehended so no one knows.

Of the five women that where once thought the only victims three were missing organs. Annie Chapman's uterus was taken. Eddows was missing the left kidney and most of her uterus. Mary Kelly's murder was the most brutal to date. Kelly's body had been completely emptied of every organ except her brain.

It was the term given to him based on a letter received by the London Metropolitan Police which was signed with the moniker Jack the Ripper. Prior to this letter--unlikely to have actually been written by the killer--he was known only as the Whitechapel Murderer.

There is a problem investigating serial killings. These people kill person not related to them most of the time. It becomes hard to link them to the victims. The next thing is that nobody witnessed the crime so no description could be brought forward. This makes these people hard to catch. Most serial killers are caught by accident. In Ted bundy's case, he was speeding.

Now, back in 1888, ivenstigating skills weren't like the investigating methods of today. There was no finger printing nor DNA analisis. Large metrolopis weren't used to serial killers and the police was not used to investigate them.

The police put posters about him and the media covered the case and all the world was aware of the news but the lack of investigating methods back then were not enough.

I have heard theories about the reason Jack the ripper quit killing. I have two theories I believe are possible.

1. His family noticed he was a ripper and kept him locked in the families home. A letter reached the police which says so. This is possible.

2. This is the theorie I believe the most. Maybe you have not read about it. As far I know, I had not read about it nowhere and maybe I made this theory. It goes like this:

He didn't quit killing. The fact that he cut a large piece of flesh from the last victim could tell us a lot of things. He didn't used it to mail it to the police to brag. The only reason we could think is that he kept it to consume it. Once he became a canival, he needed a place to cut the victims to pieces and lots of time to eat them. Once a killer goes canival, he quits writing to the police and not leaving the dead to be found. Just like the Damher case.

In 1888 this could go on for a long time before the police caught the culprit.

The five usually accepted victims were murdered in Whitechaple, in the East End of London, England. It has been suggested that Jack the Ripper also committed murders in the United States and elsewhere.

In the year 1888 the term 'serial killer' was over a century in the future. Very little was known about this kind of murder. So it's not totally surprising that the Ripper was never caught. We know much more about serial murder in the wake of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. Jack The Ripper's crimes were sexual in nature reguardless that there was no sign of actual rape. This killer had an overwhelming desire to control his victims. When this man attacked he was in a frenzy, evident in the 'overkill' of the victims bodies. But the bottom line was power. Power and control are the driving force for most serial killers. And they were for the Ripper also.

There are several consistent patterns to be found among the Ripper's victims. Most of them were between the ages of 39 and 47. They were locally resident in the East End, and most, if not all of them engaged in prostitution. Many of them were habitual drunks. They were all estranged from their husbands and families.

There are patterns as well in the dates and times of the murders. Every murder from Tabram to Kelly was commited on either a weekend or a holiday - a strong indication that the killer held regular employment. The murders were committed between midnight and 6am, all in the general area surrounding Whitechapel. And the modus operandi was similar in all cases except Tabram and Stride.