Pros and Cons: Why couldn't Jack have been....

[Blackkat]

A woman?

[sdreid]

Hi BK,

There are a lot of cons. The only pro I can think of is that the victims would not have had their guard up much with a woman.

[Blackkat]

Hi BK,

There are a lot of cons. The only pro I can think of is that the victims would not have had their guard up much with a woman.

Thanks for the answer sdreid. I have my own POV - I don't think JtR was a woman, but I've heard some make a pretty good case that it could have been a woman, or a woman working with another man. I wanted to see what other's here could come up with.

I agree with your PRO that's very true. Their guards would have been down significantly. If it were a man and a woman. The woman could be talking to them, and have them distracted letting jack= male come up from behind etc. (of course I know they would have heard someone coming up from behind in most cases but I was just giving an example)

[Blackkat]

By the way I forgot to add, I've heard people say it couldn't have been a woman because of the strength needed to pull off the murder. I don't think it would have taken that much if you're slitting a throat first.

I still am curious to know why Jack the Ripper couldn't have been a woman. Not my beliefs that he was, but for myself to make that conclusion I'd have to have more to go on than just strength. Eye witness accounts of a man with a mustache? Who didn't have one back then?

[nicole]

Hi all,

Blackcat, you say:

"I've heard people say it couldn't have been a woman because of the strength needed to pull off the murder. I don't think it would have taken that much if you're slitting a throat first."

It must be noted that the evidence 'suggests' that the killer first throttled the victim to the ground and the cut the throat whilst they were on the ground. Of course, this is not 100% fact but mere projection of the facts and a good possibility.

If this WAS indeed the case they it strongly indicates that the perpetrator was most likely a man. But I must also conceed that some the victims were in various stages of drunkedness and/or ill-health and I'm sure there were some hefty/butch/violent women living in Whitechapel at that time.

Nicky

[Magpie]

For the longest time the main objection to the idea that Jack was Jill was the belief that there was no such thing as a female serial killer. Of course that's complete tosh, but the myth is durable.

However the victimology is largely wrong. Female serial killers overwhelmingly tend to either be caregivers who murder those in their charge (mothers and nurses in particular) or whose crimes have an element of financial gain (such as quite a few landladies murdering their elderly lodgers). Almost always the female serial killer attacks someone markedly weaker than herself (including children, the elderly, or the sick or disabled), and very ofter (though not always) they have some kind of bond with their victim.

None of this seems apparent in the Ripper crimes.

[IchabodCrane]

Eye witness accounts of a man with a mustache? Who didn't have one back then?

You mean to say the man Lawende and Levy saw could in fact have been a woman wearing a moustache? With all due respect I believe that is a little far fetched...

[Mitch Rowe]

Jill The Ripper

Unless "Jill" were disguised as a Man I cant think of a single reason why Annie would go into the back yard with her.

[Blackkat]

You mean to say the man Lawende and Levy saw could in fact have been a woman wearing a moustache? With all due respect I believe that is a little far fetched...

I wasn't meaning any witness in particular, only that the custome of having a mustache back then was the "thing" to have. Could it have been a woman in a mustache? Sure. Do I think that it was? No. Just trying to find all the reasons why a woman committing the crimes was thrown out. I know what I've read, but I'd like to see if anyone can shed more light on it. Be that with something that I haven't read, or just their own opinions.

Thanks for your reply.

[Blackkat]

Unless "Jill" were disguised as a Man I cant think of a single reason why Annie would go into the back yard with her.

MITCH!!! There you are! I hadn't read your signature. I was wondering where you were! Glad to know who you are now.

I agree with you, but what if was a female that the victim knew?

[paul emmett]

Hi BK,

The only pro I can think of is that the victims would not have had their guard up much with a woman.

Nor the police.

[Blackkat]

OMG good point Paul. The police never suspected a woman. I think that goes back to the "strength" thing and it never entering their minds that a woman could pull it off. I certainly don't think it was the Jill the ripper that people talked about. Midwife stuff. Thinking about it though, a woman that was someone the other women knew? That's a possibility. "Let's go someplace private and talk." etc etc.

[Blackkat]

I should have said MOST of the police didn't even think about a woman. Not ALL.

Why would she kill women? If you don't believe the midwife story, all I can say is - maybe there was something about them that she wanted to get back at. Jealousy? I have no idea. Has anyone ever entertained the idea that if Jack would have been a woman maybe this woman would have been.... maybe bisexual?

Anyway - it's possible but as of yet I dont think anyone has come up with a strong case for it.

[perrymason]

Hi Black Kat,

You were correct when you pointed out that it would appear most of the Canonical victims were subdued prior to the throat cut, perhaps being choked or throttled. Of course thats not true in the case of Mary Kelly by her defensive wounds, nor is Liz necessarily subdued first...she could have been cut while being choked.

I think it would be extremely difficult to imagine a woman involved, unless as a pawn, to lure women to the killer, the same way some prostitutes were forced to lure clients to a dark place where they could be robbed by men, or men and women, gang types dominating some streets. But what would compel a woman to lure other women to their deaths?

Threats..maybe...Monetary gain? Not in these cases, Love?...well who knows, that last one can throw some curves at ya.

My best BK

[Mitch Rowe]

MITCH!!! There you are! I hadn't read your signature. I was wondering where you were! Glad to know who you are now.

I agree with you, but what if was a female that the victim knew?

Hi...I really like the Mad Nun theory but JTR as a Woman is nearly out of the question. It seems 99% probable the these crimes were sexually motivated.
JTR is probably some local person who was able to keep just below the Radar. His name is probably in some Court Documents.
He is probably a regular Customer.

But then on the other hand. There is still the possibility that JTR could be anyone. Not much at all to mean anything really.


Oh..And to answer your question:
Then if Annie knew her. What did they go back there for? To trade in prescription drugs??