What will it take

[jackthekipper]

Apologies if this has been gone over before. I recently read Philip Sugdens book which was very interesting and revealing regarding the nonsense theories out there. I also saw the show where a morgue attendant was named as a suspect, 2 minutes of very circumstancial evidence drawn out over a whole show, although he did start with a good approach.
Basically if the rippers real identity is ever revealed/uncovered what form do you think it will take? Will it be something important that was just mislaid etc
Is it too late for the mystery to be solved?

[lynn cates]

solution

Hello Jack. If we could find out about Kosminski's many "circs" or the private information on Druitt, we would possibly be closer to a solution. Also, more information on the major suspects Cohen (Kaminski?) and Klosowski (Chapman) would be quite useful.

The best.
LC

[belinda]

It won't be in Diary form.

It will (hopefully) happen through careful,painstaking research into people like Cohen. Records from the time still available and a bit of luck

[jackthekipper]

Thanks for the quick replies, I remember seeing a show about Tumblety around 12 years ago or so, I was very impressed with the show but Tumblety isn't considered a viable suspect. What in your opinions make him a "bad" suspect?

[Pontius2000]

I personally think it's too late to ever know definitively. there's about 4-5 people that I think are good suspects (Kosminski and Chapman being 2 of them, though I don't think Druitt is a good suspect). the handwriting comparison on Tumblety and the "From Hell" letter were very interesting.

but yeah, I don't think we'll ever know. and I don't know how many people were living in London or the Whitechapel area at the time, but there's also the distinct possibility that the real killer NEVER came to police attention.

[Phil Carter]

who, when, how, why...

Hello Jack and welcome to the site!

As above, painstaking research as already opened up so much more than was ever known 121 years ago. There are so very very many dedicated people, all trying to find out "more" to fill in every tiny gap...

As to whether JTR is ever revealed.. I have my doubts. It's possible.
If it comes via any form, a "diary" wont be the answer thats for sure!
If we are lucky, a document or two, a private letter or two, something that turns up, much like the Littlechild Letter from 15 years ago, that opened up the Tumblety theory to be examined.

It doent matter who, or what name any of us mention or answer about, because every single one has flaws, that cannot definitively pinpoint a suspect as JTR. That includes Tumblety, of whom you asked about.
Some suspects have greater flaws than others. Some, seemingly, are plainly ridiculous. Some are concocted lies. Some suspects are re-hashed old suspects.

But if anyone believes in any one suspect, all good say I, for perhaps, and we never know, should that person discover evidence that puts his or her suspect firmly into the winners frame, then it is for the greater good. So believing in one suspect, however foolish it may seem to the majority now, may infact mean research getting us closer.

Opinions as to who JTR is/was have been touted for 121 years, and will no doubt continue.

But one tiny little lead may, one day, just may, lead us to an ultimate truth.

Personally, of the 18 victims presented on this Casebook, I believe we have possibly up to 4 different people comitting these crimes. Maybe more! Maybe less! I wouldn't stake my last penny on any of the above though. We haven't enough stable factors present to finally put a "who did what to whom, where, and why" scenario up. Well, not with certainty. Not yet at least!

best wishes

Phil

[JTRSickert]

Jack, Basically, unless a smoking gun is provided (which is more than unlikely), there really is nothing right now that can put a face to the name of the Ripper. However, that does not mean it will forever remain unsolved. New stuff is being uncovered periodically as long as people continue to do research
(ex. the Littlechild letter, photos of witnesses, victims, suspects, and locations, etc.)

Also, it as never been fully explained why Druitt was considered a police suspect, aside from the fact that he died shortly after the Kelly murder. MacNaghten claimed to be in possession of "private information" that led him to conclude his (Druitt's) own family to believe him to be the Ripper. So far, this "private information" has not been revealed. Perhaps if it was, it might shed some light on the subject.

[belinda]

Hello Jack and welcome to the site!
Personally, of the 18 victims presented on this Casebook, I believe we have possibly up to 4 different people comitting these crimes. Maybe more! Maybe less! I

best wishes

Phil

You mean a Boston Strangler type thing with more than one killer

A copycat killer?

[Phil Carter]

Hello there,
No, remember, there are many different murders/attacks and not all the modus operandi are the same. Comparing the Torso murder in Whitehall for example, with Elizabeth Stride, Mary Kelly, and Martha Tabram, one can see totally different actions. On this Casebook here, there are 18 different attacks that have, at some time, been linked to JTR.

best wishes

Phil

[belinda]

Yes I forgot about some of the others. Martha Tabram is a puzzle, hers was a vicious murder all those stab wounds would indicate alot of anger

[kensei]

There are actually a lot more than 18 attacks that have been suggested as the work of the Ripper. I remember someone here once postulating that the total number from points around the world (considering every conspiracy theory and everything else) was around 60. That's obviously wild speculation, but it is true that with many serial killers their true number of victims is suspected of being more than the ones they are convicted of.

What will it take? At this point, I have imagined that it might be something hidden away in the walls of an old building that gets torn down- Not a written confession but perhaps the stolen organs preserved in jars (in whatever severely deteriorated whithered dried prune-like condition they would be in now) and maybe a bloody knife or two. Could that blood be matched to the DNA from exhumed victims? Possibly, but how likely is it that such an exhumination would be agreed to? Not very. Basically, my thought is that none of the things that could lead to an identification of the Ripper at this point are at all likely to ever happen. But hope springs eternal.

Suspects? I think the idea that the Ripper was someone never named as a suspect is most likely, but if he was, for what it's worth, I think the lives of James Kelly and William Bury should be delved into in much more detail.

[magnoliasouth]

I am doubtful that we'll ever know, but possibilities are always lurking around the corner.

I remember when DNA testing, or something similar, sounded absolutely absurd. I also remember when you had to have very large samples in order to conclusively extract DNA. Both of these memories are now just that, memories.

Science technology is progressing in leaps and bounds. I think for anything to be absolute evidence, it will have to be in the form of something such as DNA. I think that this is actually a serious possibility too, even if I'm skeptical that the truth will be known. I don't know much about where victims and suspects were buried, but if any evidence is still lying around today, I think that DNA (or even a better type of test) could eventually give us a name. Just because we can't extract DNA from something today doesn't mean that tomorrow we cannot.

Never say never.

[belinda]

I don't think DNA can provide a definite answer to this.There's nothing left to match it to.

The womens clothes are unlikely to turn up.Though there was that Shawl they couldn't get anything usable from it.