Anyone think this is possible?

[JTRSickert]

Does anyone here think it likely or probable that some individual, acting of his own accordance without assistance from the police or Vigilance Committee, decided to become a self-style detective and discovered JTR' s true identity. And, after doing so, decided to become a public avenger and executed the murderer without trying to apprehend him or bring him to proper justice?

[protohistorian]

Hello JTRSickert, If the police with all the tools and resources they had could not find him, what chance would an unaffiliated novice had? Dave

[c.d.]

Possible but pretty damn unlikely.

c.d.

[claire]

Not plausible for me; I'd imagine that such a person would be happy enough for the glory and accolades. Now, a person who knew or discovered the killer's identity by means other than detection, and did away with them (perhaps a family member or mate), that's another matter.

[Supe]

Sickert,

Your individual would have to be very vengeful, indeed, to pass up the reward money that today would total, depending on the basis for comparison, anywhere from £124,000 to £1,570,000.

Don.

[Scott Nelson]

Yes, it did happen. He was Fountain Smith.

[Scorpio]

Has this ever happened in a homicide case, i have never encountered it. A revenge killer would be no hurry to own upto to the fact and face prosecution themselves, as the establishment does not like vigilantes very much. But the revenge killer might eventually own up to it if they are terminally ill and not likely to face prosecution.

[Adam Went]

A bit of street justice, eh?
Well it could be slightly plausible but only if the amateur investigator had some clue who the killer might be in the first place, perhaps somebody that he knew or had a grudge with from something that happened previously.

Very unlikely though. The police would have been the ones who wanted to lay their hands on him the most.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Barnaby]

Dexter got him.

[bolo]

Hello JTRSickert, all,

even though I find it quite unlikely that an amateur sleuth passed on the chance to claim the huge reward for catching the Ripper in favor of setting himself up as judge and executioner, it's not uncommon that a little man in the street knows more about the goings-on in a certain area than the police, that specially goes for the LVP East End with its see no evil, speak no evil atmosphere.

Those who were reluctant to talk to a police officer may have been more open towards a fellow East Ender who treated them to a glass of gin and entangled them in a casual chat. This way, our theoretical self-proclaimed p.i. could have extracted some nuggets of info which he conveyed to the police who may not have found it persuasive enough to act upon. As far as I know, the police received more letters with possible clues on the Ripper case than they could handle so it seems possible to me that one of these letters that got disregarded contained the key to the case.

Regards,

Boris

[JTRSickert]

Aren't we all forgetting the climatic scene in From Hell?

Gull: "I'm afraid, Inspector, that you won't be able to arrest him."

Abberline: "I don't want to arrest him."

minutes later...

Gull: "One day, men will look back...and say I gave birthto the twentieth century."

Abberline <cocks the revolver>: "You're not going to see the twentieth century."

Then, boom!...unconscious. So, even in the movie, personal justice took precedence over judicial justice.

[Pinkerton]

Has this ever happened in a homicide case, i have never encountered it. A revenge killer would be no hurry to own upto to the fact and face prosecution themselves, as the establishment does not like vigilantes very much. But the revenge killer might eventually own up to it if they are terminally ill and not likely to face prosecution.

Yes. Pedro Alonso Lopez (the "monster of the Andes") was PROBABLY killed by someone after he was released from Ecuador to Columbia in 1998. He admitted to killing over 300 people including mostly children. Why he was released from prison is a story in itself you can find on the internet. He is thought to be the most prolific serial killer in history. After his release he disappeared and has never surfaced in over 10 years. There was a known price on his head by many of his victim's families. Many think someone took him out as soon as he was released.

[kensei]

I think it's not at all implausible that a civilian took out JTR, but not as a result of vigilanteism. If it happened, I think it's most likely that it was a product of the day to day violence in the East End and that the person who did it had no idea he was killing Jack the Ripper. Could have been in a drunken fight, or perhaps a mugging by one of the gangs as Jack was out and about one night in his search for more victims. My number two and three suspects are James Kelly and William Bury, but my number one is a faceless Eastender who has never been named, so that leaves the door open to almost any possibility.

[YankeeSergeant]

possible yes, probable? No.

When talking about JTR everything is possible. I think that it is improbable that Jack was killed in the manner you ask. I rather doubt thatteh police would sanction something like that. Though it is possible I believ that itis far more likely that he was committed to an insane asylum without anyone knowing what he did, that he committed suicide or that he dies as a result of an unrelated accident or disease. I will say that the vigilante angle deso come up in my novel and it is a plausible solution but if so the killer of JTR would be as nameless as he is. Kensei is probably closest to the mark if JTR was murdered. Kindestregards, Neil

[Observer]

Hi

I believ that itis far more likely that he was committed to an insane asylum without anyone knowing what he did,

Just like Isenschmid eh? HaHa

Observer