Lusk Letter sent to George Lusk of the vigilante committee

[GUT]

G'day pinkmoon

..why did lusk wait two days before going to the police

Now that's the biggie isn't it?

[c.d.]

Medical students could have gotten one with no money involved.

c.d.

[Abby Normal]

Why send half? A hoaxer would probably not come up with such a subtle a thing. Sending a whole one would have been shocking enough.

Post mortem mutilating serial killers, on the other hand, tend to be cannibalistic, so the letter rings true. And if the killer was upset about being interrupted a lot on the night of the double event then sending it to a vigilance committee makes sense.

Plus I have never bought the medical student could easily get one argument, nor would they risk it.
This wasn't putting a sheep in alpha phi's sorority house or stealing a rival colleges team flag.

[pinkmoon]

Why send half? A hoaxer would probably not come up with such a subtle a thing. Sending a whole one would have been shocking enough.

Post mortem mutilating serial killers, on the other hand, tend to be cannibalistic, so the letter rings true. And if the killer was upset about being interrupted a lot on the night of the double event then sending it to a vigilance committee makes sense.

Plus I have never bought the medical student could easily get one argument, nor would they risk it.
This wasn't putting a sheep in alpha phi's sorority house or stealing a rival colleges team flag.

But why not send it with a piece of the victims clothing then there would be no doubt it was from our killer

[Hunter]

It would have been normal for a kidney already used for examination purposes to be split longitudinally as well as having been placed in spirits (ethenal.)

[Abby Normal]

But why not send it with a piece of the victims clothing then there would be no doubt it was from our killer

Maybe because sending half her kidney would be enough?
I know you always really want the killer to do something that proves everything beyond a doubt it's from him, but unfortunately in real life that does not always happen.

[pinkmoon]

Maybe because sending half her kidney would be enough?
I know you always really want the killer to do something that proves everything beyond a doubt it's from him, but unfortunately in real life that does not always happen.

Why send only half a kidney ?if possession of the organs was so important to our killer it would kill him to have to post it so wouldn't sending only half be a good compromise.

[RockySullivan]

I think Lusk is the key. If someone sent you half a Kidney...why would you put it in your drawer for two days? Wouldn't it smell? The story of the man dropping the pencil is interesting...but sounds fantastical. Lusk implies when the stranger said "pick it up" the stranger reached in his pocket. Is he implying then was going to cut his throat right there? Someone carrying a pencil around is interesting too....someone who might carry a pencil might also carry chalk. And the whole drop the pencil "pick it up" trick could have been used to disarm the women and strike while their off guard. Interesting MO like something bundy would do. Did this encounter really happen? Is our stranger the killer or is lusk? If he was suspicious of this stranger you would think he would report the kidney immediately. That would be the vigilant thing to do after all.

[Abby Normal]

It would have been normal for a kidney already used for examination purposes to be split longitudinally as well as having been placed in spirits (ethenal.)

Hi hunter
Thanks! But wasn't it preserved in spirits of wine? And not the usual medical preservative?

[Natasha]

I think Lusk is the key. If someone sent you half a Kidney...why would you put it in your drawer for two days? Wouldn't it smell? The story of the man dropping the pencil is interesting...but sounds fantastical. Lusk implies when the stranger said "pick it up" the stranger reached in his pocket. Is he implying then was going to cut his throat right there? Someone carrying a pencil around is interesting too....someone who might carry a pencil might also carry chalk. And the whole drop the pencil "pick it up" trick could have been used to disarm the women and strike while their off guard. Interesting MO like something bundy would do. Did this encounter really happen? Is our stranger the killer or is lusk? If he was suspicious of this stranger you would think he would report the kidney immediately. That would be the vigilant thing to do after all.

Hi Rocky

I agree, why would you leave a Kidney in a drawer. Lusk is important somehow. Someone has suggested that Lusk may have upset/annoyed the killer somehow and that was probably why the kidney and letters were sent to him and not the police.

[RockySullivan]

So would the ripper harbor a secret hatred for Lusk and join the viligant committee to appear as his friend? Or was it someone who he had a real fued or rift with? A neighbor or like u suggested his wife's ex or lover.

[Natasha]

So would the ripper harbor a secret hatred for Lusk and join the viligant committee to appear as his friend?

That's a good possibility. It would be interesting to investigate everyone who was on the committee

[Natasha]

Why send half? A hoaxer would probably not come up with such a subtle a thing. Sending a whole one would have been shocking enough.

Post mortem mutilating serial killers, on the other hand, tend to be cannibalistic, so the letter rings true. And if the killer was upset about being interrupted a lot on the night of the double event then sending it to a vigilance committee makes sense.

Plus I have never bought the medical student could easily get one argument, nor would they risk it.
This wasn't putting a sheep in alpha phi's sorority house or stealing a rival colleges team flag.

Hi Abby

Your explanation about sending the kidney to the committee makes me scratch my head, because as far as I know no one on the committee made any grim discoveries of the bodies.
There was obviously no indication that the committee made any difference to deterring the ripper.

I agree about the cannibal thing it may have been possible that the killer ate some of the organs, or maybe it was just a chilling sick twist that the killer wanted to portray the notion of doing so and in doing so would, make his crimes appear more shocking.

If a medical student, or someone who really wanted to make it in this field, had something to do with the killings, perhaps this student was a very poor one, after all most of the Drs/students in those days were quite financially secure and would be more likely to have been welcomed in to the medical field. Remember class status was highly regarded, and people that were poor were less likely to achieve getting a job that was above their class.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby

Your explanation about sending the kidney to the committee makes me scratch my head, because as far as I know no one on the committee made any grim discoveries of the bodies.
There was obviously no indication that the committee made any difference to deterring the ripper.

I agree about the cannibal thing it may have been possible that the killer ate some of the organs, or maybe it was just a chilling sick twist that the killer wanted to portray the notion of doing so and in doing so would, make his crimes appear more shocking.

If a medical student, or someone who really wanted to make it in this field, had something to do with the killings, perhaps this student was a very poor one, after all most of the Drs/students in those days were quite financially secure and would be more likely to have been welcomed in to the medical field. Remember class status was highly regarded, and people that were poor were less likely to achieve getting a job that was above their class.

Hi Natasha
One of Lawendes companions upon seeing eddowes and a man together made the remark that these places "should be watched". If this was the ripper there is a good chance he heard this statement as they were relatively close. He may have assumed that they were vigilance committee members and hence sent the kidney as a taunt to a vigilance committee who just happened to be Lusks.

I'm afraid I do not understand the point you are trying to make re a poor medical student.

[Natasha]

Hi Natasha
One of Lawendes companions upon seeing eddowes and a man together made the remark that these places "should be watched". If this was the ripper there is a good chance he heard this statement as they were relatively close. He may have assumed that they were vigilance committee members and hence sent the kidney as a taunt to a vigilance committee who just happened to be Lusks.

Hi Abby

I guess that makes sense, he may have made a mental note to avoid certain areas. He must have been super organised and must have known Whitechapel like the back of his hand.

I'm afraid I do not understand the point you are trying to make re a poor medical student.

As you mentioned in your post about a medical student not risking getting caught nicking organs, I just thought I would add a possible explanation if the ripper was a 'student' of medicine.