JtR's Ideal Victim Type

[Garza]

on the issue of Jack's intelligence...

I think it depends largely how much knowledge the victims/prostitutes had about police beats and their times. If they had a good knowledge of times and could judge their sessions with clients accordingly then there really isn't a lot of need to ascribe a great deal of intelligence to Jack. It seems his job was to chat them up and slice them up - end of story. He certainly didn't make much of an attempt not to be seen and the GSG wasn't exactly Shakespearian in quality either. Appart from him having some medical knowledge (maybe) and our 21C knowledge of serial killers having above average IQ - there isn't a lot to point to a super smart offender. I'm happy to be conviced of the opposite if someone is wishing to point out why.

I agree that Jack wasn't a super genius.

I think he had higher than average intelligence and was able to weigh up his odds effectively.

He positioned his kills close to exits for quick escape/to hear people intruding (exluding kelly).

He killed his victims in a efficient, quick, cold and quiet manner.

Pretty much an organised serial killer imo.

[Fisherman]

Mr Candlebridge writes:

"There must have been some pre-planning involved..."

If so, to what extent does it surpass putting your knife in your pocket and bringing your urge along?
Polly Nichols was subdued and slain on the sidewalk of Buckīs Row, no visible precaution taken to obscure the deed. What sort of planning was involved in that case? In what way do we know that calculation entered the Ripperīs mind before he cut?
"An opportunist with a motive", as you describe it, may well be the best we can do when painting Jackīs picture.

The best,
Fisherman

[corey123]

I agree with Mr.Candlebridges conclusion that the murders were premeditated. I believe he set out with murder on his mind and purposly picked the days to kill. Of coarse I do believe him to be an oppertunist, but I believe he set out to kill, and the days he set out to kill, he did.

[Fisherman]

Corey:

"I agree with Mr.Candlebridges conclusion that the murders were premeditated. I believe he set out with murder on his mind and purposly picked the days to kill. Of coarse I do believe him to be an oppertunist, but I believe he set out to kill, and the days he set out to kill, he did."

So, no botched efforts, no cancellations?

The best,
Fisherman

[The Good Michael]

So, no botched efforts, no cancellations?

You kidding me? Hutchinson had the brains to fool all of Scotland Yard from shoddy little lodgings regarding the Kelly case, and he evaded all pursuers in a fashion that would have put Moriarity to shame in all teh other killings. How could George botch anything?

Mike

[corey123]

Hello Fisherman,

Botched, yes, corrected, yes.

[Ashkenaz]

You are taking it as fact that JtR was a 'Lust Murderer', but this may not be so at all.

I think I read somewhere that lust murderers seem to want to kill the victim over and over again, inflicting many serious injuries. For example there may be a score of stab wounds to the torso. This is not what we see in the murder of Nichols, Eddows or Stride.

[Garza]

I think I read somewhere that lust murderers seem to want to kill the victim over and over again, inflicting many serious injuries. For example there may be a score of stab wounds to the torso. This is not what we see in the murder of Nichols, Eddows or Stride.

lust murderers are a diverse group of serial killers.

I personally think that JtR was a lust murderer with environmental limitations. The biggest clue to JtR being a lust murderer is the focus of the sexual organs and the position of the victims legs.

Jack may have loved to take his victim in the middle of nowhere and torture her to death, like most modern organised lust murderers tend to do. But in crowded Whitechapel, with no transportation and possibly no private residence, it would have been impossible.

[Raoul's Obsession]

I agree that Jack wasn't a super genius.

I think he had higher than average intelligence and was able to weigh up his odds effectively.

He positioned his kills close to exits for quick escape/to hear people intruding (exluding kelly).

He killed his victims in a efficient, quick, cold and quiet manner.

Pretty much an organised serial killer imo.

I agree with a lot of this. I certainly think he did indeed way up his odds effectively. Not in the sense of extraordinary planning, but simply in the sense of picking a time, a day, a victim class and a place. This is certainly planning of a kind.

However, as for positioning his kills close to exits for quick escape, I'm not sure that I agree. Buck's Row as has been pointed out showed no sign of concealment though being a street it had two entrances and two exits. However, both Hanbury street and Berner street murders (as well as Kelly in Millers Court) were effectively dead ends. If anyone (other than Diemshutz) walked in Jack would have nowhere to go. By the look of things George yard wasn't much better. It's really only Mitre Square that had the plethora of entrances and exits. I think the spots were picked largely for privacy with Jack learning as he went.

efficient, quick, cold and quiet - I'll agree with that.

Raoul

[Fisherman]

Mike:

"You kidding me? Hutchinson had the brains to fool all of Scotland Yard from shoddy little lodgings regarding the Kelly case, and he evaded all pursuers in a fashion that would have put Moriarity to shame in all teh other killings. How could George botch anything?"

You may be in for a major disappointment here, Mike - I actually donīt think he is our guy.
But I do think he botched one thing, big time. More on that in days to come ...

The best,
Fisherman

[The Good Michael]

You may be in for a major disappointment here, Mike - I actually donīt think he is our guy.

What? But there are books on him. Surely books don't lie?

Mike

[Fisherman]

Mike:

"Surely books don't lie?"

Do you want the one-word answer, or the whole essay?

The best,
Fisherman

[The Good Michael]

Do you want the one-word answer, or the whole essay?

Just put it in a book. I'll believe you then.

Mike

[Fisherman]

Right! But Iīll opt for the one-word version - in Sweden, publishers pay per title, not per word ...

The best,
Fisherman

[Ben]

Hutchinson had the brains to fool all of Scotland Yard from shoddy little lodgings regarding the Kelly case, and he evaded all pursuers in a fashion that would have put Moriarity to shame in all teh other killings.

Time to do a little more reading on the subject of serial crime - or crime in general, to be honest - if you think that what has been suggested regading Hutchinson takes an inordinate amount of "brians".

Off-topic fight, anyone?