JtR's Ideal Victim Type

[Barnaby]

The "IVT" is that his victims were poor, vulnerable, female prostitutes who were willing to accompany/lead him to relatively isolated spots for (supposed) sex. Any similarities in appearance are probably more due to the lifestyle/economic realities of these women than a conscious choice by Jack. As the murderer probably could not afford either the money or the risk associated with killing a woman of higher means, he took what was readily available: poor, desperate women under the influence of alcohol and willing to do practically anything for money. In Whitechapel, that's like shooting fish in a barrel. With respect to perceived IVTs: Mary Kelly wasn't middle-aged. Catherine Eddowes wasn't "stout."

[Lord-z]

I would have loved to know if any of the victims knew each other or knew "of" each other. I mean there was a lot of people living in spitalfields, but they more than likely visited all the same pubs.

I think you are underestimating how many people actually lived in the area. One source tells me 74.400 people in Whitechapel. There was 1200 prostitutes alone. I can't find any exact numbers of how many pubs were in Spitalfields, but one dissertation offhandedly mentions that there was hundreds of pubs in the east end.

[Robert]

I think they had to be women, drunk or hungover, ill or in some way weak. I think he did Kelly but hadn't intended to.

[Garza]

I think you are underestimating how many people actually lived in the area. One source tells me 74.400 people in Whitechapel. There was 1200 prostitutes alone. I can't find any exact numbers of how many pubs were in Spitalfields, but one dissertation offhandedly mentions that there was hundreds of pubs in the east end.

I'm not, i'm well aware that there was tens of thousands living in Spitalfields. We will never know if they knew of it each other. I'm just saying the five victims lived only a couple of streets away from each other, ther would have been 10 pubs in the recent vincinity. It is possible they knew each other, even just my reputation (although the only victims I can see having a rep is Liz Stride and Mary Jane Kelly).

Like I said we will never know. But I do smile imagining Kate Eddowes and Liz Stride bumping into each other on Flower and Dean Street, saying sorry and walking on, not knowing their names will become entangled for eternity.

[Mycroft]

Even if he had a preferred look of victim, it would have been rather hard to identify hair colour etc, in the dark streets and alleys, unless he had followed them from a well lit place like a pub or knew of them, which I doubt. Personally, I don't think he cared what they looked like, just as long as they were the type of female he despised and the opportunity was there .

[The Good Michael]

Mycroft,

Valid point. It's possible that Kelly was what he was looking for all along and the realization of achieving that goal led to the awesome destruction that was wrought upon her. He may have been looking for that type of woman with such destruction in mind from the get go.

Mike

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Michael!

In fact, that's one of my conclusions too;

The others were a shot in the dark, but MJK was "the one"!

All the best
Jukka

[mariab]

I'd say it depends on which suspect (or on which kind of suspect) one chooses to consider. It could be that he had mother issues if he was a relatively young local, perhaps even a Jew (with the traditional mother issues which go along in Jewish traditions), so he chose the old, “motherly“ looking ones. Or it could be sheer opportunism if he was a pimp (someone like BS or Le Grand) or even someone not locally involved, like Tumblety, so he chose the old, weakest looking ones.

The Good Michael wrote:
It's possible that Kelly was what he was looking for all along and the realization of achieving that goal led to the awesome destruction that was wrought upon her. He may have been looking for that type of woman with such destruction in mind from the get go.
I could definitely see something like this, even if the Ripper wasn't acquainted with Mary Kelly, such as Barnett or Hutchinson as suspects. If the Ripper didn't end up arrested, in an asylum, or left for other parts (America?), then this would be the only explanation left, why he stopped. Plus, I've often considered Annie Millwood as his first attempt, and she was young and pretty, and he failed to kill her (or at least she didn't die immediately and to his knowledge), so possibly he reconsidered the victim type until he got more confidence, as in the night of the "double event".

[The Good Michael]

Maria,

Everything before Kelly seems to me exploratory. With Kelly, he may have gotten answers. One answer may have been that he couldn't find what he was looking for despite exhausting himself on the destruction he created, and despite the time spent doing so. He may have come to the startling conclusion that he couldn't find what he sought. That may have been his end. Time, opportunity, youthfulness, lighting, tools... all for nothing.

Cheers,

Mike

[mariab]

Wow, very romantic! Although I hope your compassion is with her, not with him!!
But I'm afraid the explanation is much more pedestrian. He either got scared off by having become visible to the investigation (esp. if he was Barnett or Hutchinson), or he anonymously ended up in an asylum, or he went back to America (if he was Tumblety).

[The Good Michael]

Wasn't Barnett or Hutchinson... not very possible. And I have no compassion for either the victim or the murderer. Just looking for answers.

Cheers,

Mike

[mariab]

For the Ripper to have been Barnett or Hutchinson (esp. Barnett), it's not unlikely at all. Possibly...

[Ben]

No offense, but to describe something as "not very possible" is deeply, deeply silly. Either something is possible or it isn't. There are no degrees of "possibility", and although I don't buy into Barnett as the killer (by way of illustration) it is by no means "impossible" that he was. I'm afraid you'll often find, Maria, that when people have argued very unconvincingly against a certain suspect (and obsessive arguments in favour of any given suspect can be just as annoying as those against), they will often use exaggerated terminology to bolster their pro/anti case, and "not very possible" is a case in point.

[The Good Michael]

For the Ripper to have been Barnett or Hutchinson (esp. Barnett), it's not unlikely at all. Possibly...

Very unlikely, my mistake. One may make some romantic case for Kelly, but for the others, I can't imagine a good case being made, unless you have some unshared information.

Cheers,

Mike

[cappuccina]

I would say that JtR had an "ideal victim circumstance" rather than an "ideal victim type", meaning, he was not like Ted Bundy who was looking for young women of a certain age with long dak hair parted in the middle, etc.

Rather, JtR was looking for the truly "unfortunate" women of the East End, those that would go with him for the smallest amount of money, or maybe even an offer of just food, and who would be more likely not to be immediately missed by family, friends or anyone...