Dressed to kill.

[Deathtosnails]

Hello board.

Was Jack wearing Plimsolls?

One thing that has bothered me for a while is the assumption that Jack can hear police coming and then he makes his escape, but no one ever hears Jack leaving the scene or area. Sneaky Jack indeed. Or is that Jack the Sneaker...

I think Jack changed his appearance each murder. Different hat, more clothing underneath to look bigger, different overcoats.

I think he would have had a sheath for his knife. Would you put a razor sharp knife in your pocket? Where was the sheath? Back, belt, pocket?

Did he carry his own rag to wipe his hands? That could make the GSG a ruse to throw the police off. Jack may have seen the graffiti earlier.

What do you see Jack wearing and his reasons for doing so?

Cheers, DTS.

[lynn cates]

leather apron

Hello DTS.

"I think he would have had a sheath for his knife. Would you put a razor sharp knife in your pocket? Where was the sheath? Back, belt, pocket?"

Would a leather apron do?

Cheers.
LC

[Wickerman]

...... but no one ever hears Jack leaving the scene or area.

No-one ever saw him leave either, but that does not make him invisible.

I think Jack changed his appearance each murder. Different hat, more clothing underneath to look bigger, different overcoats.

Yes, different clothes, hat.

I think he would have had a sheath for his knife. Would you put a razor sharp knife in your pocket? Where was the sheath? Back, belt, pocket?

Bag?

What do you see Jack wearing and his reasons for doing so?

My Person of Interest is among those who were respectably dressed, a morning-coat and trousers. Wearing either a billycock hat, deerstalker or peaked cap, and likely carrying a leather bag.

A knife with a 6" blade will be approx. 10" long. Not a suitable size to keep in a pocket. He could have kept it in his belt (Pirate style) if he was a dosser, but not a respectably dressed man.

Also, I suspect 'Jack' strangled his victims first and because we see no physical evidence of hands around the throat, I'm inclined to think 'Jack' used a garotte. So this too would be kept in the same bag.

You mentioned him carrying a rag to wipe his hands. Thats a possibility, especially if he planned to remove organs. All these article would be carried in the bag.
Easier to ditch or toss one leather bag containing all the incriminating evidence than to pull separate items from different pockets while running through the backstreets.

.

[DRoy]

Hi all,

He may have changed his coat and hat but i'd doubt he had a different outfit for each murder. Unlike Clark Kent who wasn't recognizable as Superman, i'm sure "Jack" still would have been recognizable as "Jack". He would have to rely on witnesses only being able to identify clothing which seems unreasonable.

Regarding his footwear, nobody is sure whether they witnessed Jack arriving or leaving. He could have worn tap shoes and it wouldn't have mattered if nobody saw him before or after.

Since I believe the piece of the apron was dropped by Jack I wonder why he would have needed to do so if he had a bag with perhaps a wet cloth to clean himself.

Cheers
DRoy

[Digalittledeeperwatson]

Knife could be concealed under coat. I would pay particular attention to anyone wearing dark gloves. Unless gloves were a very regular sight.

[RavenDarkendale]

I would think dressed to fit in to the local environment, knife where it would take only a moment to seize. Possibly up his sleeve. People no doubt saw him leave crime scenes, but he appeared so much like someone expected to be in the area, they looked through him instead of at him.

Take serial killers today that imitate police, postmen, delivery people etc. They are in the area, they are seen, but no one observes them.

[niko]

Toff or tramp !

Hi Deathtosnails, I totaly agree with you BUT not in the season when the snail's are breeding, I cook delicious snail's !!
I think Jack wore decent clothing and did not have the apperance of a tramp or dosser.
Reffering to the knife, I have thought many a time, If the knife that Thomas Coram found had anything to do with the murder's, (at first the police thought it did) why was the point of the knife rounded off ? as mentioned in the Stride inquest, was it rounded off at the point so he could put the knife up his sleeve or down his trouser without stabbing himself. The hankerchief wrapped around the knife's handle which Thomas Coram found was of white "silk" does this mean Jack was a toff or was it common for east ender's to have silk hankerchief's ? all the best.

Niko

[Jon Guy]

Hi Deathtosnails

I think he would have had a sheath for his knife. Would you put a razor sharp knife in your pocket? Where was the sheath? Back, belt, pocket?.

I have come across a few instances, notably sailors, where the blade of the knife was wrapped in cloth.

[Jon Guy]

Hi Digalittledeeperwatson

Knife could be concealed under coat. I would pay particular attention to anyone wearing dark gloves. Unless gloves were a very regular sight.

Of course he could have removed them, but there is evidence of fingernail scratch marks on some of the victims.

[Abby Normal]

I think its possible he dressed differently for each murder, buts no real big deal to me. I think he probably had one coat (perhaps 2)he used that had large pocket(s) to hold a knife and his trophies. Maybe wore a different hat or none at some points.

But when you start getting into him carrying sheaths, bags, rags, gloves, garrots etc i really dont think so. too complicated and cumbersome, and the more you carry the more chance of dropping something/a clue (and none was ever found).

Dark clothing with a big pocket, a knife and his two hands is all he probably needed and used IMHO.

[Damaso Marte]

Also, I suspect 'Jack' strangled his victims first and because we see no physical evidence of hands around the throat, I'm inclined to think 'Jack' used a garotte. So this too would be kept in the same bag.

How does he remove the garotte from the bag and deploy it without alerting the victim? Does he use it one-handed?

Or do you believe there was more of a struggle at these crime scenes than we think?

[lynn cates]

except . . .

Hello Jon, Damaso. Surely no sign of, nor need for, a garrotte in Polly and Annies's cases?

Cheers.
LC

[Wickerman]

How does he remove the garotte from the bag and deploy it without alerting the victim? Does he use it one-handed?

Or do you believe there was more of a struggle at these crime scenes than we think?

The most common position for a prostitute to take with her client was for her to face a wall/fence while he takes his pleasure from behind.
As she turns and waits, this is when he applies the garotte, if the tool was used at all.

Hello Jon, Damaso. Surely no sign of, nor need for, a garrotte in Polly and Annies's cases?

Cheers.
LC

My assumption is that this was the reason for the encircling cut to both victims, to obliterate the mark left by the garotte. He was not intending to remove the head, he was making it look like that was the intention.

.

[lynn cates]

"You mean that mark?"

Hello Jon. Thanks.

"My assumption is that this was the reason for the encircling cut to both victims, to obliterate the mark left by the garotte. He was not intending to remove the head, he was making it look like that was the intention."

Why the devil would he care about the mark?

Cheers.
LC

[Bridewell]

No-one ever saw him leave either, but that does not make him invisible.

Wittiest post I've seen this year, Jon. Brilliant!