Dressed to kill.

[Bridewell]

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?

Why not in his boot?

[Wickerman]

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

A man known to use the garotte would care.

.

[lynn cates]

Whom?

Hello Jon. Thanks.

Candidate?

Cheers.
LC

[Errata]

Why not in his boot?

I think he had two knives for each victim. But there is only so large a knife you can put in your boot without seriously compromising mobility. Certainly nothing longer than a table knife, and even a table knife is very uncomfortable. And anything longer than maybe 4 inches is just going to fall out of the boot.

[Wickerman]

Hello Jon. Thanks.

Candidate?

Cheers.
LC

No one I can name, but I did read that garotters were often let out of prison early on what was known as a ticket of leave. So the police had the names of these ticket of leave men who were released into society, some of whom had been charged with garotting.
That sounds like reason enough to me.

.

[curious4]

Position

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.




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.

.

Hello Wickerman,

Sorry, but where is the evidence for prostitutes mainly using what you call the most common position? None of the victims, even poor Annie, was unattractive. I think this position would have been more popular among the park prostitutes, who really were the lowest - old, without noses and generally unattractive.

Best wishes,
C4

[lynn cates]

the object

Hello Jon. Thanks.

Very well. Did these chaps murder for fun or profit?

Cheers.
LC

[Wickerman]

Hello Jon. Thanks.

Very well. Did these chaps murder for fun or profit?

Cheers.
LC

A garotter was often one of a gang, typically of three. The victim would be engaged by the first member, garotted by the second and his person rifled by the third. Typically all three would make off in different directions.
We can assume the gang did it for profit, but are you asking why the garotter did what he did?

As is often the case in gangs, each member will gravitate towards the activity he likes best, or for that which he shows the most ability.
Could this member have actually derived pleasure from choking the life out of someone?

I'm sure he did, otherwise there would be no evidence of strangling at all.
We can see how readily women could be dispatched with the slash of a knife, Stride, Coles, McKenzie? This must surely have been the quickest method, but here we have an individual who appears to enjoy holding the victim's life in his hands for that one brief shining moment.

'Jack' was not a knife-man, he was a strangler. The use of the knife is a means towards an end. It is likely, in my opinion, the act of choking the life out of a person that excites him the most.

This is why the death of Rose Mylett intrigues me, and, if it could only be determined that Stride had been strangled first, to me that would be a game-changer.

.

[RivkahChaya]

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

If it were made by something distinctive, like a chain, that he used as part of a compulsion, but were getting into Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (US TV show) territory here.

I have noticed that every description of the suspect includes a hat, because this was a time when people weren't fully dressed without a hat. I don't know know if it's just the way things were, that a man had a hat he liked, and he wore that one pretty much all the time, or if people in the East End couldn't afford more than one, but it does seem like owning a lot of hats, and wearing a different one to every kill, when it would be dark, would be one way to make sure the description was different every time.

[lynn cates]

P & A

Hello Jon. Thanks.

" 'Jack' was not a knife-man, he was a strangler."

Well, whoever did Polly and Annie certainly was. And he seems to have made no attempt to hide that fact--it's there as plain as day.

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

indication

Hello Rivkah. Thanks.

"but were getting into Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (US TV show) territory here."

Indeed. And not territory where I'd wish to be found--eschewing such twaddle, as I do.

". . . but it does seem like owning a lot of hats, and wearing a different one to every kill, when it would be dark, would be one way to make sure the description was different every time."

Indeed. It could also indicate something rather obvious.

Cheers.
LC

[Wickerman]

Hello Jon. Thanks.

" 'Jack' was not a knife-man, he was a strangler."

Well, whoever did Polly and Annie certainly was. And he seems to have made no attempt to hide that fact--it's there as plain as day.

Cheers.
LC

Yes, evidence of strangulation need not be hidden, indeed it is not really possible, but evidence of the method of strangulation, how it was applied, may be a concern to the killer.

.

[lynn cates]

signs

Hello Jon. Thanks.

"Yes, evidence of strangulation need not be hidden, indeed it is not really possible . . ."

Thanks indeed!

". . . but evidence of the method of strangulation, how it was applied, may be a concern to the killer."

But why after two killings already?

Cheers.
LC

[Errata]

Hello Wickerman,

Sorry, but where is the evidence for prostitutes mainly using what you call the most common position? None of the victims, even poor Annie, was unattractive. I think this position would have been more popular among the park prostitutes, who really were the lowest - old, without noses and generally unattractive.

Best wishes,
C4

To a certain extent it's a physics issue. Tab A and slot B don't line up if a man and a woman face each other. Aside from angle issues, the most common barrier to congress would be the difference in height. This can be overcome in several ways, perching on tall object, lying down, being lifted, but the easiest way with the least amount of fuss is to approach from behind. It's not evidence, but it is not unreasonable to assume a path of least resistance.

[curious4]

Knee-trembling

Hello Errata,

You don't take into account height differences and preferences. A certain amount of knee-bending on the customer's part would be necessary whatever, but where there's a will, there's a way. Presumably the "lady" would to a certain extent have to fall in with her customer's wishes, but I don't think one involving banging her head against a brick wall would be a favourite, especially when dealing with an enthusiastic customer.

Cheers,
C4