A Psychological Profile of the Ripper

[DJA]

Cases 2 and 7.

medcht00094-0102.pdf

[FISHY1118]

So they were treated for Rheumatic Fever by Sutton and Gull [surprize surprize] . How do we then go to Jack the Ripper ?

[DJA]

The maxillary sinuses are infected by Streptococcus pyogenes along with a sore throat.The nose where cut off runs like a tap.
The heart and kidneys are often infected.
Strep makes it's home in the small intestine.
There's more,if you can understand that.

[FISHY1118]

ok im curious , but still waiting what make sutton jtr ?

[DJA]

Blackmail.
The Five were after him.
Started with Mary Ann Kelly as a child victim and escalated with the murder of Nichols near the London Hospital.
Sutton was bisexual.Homosexuality would have cost him two years hard labor.
He was being protected.Doubt his identity was a big secret in certain circles.

[FISHY1118]

Blackmail you say? Well seem theres a bit of that going around as a motive for the five victims . I guess one blackmail theory is as good as the next

[Guest]

Hi Kristen

welcome and thanks for your post.

I wonder what leads you to think about hematomania? The available testimony seems to be agree on there being very little blood visible, and that the killer would probably not be drenched in it. Overall, the blood does not appear to play any prominent role in the murders, compared to for instance the inner organs. Besides, it was mostly dark, so the killer would not have been able to savour the blood visually, beyond perhaps its characteristic sheen.

I would argue that he simply didn't have as much time on the streets as he did with Mary Kelly, as he had to monitor the police beats to be able to get two in one night. I think the way Mary Kelly was dissected, specifically around the thighs and groin area and the face, shows at least an enjoyment of blood if not a fascination with it. Slashed throats gurgle, femoral arteries spray, and the face is insanely vascular. I saw a kid in the skating rink one day get a little nick on his forehead the size of about half of a pencil eraser and yet, his face was COVERED in blood. I remember being shocked that he wasn't more seriously injured when he wiped it away. I think Ripper was careful enough to direct it away from his clothes in the streets by striking from behind. Mary Kelly was a huge escalation and since she was the only one indoors, it stands to reason that he did more of what he wanted to do with her with the extra time.

[Sunny Delight]

It is impossible to really psychologically profile the murderer in my opinion. There are however certain things we can safely take as very likely in regards what he was like:

- He likely worked in a steady role during the week- if we go by the timing of attacks- so he was someone functioning within society.

- He lived in Whitechapel as the Goulston Street escape route revealed. This was his first major mistake and should have given the Police a massive advantage.

- He was aged in his late 20's or early to mid 30's if the witness statements are to be believed. Not dressed shabbily.

- He subdued his victims quickly, quietly and ruthlessly. He must have been physically strong. Someone likely to be employed in physical work.

Psychologically I don't think we can really read into him although the FBI did give some excellent food for thought. To me JTR was a local man, employed in a physical role that had steady hours during the week, aged between 28-35. The Police really didn't have much to go on.

[Guest]

It is impossible to really psychologically profile the murderer in my opinion. There are however certain things we can safely take as very likely in regards what he was like:

- He likely worked in a steady role during the week- if we go by the timing of attacks- so he was someone functioning within society.

- He lived in Whitechapel as the Goulston Street escape route revealed. This was his first major mistake and should have given the Police a massive advantage.

- He was aged in his late 20's or early to mid 30's if the witness statements are to be believed. Not dressed shabbily.

- He subdued his victims quickly, quietly and ruthlessly. He must have been physically strong. Someone likely to be employed in physical work.

Psychologically I don't think we can really read into him although the FBI did give some excellent food for thought. To me JTR was a local man, employed in a physical role that had steady hours during the week, aged between 28-35. The Police really didn't have much to go on.

While I agree with your physical and logistical assessment of Ripper, I definitely think that the way he killed his victims has much to say about his psychology. Typically, overkill is done because of intense rage, so it's usually done totally savagely with no intended interest in the body itself. Overkillers are angry and want someone dead. There usually isn't a whole lot of thought put into their crimes. Thus, the state of Mary Kelly's body especially and the removal of organs on others suggests to me that Ripper most certainly enjoyed what he was doing and had a lack of empathy that is characteristic of psychopathy. Psychopaths also tend to be incredibly intelligent and manipulative. Considering how many people were illiterate in the Victorian era, it is clear that only a learned man would be skilled at removing a human womb and all of its attachments at the time. Hypothetically speaking, if the "Dear Boss" letter could ever be proven to be authentic, it would go a heck of a long way in terms of determining where his head was at the time of the killings because it is highly indicative of narcissism. Taunting the police through mail was a relatively new concept in Ripper's day, but is not at all uncommon today. BTK actually phoned in to report that there was a murder (which he had committed, though he obviously didn't tell them that) at a certain location because the police hadn't found it yet and he wanted the attention in the newspapers. His arrogance was his downfall, but like I said above, psychological profiling is only intended to point police towards potential evidence and suspects and theories it brings forth about suspects are not admissible in court. Psychological profiling is simply an investigative tool. It's the evidence itself that convicts. As for his manner of dress, I wouldn't go with the top hat and cape, of course, but I also wouldn't go with someone who blended in. I picture him as a turn-of-the-century middle to upper-class man in a decent suit and a bowler hat, not unlike the historical photo below. It's not perfectly tailored Armani, but he's certainly not living in poverty, either.

[Aethelwulf]

Hi, everyone! I'm Kristen and I'm new here, but I have been an amateur Ripperologist for decades. As I was growing up, I found myself in an unusual position that led to hands-on experience in the fields of criminal investigation, human anatomy, and the treatment of mental illnesses. My father was a sergeant in the local police force and while he couldn’t speak to the specific details of any of the cases that came across his desk, he often explained to me how criminal investigations as a whole and all of the components thereof typically played out on a day-to-day basis. We would watch television shows like Forensic Files together, but as television is often sensationalized and is therefore never a valid source for a complete education, my father would mostly talk over the show, answer my questions, and share his personal experiences as a criminal investigator and his vast knowledge of the process that was being shown on the screen. I thereby became fascinated with criminology from a very young age and continued to pursue it as a personal interest throughout my adolescence and adulthood.

On the other side of this coin is my mother, who has been a registered nurse assisting orthopedic surgeons in the operating room for almost fifty years. My mother is the person that sterilizes and preps the instruments, serves as one of the scrub nurses that aids the doctor in the actual surgical procedure, and sometimes closes the incisions. Growing up around her produced many unique educational experiences. I began reading when I was three years old and instead of having storybooks growing up, I had books that detailed anatomy such as The Atlas of The Human Body by Professor Peter Abrahams. I read more books on the various sciences than I ever read with fairy tales and by the time I was in grade school, the school bus was letting me off at the local hospital rather than at a babysitter or family member’s home. I spent much of my time learning from the scrub techs and doctors at the front desk of the operating room while waiting for my mom to finish her cases so we could head home.

In addition to these events, I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder when I was 6 years old. Because my mother was a nurse, she had access to extensive medical research on these disorders as well as access to the very best doctors who treated them. She was therefore able to explain to me exactly what was going on and over the last 28 years of personally living with these disorders, I have learned much about the chemical make-up of the mentally ill brain and how its various disorders are treated.

Now, I do not in any way claim to be a professional investigator with a degree in criminology. I do, however, believe that my unique personal experiences throughout my lifetime so far— along with extensive research, of course— might lend itself to a better understanding of the Ripper case I have always been so fascinated by. My favorite suspect is a relatively new one— H.H. Holmes, but I have also put together a bit of a profile on Ripper that I would enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts on. I only ask that everyone please be respectful. If you think psychology is a pseudoscience, this probably isn't the best topic for you because my struggles with mental health issues have taught me that it is certainly not and it is hurtful when people discredit it. Thank you for your kind consideration and here is the profile.

• Psychopathy (manipulative and volatile; lacking a conscience or empathy towards others)
• Letters thought to be authentic reveal narcissistic tendencies, but I am not comfortable labeling Ripper as an officially diagnosed narcissist absent evidence of his psychological state at the time of the murders
• Hematomania (obsession with blood)
• Always sliced the left carotid (right handed killer), but subdued the victim through strangulation into a position where the slice could be made from behind with limited blood spurting
• Mutilations usually involved the severing of both femoral arteries, often in the process of removing organs, which produced a massive flow of blood, yet were always carried out postmortem to avoid spurting with the pulse, indicating careful calculation
• “Dear Boss” letter refers to “proper red stuff” and how he saved some from a victim to write with, further leading towards an indication of hematomania
• Superficial charm led victims to let down their guard; may have enticed them with grapes, which were far too expensive for any Whitechapel resident to afford in the time period
• Intelligent and careful; too calculated and arrogant to be a simple case of a man experiencing schizophrenic episodes
• Targeted prostitutes not for what they were, but for their availability and ease
• No sexual motive; women were butchered, but never sexually assaulted
• No sadism; mutilations occurred after quick deaths; doesn’t get off on pain and terror, but on blood and damage

What are everyone's thoughts?

Thanks for an interesting post. I've commented on the 1988 FBI profile a bit before although most on here don't have a lot of time for it. As Jeff said, any sort of profile (pysc or geo) is an interesting starting point to screen suspects and see where it leads. The FBI profile was compiled by someone with direct experience of working on serial killer cases, so that does give it a bit of weight IMO.

I think my main point is that there is a suspect that does fit the profile very well (based on written trial evidence, rather than just guessing as is the case for most suspects). If we knew nothing else about the suspect, the close match would be interesting and that would be as far as you could go without pure speculation. But the close match to the profile added to his very suspicious looking departure from the east end, combined with the fact that he is the only suspect to have carried out a sexually motivated murder involving mutilation of genitals and abdomen - it's a massively unlikely coincidence IMO. Others strongly disagree, mainly based on police ambivalence and McKenzie. Valid criticisms but there are an awful lot of red flags stacked up in Bury's nasty little corner of ripperology (I hate that word by the way - it seems to imply some sort of precision and scientific basis that isn't justified).

One other thing, although not part of a pysc profile - given the high risk locations I think the ripper had a cast iron certainty that he could physically escape a tight situation, if needed, either through an ability outpace any pursuers or dish out a fist fight. Although the key to his 'success' must have been to arrive at and depart from crime scenes in an unremarkable manner, I reckon he had it in the back of his mind that he could get away if needed. The only example I can cite is Farmer (most dismiss this though). As described elsewhere, there are some very plausible reasons for thinking Farmer's attacker was Bury. Until the alarm was raised he seems to have wandered largely unnoticed through a common area, once the pursuit began he was not only able to get away but also stop to punch one of his pursuers and make good his escape. Just an idea.

[NotBlamedForNothing]

Hi Kristen,

I tend to agree with Jeff and GUT regarding the letters, with the exception of the "From Hell" letter, which I think is probably geniune. I suspect the mis-spelling and grammar in that letter was a deliberate disguise.

Hi Kirsten,

I have been interested in JtR for nearly 50 years and in that time favourites have come and gone. When I depart this life and approach St Peter at the pearly gates my first question will be "who was JtR?". I anticipate that when he reveals the answer to my question my response will be "Who?".

I anticipate that he won't reveal the answer to you. Where's the fun in that? However, I'm sure he'll be kind enough to give you some clues ...

St Peter: It was someone known to George Lusk. Now please keep investigating ...

[NotBlamedForNothing]

As for his manner of dress, I wouldn't go with the top hat and cape, of course, but I also wouldn't go with someone who blended in. I picture him as a turn-of-the-century middle to upper-class man in a decent suit and a bowler hat, not unlike the historical photo below. It's not perfectly tailored Armani, but he's certainly not living in poverty, either.

Something like this ...?

J. Best: The man was about 5ft. 5in. in height. He was well dressed in a black morning suit with a morning coat. He had rather weak eyes. I mean he had sore eyes without any eyelashes. I should know the man again amongst a hundred. He had a thick black moustache and no beard. He wore a black billycock hat, rather tall, and had on a collar. I don't know the colour of his tie. I said to the woman "that's Leather Apron getting round you." The man was no foreigner; he was an Englishman right enough.

From INTERVIEWS WITH MEN WHO SAW THE WOMAN.

[Guest]

Something like this ...?

J. Best: The man was about 5ft. 5in. in height. He was well dressed in a black morning suit with a morning coat. He had rather weak eyes. I mean he had sore eyes without any eyelashes. I should know the man again amongst a hundred. He had a thick black moustache and no beard. He wore a black billycock hat, rather tall, and had on a collar. I don't know the colour of his tie. I said to the woman "that's Leather Apron getting round you." The man was no foreigner; he was an Englishman right enough.

From INTERVIEWS WITH MEN WHO SAW THE WOMAN.

Wow! I hadn't read that account yet! I admit I haven't done research past the actual murders themselves and the crime scenes in a long time and it'll be fun getting back into the case and learning other things.

[Guest]

Thanks for an interesting post. I've commented on the 1988 FBI profile a bit before although most on here don't have a lot of time for it. As Jeff said, any sort of profile (pysc or geo) is an interesting starting point to screen suspects and see where it leads. The FBI profile was compiled by someone with direct experience of working on serial killer cases, so that does give it a bit of weight IMO.

I think my main point is that there is a suspect that does fit the profile very well (based on written trial evidence, rather than just guessing as is the case for most suspects). If we knew nothing else about the suspect, the close match would be interesting and that would be as far as you could go without pure speculation. But the close match to the profile added to his very suspicious looking departure from the east end, combined with the fact that he is the only suspect to have carried out a sexually motivated murder involving mutilation of genitals and abdomen - it's a massively unlikely coincidence IMO. Others strongly disagree, mainly based on police ambivalence and McKenzie. Valid criticisms but there are an awful lot of red flags stacked up in Bury's nasty little corner of ripperology (I hate that word by the way - it seems to imply some sort of precision and scientific basis that isn't justified).

One other thing, although not part of a pysc profile - given the high risk locations I think the ripper had a cast iron certainty that he could physically escape a tight situation, if needed, either through an ability outpace any pursuers or dish out a fist fight. Although the key to his 'success' must have been to arrive at and depart from crime scenes in an unremarkable manner, I reckon he had it in the back of his mind that he could get away if needed. The only example I can cite is Farmer (most dismiss this though). As described elsewhere, there are some very plausible reasons for thinking Farmer's attacker was Bury. Until the alarm was raised he seems to have wandered largely unnoticed through a common area, once the pursuit began he was not only able to get away but also stop to punch one of his pursuers and make good his escape. Just an idea.

I haven't looked at that suspect yet, but I certainly will. You might find this post of mine in response to another to be interesting and/or valuable.

https://forum.casebook.org/forum/ripper-discussions/suspects/784561-thought-experiment-with-numbers-suggestions-welcome

[Aethelwulf]

I haven't looked at that suspect yet, but I certainly will. You might find this post of mine in response to another to be interesting and/or valuable.

https://forum.casebook.org/forum/rip...stions-welcome

Thanks for that. A good starting place is Beadle's excellent summary on here where he also discusses Bury's close match to the FBI profile (https://www.casebook.org/dissertations/ws-bury.html). The Bury website takes this further and uses Keppel's signature analysis paper to demonstrate a very credible ID signature match between Ellen Bury and the ripper victims - the similarity to some to the wounds on Eddowes is both disturbing and striking (http://williambury.org/blog6/the-bury-id/). There is no doubt Bury was an evil, cunning, manipulative psychopath.