The FBI Profile of Jack the Ripper & it's usefulness

[Syclone]

It's possible one or more pre-Tabram attacks weren't reported. My theory is there was a woman he murdered before Tabram who was never identified.

[Errata]

I don't discount the value of an FBI profile but they are at best an educated guess. The problem is when they use a nebulous description such as saying he probably had a troubled childhood or something along those lines. How many people in Whitechapel fall into that category?

c.d.

Technically it's a statistical guess, less an educated one. It's also culturally specific knowledge, so Victorian London is about as far from their statistics as feudal Japan. They still have problems with black and female serial killers because they haven't collected enough statistics on those two groups, other than female "angels of mercy". And every single bit of it depends on certain interpretations made. Like what he wanted. Statistically a guy like this is a sexual sadist because the statistical majority of mutilators are. But not the actual majority. Like they say, it's a guide. Not a rule.

Though usually they do say if they mean an abused child or a delinquent of some kind. Or both.

[c.d.]

I don't discount the value of an FBI profile but they are at best an educated guess. The problem is when they use a nebulous description such as saying he probably had a troubled childhood or something along those lines. How many people in Whitechapel fall into that category?

c.d.

[Fisherman]

I think that the FBI profile is very useful in order to gauge and measure the personality of the killer.

Geo-profiling is also another useful clue in helping to analyse this case. The indication that the Ripper lived in Flower & Dean Street, plus the midpoint between Berner Street, Mitre Square and Goulston Street being Flower & Dean Street is not to be ignored.

If I may, Sleuth: I think that we should save the congratulations until we know whether the profiles fit or not. It is not until then we know if they are truly useful.

[Sleuth1888]

I think that the FBI profile is very useful in order to gauge and measure the personality of the killer.

Geo-profiling is also another useful clue in helping to analyse this case. The indication that the Ripper lived in Flower & Dean Street, plus the midpoint between Berner Street, Mitre Square and Goulston Street being Flower & Dean Street is not to be ignored.

[Wickerman]

... However, I don't think the killer posses anatomical knowledge. I believe it was more slash and grab.

You might like to read through a series of posts by Prosector, who teaches surgery, and was able to explain why the killer displayed some anatomical/surgical knowledge.

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=7595

[GUT]

Welcome syclone

Which 7.

[Rosella]

Hi, Syclone, welcome to the Forum.
Profiling has its place, of course. Unfortunately because we know so little of who Jack was, almost certainly white, male, probably late 20's, probably single, we and the FBi have to venture into speculation quite a bit, especially when dealing with his family background. Jack's possible ethnicity has received a lot of attention around here, too!

Which seven killings do you attribute to him?

[Syclone]

Hey all,
Wanted to get your thoughts about what you think about the FBI profile of Jack the Ripper written by FBI Agent/Profiler John E. Douglas. What do you think we can derive from it? How can we use it as a tool in our search for the Ripper?
I know there are things in there which some may poo poo and some who think profiling is useless. But I would add FBI profilers were instrumental in helping Kansas police to catch Dennis Rader, known as the BTK Killer.

Here is the link for the FBI "Jack the Ripper" profile:

http://vault.fbi.gov/Jack%20the%20Ripper

-Paul

I believe this profile to be fairly accurate. However, I don't think the killer posses anatomical knowledge. I believe it was more slash and grab. I would attribute at least seven murders to "Jack the Ripper." Starting with a dry-run, in which he renders a woman unconscious, but leaves her alive. His next attack results in the death of a woman who may have been a prostitute.

He may have simply slit her throat because he is getting comfortable. These two attacks have emboldened him for the Tabram murder. It was brutal, and only the beginning.

[Batman]

The FBI profile suggests JtR killed on days when he was off work.

http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=8483&page=122

The Lechmere thread's OP suggests that JtR killed on work days (i.e - they are random days with Lechmere's daily/nightly walk to and from work).

This sat wrong with me because everything I have read on the case to date suggests that we have a clue about JtRs work habits from the evidence and that the killings are not done on random days. My reference is in the link above, post at the top of the screen.

[RockySullivan]

So it just disbanded?

I suppose that's possible if the leader had something over the rest of them which then completely evaporated when he was imprisoned.

It begs the question as to what the followers did afterward.

yes it doesnt really ad up. It would be more likely the 70's murders were committed by an individual who perhaps involved others in the ripper/torso murders once they started up

[gnote]

Perhaps the leader who actually did the killings was incarcerated.

So it just disbanded?

I suppose that's possible if the leader had something over the rest of them which then completely evaporated when he was imprisoned.

It begs the question as to what the followers did afterward.

[RockySullivan]

I suppose they could have been the work of a criminal gang. Although if you consider all the Torso Killings those from 1873,1874, 1884 and then 1887-1889 to be the by the same hand/hands, then why the gaps, I'd expect a gang to continue murdering.

Cheers John

Perhaps the leader who actually did the killings was incarcerated.

[Major Kong]

I suppose they could have been the work of a criminal gang. Although if you consider all the Torso Killings those from 1873,1874, 1884 and then 1887-1889 to be the by the same hand/hands, then why the gaps, I'd expect a gang to continue murdering.

Cheers John

The Torso killings have me totally befuddled....As John said, why the gaps? It's bizarre. It totally perplexes me that we could have two separate serial killers working in London during this period when crimes of this type were rare.

Paul

[John Wheat]

Re the torso killings-- could they have been the work of a criminal gang, and not an individual?

Pat D.

I suppose they could have been the work of a criminal gang. Although if you consider all the Torso Killings those from 1873,1874, 1884 and then 1887-1889 to be the by the same hand/hands, then why the gaps, I'd expect a gang to continue murdering.

Cheers John