Geographic Profile - Crime series of 8

[mic_ads]

This thread links to another thread that proposes the final victim count as 8 females - named as Martha Tabram, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly, Alice McKenzie and Francis Coles.

To follow that discussion, the thread link is:
http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?p=211445#post211445

What is important, and where so many attempts at geographic profiling stumble, is that prior to examining the spatial elements of the crimes, there should be a crime linkage analysis undertaken. The lack of this has been evident in published and televised pieces.

In the paper I have completed using the Whitechapel data, I submit that there were 8 victims, all female prostitutes that were killed by one offender.
Using these results, I have used the 'Centre of the Circle' approach as it has been shown to be the most accurate method. The use of the 1894 OS map of Whitechapel as a raster layer in Google Earth helped plot the relevant locations, and co-ordinates.

The map with markers is viewable in the attached documents.

• The red triangle markers and initials indicate the crime scene location for each murder.
• The red dotted line indicates a general direction of travel of the offender from the murder of Elizabeth Stride to the murder of Catherine Eddowes, to the location of the cut piece of apron.
  • After reviewing the facts about the apron piece, I consider it to be a crime scene location. I am aware that Trevor Marriot put forward a theory disputing its significance by considering this apron piece as a sanitary product used by Catherine Eddowes. In the absence of any other information, this could be considered a plausible theory, but the items found on Catherine’s body included 12 pieces of white rag. The cutting of her own apron for use as a sanitary product seems less likely when she had suitable items on her person. A second point is the apron was described as cut, not torn. No knife or bladed article was listed in her possessions. The finding of the stained apron piece in Goulston Street on the same night Catherine Eddowes was killed is considered as a crime scene characteristic of her homicide. This piece of apron was found in Goulston Street, .23 miles away in a north-easterly direction (N 36°E) from the location of the body in Mitre Square. Extrapolation of this direction of travel indicated a direction of travel towards the area where a number of the victims were known to reside at the time of their death.
• The geographical profiling process has indicated an area of interest that centres on Green Dragon Place, opposite St Mary’s Church on Whitechapel High Street.

Geographic profiling does not indicate a location as in 'X' marks the spot. It allows enquiries to focus on a particular geographic area.

Part of the research process - to explore, share and discuss.

[Bridewell]

Sounds Interesting

This thread links to another thread that proposes the final victim count as 8 females - named as Martha Tabram, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly, Alice McKenzie and Francis Coles.

To follow that discussion, the thread link is:
http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?p=211445#post211445

What is important, and where so many attempts at geographic profiling stumble, is that prior to examining the spatial elements of the crimes, there should be a crime linkage analysis undertaken. The lack of this has been evident in published and televised pieces.

In the paper I have completed using the Whitechapel data, I submit that there were 8 victims, all female prostitutes that were killed by one offender.
Using these results, I have used the 'Centre of the Circle' approach as it has been shown to be the most accurate method. The use of the 1894 OS map of Whitechapel as a raster layer in Google Earth helped plot the relevant locations, and co-ordinates.

The map with markers is viewable in the attached documents.

• The red triangle markers and initials indicate the crime scene location for each murder.
• The red dotted line indicates a general direction of travel of the offender from the murder of Elizabeth Stride to the murder of Catherine Eddowes, to the location of the cut piece of apron.
  • After reviewing the facts about the apron piece, I consider it to be a crime scene location. I am aware that Trevor Marriot put forward a theory disputing its significance by considering this apron piece as a sanitary product used by Catherine Eddowes. In the absence of any other information, this could be considered a plausible theory, but the items found on Catherine’s body included 12 pieces of white rag. The cutting of her own apron for use as a sanitary product seems less likely when she had suitable items on her person. A second point is the apron was described as cut, not torn. No knife or bladed article was listed in her possessions. The finding of the stained apron piece in Goulston Street on the same night Catherine Eddowes was killed is considered as a crime scene characteristic of her homicide. This piece of apron was found in Goulston Street, .23 miles away in a north-easterly direction (N 36°E) from the location of the body in Mitre Square. Extrapolation of this direction of travel indicated a direction of travel towards the area where a number of the victims were known to reside at the time of their death.
• The geographical profiling process has indicated an area of interest that centres on Green Dragon Place, opposite St Mary’s Church on Whitechapel High Street.

Geographic profiling does not indicate a location as in 'X' marks the spot. It allows enquiries to focus on a particular geographic area.

Part of the research process - to explore, share and discuss.

A second point is the apron was described as cut, not torn. No knife or bladed article was listed in her possessions.

This is a good point, well made. The linked thread sounds interesting. I shall have a look!

Regards, Bridewell.