Broad Shoulders, Elizabeth's Killer ?

[Sunny Delight]

An excellent example of the fact that serial killers do change their M.O. sometimes.

It's their "signature" that usually remains the same. That can be something ritualistic they have to go through, or perhaps the need to keep a trophy which can be anything from shoes to organs.

But an M.O is very different and it sometimes confuses the investigative authorities because they often don't consider the idea that a killer has the choice and capacity to change their M.O as they see fit.


The Thames Torso murders and the Ripper are perhaps the same killer based on adaptive and alternating M.O's.

In modern times another prime example is with regards to the murders of Lynne Weedon and Eve Stratford respectively, in London.

The M.O for the killer in each of these murders is vastly different...and yet the DNA proves conclusively that it was the same killer.

I would urge anyone who hasn't read up about the murders of Lynne and Eve, to take a look and see for yourselves .

It is quite astonishing that they were both murdered by the same man.


The argument that the Ripper was the Thames Torso killer, just taking a brief autumn break from his regular dismemberment M.O, is not so far-fetched as one might think.

Especially when we consider the evidence that suggests that at least 3 of the Canonical 5 appear to have had their heads almost removed.


The question with the Ripper is this...

What was his primary M.O... and secondary M.O... and what was his "Signature?"

The Rippers M.O was strangulation followed by throat cutting. He probably or likely developed his M.O as he progressed. As I stated above- say for instance Annie Millwood and Ada Wilson were early victims of the Ripper. He essentially botches both attacks, realises that neither were very effective so by the time he attacks Martha Tabram he has settled on stabbing and did so in a frenzied manner. With Millwood he may have been so inexperienced and it was his first attack that he panicked once he had stabbed her in the groin area. Wilson likely something similar, he goes for throat cutting but botches it and panics fleeing with neighbours in hot pursuit.

By the time of the Canocial Five the Ripper has changed to another M.O namely strangulation and then throat cutting once the victim was lowered to the ground. His M.O is by then fairly well established.

The Signature of the Ripper would be the abdominal mutilations and the raising of clothing in order to display the victim in a shocking manner. He did not do this with Stride but interruption or threat of interruption can be a reason for this. It is one of the reasons I see Alice McKenzie as a victim. The displaying of her following the attack with skirts raised is very much a Ripper signature.