Most dangerous location?

[FrankO]

Dutfield's Yard wasn't all that risky, if all the killer had in mind was a quick slit throat... or if he just "lost it" and committed an unpremeditated murder.

Couldn't agree more, Gareth. Further down the yard, around the corner and out of sight would have been a better, less risky spot if he did actually have mutilation on his mind. Also, an hour later and the spot close to the side door would have been much less risky.

The opposite is true for the yard in Hanbury Street. Yes, he was out of sight from the street, but it was getting light and people were about to rise and go out for work. An hour earlier and it would have been much less risky.

I don’t agree that Kelly’s room was the riskiest. It would only have been riskier if people would discover him in that room almost immediately after they entered the court. But, of course, that wouldn't happen if he didn't attract any attention.

So, I’ve been going back & forth between Hanbury Street and Dutfielf’s Yard, but in the end chose the former.

All the best,
Frank

[Hunter]

A little amazed that no one has picked Mitre Square yet.

[c.d.]

Keep in mind that we are picking locations based on our perspective and not the perspective that the killer may have had. We also have no way of knowing how much the desire to kill led him to take chances when a more rational and practical man may have shied away.

c.d.

[Sam Flynn]

Keep in mind that we are picking locations based on our perspective and not the perspective that the killer may have had.

I'm not so sure that has much of a bearing on the precise question in hand, CD. The "riskiness" of committing a crime at a given location should be fairly easy to define objectively, no matter who the criminal happens to be. And I'll bet that the criminal realises that, too; whether his/her drive to enact the crime overrides such considerations is quite another matter, and has little bearing on how risky the venue is to begin with.

[c.d.]

Hello Sam,

In general, yes but it is also possible that if the killer were a local man that he might be aware of a place he could duck into or a fence he could jump.

c.d.

[Sam Flynn]

In general, yes but it is also possible that if the killer were a local man that he might be aware of a place he could duck into or a fence he could jump.

Fully agree, CD, but there's little hope that we can know what the killer knew. Given this bothersome constraint, the best we can do is to assess each venue in light of the data we have, and adopt an "all things being equal" approach to our analysis.

[Ginger]

I always considered Miller's Court as perhaps the safest murder venue. It appears true enough that Kelly often had callers, but at the same time, I'd expect "Not now, mate - she's kinda busy" spoken through the closed door would be accepted without any questions.

[Sam Flynn]

I always considered Miller's Court as perhaps the safest murder venue.

Agreed, Ginger, but for a slightly different reason. I'd suggest that 13 Miller's Court was likely to have received very few, if any, unsolicited visitors in the small hours. A killer attacking Kelly between (say) 2 and 4 AM might have made the reasonable assumption that his actions would be undetected and undisturbed. Furthermore, he could feel reasonably assured that his escape would go unnoticed also.

[Wickerman]

If anyone was likely to come knocking I suspect it would be a female friend rather than a prospective client. Catherine Pickett said she intended to call on Mary but was stopped by her husband, and another woman said she did call with the intent of borrowing her shawl, but could get no response.

That mysterious voice crying "oh murder" could well have been a female friend who came knocking, and unable to raise a response peeked through the broken glass and saw something totally frightening.

It isn't a foregone conclusion that such a person would ever come forward.

[Wickerman]

The riskiest location, of those selected for the thread, had to be Dutfields Yard, which is one of the reasons that murder is not automatically included.
Just far too risky.

Next to that I suspect is the back yard of Hanbury St. at a time when it was not dark and people are stirring for work at the market.

[Barnaby]

Agreed, Ginger, but for a slightly different reason. I'd suggest that 13 Miller's Court was likely to have received very few, if any, unsolicited visitors in the small hours. A killer attacking Kelly between (say) 2 and 4 AM might have made the reasonable assumption that his actions would be undetected and undisturbed. Furthermore, he could feel reasonably assured that his escape would go unnoticed also.

Does this assume some familiarity with the victim? How would the killer know that a boyfriend or roommate wasn't about to walk through the door?

[Ginger]

Does this assume some familiarity with the victim? How would the killer know that a boyfriend or roommate wasn't about to walk through the door?

The door could be latched, or locked. Recall that when the murder was discovered, a window had to be broken to lift the latch.

So far as to the risk of a roommate walking through the door, inquiring about Kelly's living arrangements, and whether they're likely to be disturbed, seems to me a reasonable question of a prospective client to ask. I can't see that arousing suspicions.

[Barnaby]

All true, Ginger.

Still, to me it is risky. Many of us in our dating lives have gone to our date's apartment, dorm room, or house with (mutually) frisky intentions and have inquired about when the roommate, etc. is due home; you can receive assurances that you won't be interrupted for the next 10 minutes err hour or so but the thought is always in the back of your mind.

I would imagine having criminal intentions would be associated with considerably more stress. But, then again, I suppose serial killers simply aren't wired in the same way as the rest of us.

I voted Hanbury Street for the reasons already articulated. I had Miller's Court second.

[Sam Flynn]

Does this assume some familiarity with the victim? How would the killer know that a boyfriend or roommate wasn't about to walk through the door?

I don't think the killer needed to know the victim to assume that the chances of being interrupted would decrease as the night wore on.

[Harry D]

The door could be latched, or locked. Recall that when the murder was discovered, a window had to be broken to lift the latch.

I thought the window was already broken? That's how MJK was getting into the room after losing her key.