Single Killer?

[Ribbons and Bows]

Hey everyone, I'm writing a paper on the Ripper and was wondering if I could gain some insight. First off, this is my first post and I am not a seasoned Ripper scholar like many of you, so please excuse me if I have performed a taboo with this post.

I was wondering whether the Ripper killings, and suspected Ripper killings are suspected as to have been commited by an individual. I was also wondering whether any non-canonical murders were perhaps copycat killings. I recognize the canonical 5 were probably carried out by the individual Ripper, I just want to know the current thoughts on those killings that were ripper-esque but were later considered to be unrelated or mimicry.

[DirectorDave]

Welcome to the casebook R&B.

To be honest if there were more than one person involved in the murder of the M5 it would perhaps explain why after a 120 years of investigating we have not found the killer.....but I think (and kinda hope) Jack was just one man.

It is certainly possible some of the later non-M5 murders were copycat.....but would someone run the risk of being accused of being Jack himself? Well going by the letters sent to the press at the time plenty of people wanted to be the Whitechapel murder.

For the record though I think Jack was one man and Killed or attacked more than 5.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Ribbons,

While, like you said, it's probable that the canonical 5 were all by the same killer, it's also possible that other victims were as well, so the C5 is flexible. Yes, it is possible the Ripper was more than one person working together, but there's no solid evidence to conclude that.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Madam Red]

You may be onto something there....

Probably look into the torso killings, the Whitehall Mystery and the Pinchin St. Murder. They're both on the Victims page. It always struck me as a bit odd.

And what better way to escape justice then to hide in the shadow of another serial killer?

Then again, I'm not well versed in the non-canonical victims, so I could be completely wrong.

[DaveMc]

Hi Ribbons,

While, like you said, it's probable that the canonical 5 were all by the same killer, it's also possible that other victims were as well, so the C5 is flexible. Yes, it is possible the Ripper was more than one person working together, but there's no solid evidence to conclude that.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

What is made of the Schwartz's "Lipski" story at Strides murder?

She had entertained half of Whitechapel in less than 2 hours if you read the different descriptions.
So why are the 2 men said by Schwartz discounted?

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Dave,

I have in no way discounted them. I said two killers is a possibility, but Schwartz's evidence cannot be seen as 'solid evidence' of two killers, since he himself was not sure they were known to each other, and nobody can be sure that either man was Stride's killer, although the probability is there.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott