What are the chances ~suspect unkown~

[clark2710]

Hello everyone,

this has been going through my head and well I would like to know what are the chances that the Ripper isn't even a suspect that was considered? I mean I've seen geographic profiling done on the Ripper, I've seen the sketch that looks an awful lot like the machete actor, I've read books that point to one suspect or another each claiming to draw from accurate and historical sources and so on...but what are the chances that the Ripper is someone not even on anyone's map; then or now? Just some Psychopath no one gave a 2nd glance to.

[Jason]

i would suggest that it is extremely likely that their name has never been put forward......but suspects or more specifically names of people possibly linked to the crimes does make it nice and interesting !

[Henry Flower]

Clark, I've often wondered something similar: is there a chance that JTR was someone whose name no longer exists in any surviving documents? What are the odds that the murder, therefore, is now literally impossible to solve?

Anyone on Casebook have the genealogical (no, not gynaecological) or demographical expertise to tell us roughly what percentage of LVP Spitalfieldians have entirely fallen through the cracks in terms of documentation? I guess it's a hard question to answer, in that I'm asking whether we know how much we don't know. I'm going to sound like Donald Rumsfeld:

There are known knowns; there are things we know we know.
We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know.

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
The truth is somebody out there knows something..
Our Jack[ believe it ] had a mother, maybe siblings, he was once a harmless dribbling baby, he could well have had mature relationships, and acted responsibly, he could have served in the army, and accepted discipline.
People would have known him , during the murders, and after maybe even suspected him, and quite possibly shielded him from discovery,
The latter is most likely the reason why no one has admitted knowledge, simply to protect the integrity of the family that are still living, knowing that not only was a past member of the family the notorious killer, but someone actually protected him from the hangman, which was just as shameful.
It would take a strong family member to drag up all that dirt.
But someone knows ..
Regards Richard.

[Henry Flower]

Richard, the same way Sonia Sutcliffe knew??? JTR may have had his Trevor Birdsall, you're probably right, but he probably also had blithely unaware Sonias in his family too.

[caz]

And let's not forget the fragrant Primrose Shipman, whose thoughtful GP hubby brought her little gifts of jewellery from his grateful patients...

Love,

Caz
X

[Scott Nelson]

...what are the chances that the Ripper isn't even a suspect that was considered?

Close to 100% not considered.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hello everyone,

this has been going through my head and well I would like to know what are the chances that the Ripper isn't even a suspect that was considered? I mean I've seen geographic profiling done on the Ripper, I've seen the sketch that looks an awful lot like the machete actor, I've read books that point to one suspect or another each claiming to draw from accurate and historical sources and so on...but what are the chances that the Ripper is someone not even on anyone's map; then or now? Just some Psychopath no one gave a 2nd glance to.

Hello clark

I believe many of us who have studied the case feel that the Ripper more likely was somebody never named as a suspect, and that we may never know who he was.

Hi,
The truth is somebody out there knows something..
Our Jack[ believe it ] had a mother, maybe siblings, he was once a harmless dribbling baby, he could well have had mature relationships, and acted responsibly, he could have served in the army, and accepted discipline.
People would have known him , during the murders, and after maybe even suspected him, and quite possibly shielded him from discovery,
The latter is most likely the reason why no one has admitted knowledge, simply to protect the integrity of the family that are still living, knowing that not only was a past member of the family the notorious killer, but someone actually protected him from the hangman, which was just as shameful.
It would take a strong family member to drag up all that dirt.
But someone knows ..
Regards Richard.

With due respect, somebody or some people at the time may have known something, but I think it is very unlikely that the knowledge was passed down from generation to generation and is still out there. I think you are being overly optimistic.

Best regards

Chris

[Wickerman]

Hello everyone,

this has been going through my head and well I would like to know what are the chances that the Ripper isn't even a suspect that was considered?

The chances are very high, extremely high!
You can prettywell take it to the bank that we have not heard is name used yet.

On the other hand, I would not be so certain that we have not read of his presence in these murders, as a nameless character mentioned in any number of news articles.

Regards, Jon S.

[curious]

On the other hand, I would not be so certain that we have not read of his presence in these murders, as a nameless character mentioned in any number of news articles.

Regards, Jon S.

Hi, Jon,
Don't understand where you're going with this?

For instance, if you would plz.

[mariab]

I would like to know what are the chances that the Ripper isn't even a suspect that was considered?

is there a chance that JTR was someone whose name no longer exists in any surviving documents? What are the odds that the murder, therefore, is now literally impossible to solve?

Extremely high odds. After all these years and with the minimal sources left, this case is impossible to solve at 100%. Even with the most "satisfying" suspect.

Anyone on Casebook have the genealogical {...} or demographical expertise to tell us roughly what percentage of LVP Spitalfieldians have entirely fallen through the cracks in terms of documentation?

The documentation that has been lost in devastating percentage is the one pertaining to police reports. Esp. the original witness statements. We're left trying to re-establish what happened to a great extent from the (highly unreliable and contradictory) newspaper reports.

The truth is somebody out there knows something..

Well, like Chris George said, somebody KNEW something or might have known something. But have died since decades, taking their alleged knowledge/secret to their grave.

[Henry Flower]

Maria,

Now Henry Flower sad!

[mariab]

Yeah, but it's more enticing if it's more of a challenge. :-)
The majority of us (the ones with even the tiniest grip on reality) are aware that the case is unsolvable, and don't necessarily study it to "solve" it.
But I have to confess that in comparison to my own field of research, the paucity of Ripperological sources is both frustrating and amusing. The more reason to admire Ripperologists' patience, dedication, and maybe lack of pragmatism in their quixotic passion?

[Henry Flower]

Absolutely agree - and the beauty is the little educations Ripperology gives us in, for example, criminology, Late Victorian society, the history of the media, immigration - etc etc! Were it not for one Ripper documentary (Shadow of the Ripper, Timewatch - with Christopher Frayling) I would never have discovered the wonderful partly-refurbished venue that is Wilton's Music Hall in Whitechapel.

I've never thought the man could be definitively identified after this long, but it's as you say - it opens the door to a world of weird and wonderful things to study and enjoy.

[Phil Carter]

Hello all,

IF- big if- any solving of any of this ever gets done- my quiet side bet would be the name of the person who killed 'Mary Kelly'.
I cannot believe the bulging papers of the near empty Kelly file doesnt exist somewhere, on the basis of how we are 'told' that 'MJK' was the all important 'last victim'.
it is my personal belief that Special Branch hold information that has to do with the 'Kelly' murder.

Outside that, any eventual City Police archive material may shed much needed light.
No doubt if something has been found, we will see it from this autumn onwards, with the 125th anniversary coming up- the stuff started appearing in 1987- a year before the 100th anniversary- which set up a plethora of books, tv films etc etc.

The Magic Roundabout will be kept turning. Roll up! Roll up! Tickets for the next unbelievable trip down 'Jack's Alley' will be on sale soon!
JTR is a fruit machine. One pull and another variation of the same suspects with fall into place.
It's not a problem though. Kosminski, Druitt, Ostrog, Sickert, PAV, Chapman & Co are all lemons anyway. Fear not. Ye Olde Chief Thug Le Grande isn't even on the reels.

Seriously, my side bet would be from SB or CP material turning up.
Not that my humble opinion matters in the slightest.
Cue the monkey.

Kindly

Phil