Why not McCarthy ?

[Barnaby]

What did he take out???

[Tom_Wescott]

Hygeine. As Lynn says, there's no reason McCarthy couldn't have killed her. He certainly seems to have been fully aware of his position and went to lengths (not great, but lengths nonetheless) to keep himself safe from suspicion. As Don Souden wrote in an essay for Ripper Notes eons ago, McCarthy chopped open the door to his own property when the police asked him to open it in order to not be the only man with a key to the room. Don postulates that McCarthy may, in fact, have entered the room to take things out prior to sending Bowyer to fetch the police.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[lynn cates]

McCarthy

Hello Gene. there is no reason that McCarthy could not have killed "MJK" (whatever her real name).

Actually, one can build almost as good a case for his killing "MJK" as for, say, Barnett, Bowyer, or Toppy. After all, he was near the scene of the crime.

A good motive would make his candidacy even better. Physical evidence, too, would enhance him.

Cheers.
LC

[Gene Lewis]

so let me ask it in another way: why McCarthy could not have been that mad murderer ? (let aside the rent and blackmailing questions) ?

[lynn cates]

copycat

Hello Dave.

"then MJK's death as a copycat (perhaps rage makes it an OTT copycat) might be considered"

Not bad. It would answer a good many questions.

Cheers.
LC

[Gene Lewis]

Thanks Dave... I do think as you do... And all these speculations about the identity of the girl found dead & mutilated in n°13 have nothing to do with my primary question...neither the question of blackmailing.
Mary Kelly never exist, the girl of n°13 Miller's Court is a complete stranger, having by chance exactly the same name…

[lynn cates]

motive

Hello Richard.

"it would give him a motive for silencing her in the same mode as the others"

So then, the overkill was to make her look like the others?

On your view, McCarthy was merely coincidentally connected to one of the others?

Cheers.
LC

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Dave. I was being silly, Le Grand being a blackmailing bully and all. But I am intrigued by your suggestion that someone was blackmailing McCarthy. Who, how, and why?

Hi Tom

I did wonder, (but if in doubt, play a straight bat and hope for the best)...

Well it made sense to me that maybe MJK was blackmailing McCarthy over something she knew or had seen...Richard's made one suggestion but obviously others are possible...In the case of a comely buxom 25 year old one might even consider an earlier sexual relationship perhaps...

If said blackmail then became intolerable, then MJK's death as a copycat (perhaps rage makes it an OTT copycat) might be considered...

I agree it's totally speculative, and not backed up by any evidence at all...but it does tick a lot of otherwise slightly awkward boxes...

All the best

Dave

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
I am known for speculation, so how about this one.
McCarthy was indeed being blackmailed by Kelly, she had seen him with one of the dead women , and had told him so, he asked her not to mention it to anyone, for not only would it ruin his marriage, but the police may become aware of it, and question the possibility that he was the killer.
In return he would waver the rent owed, although he would have to bother her to go through the pretence.
Its a far fetched scenario, but it would give him a motive for silencing her in the same mode as the others, right on his own doorstep, which the police would never consider, he would not even have to leave his own property, he simply sent his man to bother her for rent, sparing his wife and son the horror of discovering the body..
Now that is unreal , but it makes a change from Hutch/Cross.
No wonder Fiona insisted her great-grandfather McCarthy knew who the killer was and the motive.
It was him.....
Regards Richard.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Dave. I was being silly, Le Grand being a blackmailing bully and all. But I am intrigued by your suggestion that someone was blackmailing McCarthy. Who, how, and why?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Tom

But how about a blackmailed bully?

All the best

Dave

[Tom_Wescott]

A theory in which the Ripper was a blackmailing bully would never go over, Dave. Too many holes in it.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Cogidubnus]

Indeed why not McCarthy?

Hi Gene

I don't think it's an overbold question for a newbie...It's the very one I posed on a similar thread not so long ago...http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?t=6449

I believe there may be mileage in the blackmail theory...and there could be a lot to blackmail him for...he's got a window in his shop's backroom which overlooks MJKs back door and the entry to Millers Court proper...both conveniently illuminated by a handy gas lamp...

He knows who visits whom and when...there has even been the suggestion that he may have been acting as a message service for the prostitutes within the court (and there are at least a couple, maybe more) or he could even be more actively involved...he's known locally as a bully after all and in contemporary prostitutes verbiage this could translate to pimp...I hasten to add there's no evidence...but how could there be at this distance in time?

So if he knows all about the residents and their activities, what does MJK know about him...if he's been threatening MJK for the arrears (or a bigger cut) and she's still there, what on earth can she have over him?

Hope you have better luck getting answers than I did!

All the best

Dave

[lynn cates]

Mjk

Hello Colin. Thanks. Wonder why the blank when we look for her antecedents?

At any rate, she was known, most likely, as Mary Kelly. And I daresay McCarthy knew her by that name. (Like that better, Roy? heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[lynn cates]

oops

Hello Roy. Are you suggesting we are off topic, like post #38?

Oops! Beg pardon.

Cheers.
LC