Is Jack someone we have never heard of?

[Michael W Richards]

I think the character named Jack, who I personally believe is linked with 2 or perhaps 3 of the canonical murders, is someone that has been identified in the historical review of the cases and investigations. What I also think is that he has been largely ignored due to erroneous premises that suggest the man must have committed at least the 5 Canonical murders. The man I believe may have been responsible for those deaths, at least the first 2 that I feel are almost certainly linked by a single killer, was not available to kill the later women. He was in an institution already.

[John Wheat]

I think the character named Jack, who I personally believe is linked with 2 or perhaps 3 of the canonical murders, is someone that has been identified in the historical review of the cases and investigations. What I also think is that he has been largely ignored due to erroneous premises that suggest the man must have committed at least the 5 Canonical murders. The man I believe may have been responsible for those deaths, at least the first 2 that I feel are almost certainly linked by a single killer, was not available to kill the later women. He was in an institution already.

Yes because all of a sudden there were several knife wielding maniac's running around murdering prostitutes.

[Michael W Richards]

Yes because all of a sudden there were several knife wielding maniac's running around murdering prostitutes.

Surely you are aware that several men who would be accused of murder lived in that immediate area at the time, that there were some 8-9 unsolved murders in the file that are not linked with any "Ripper", and that Fenians had ongoing murder plans? Assuming that only 1 man committed all the murders in the file is proven most probably incorrect by the historical research alone.

And, since you've assumed what many assume, Ill remind you that its not proven nor indicated that all five canonicals were soliciting when they were attacked and murdered, so the remaining victims part time occupations are not part of the equation.

[Harry D]

The man I believe may have been responsible for those deaths, at least the first 2 that I feel are almost certainly linked by a single killer, was not available to kill the later women. He was in an institution already.

I know you mean Isenschmid but I have my doubts. You often find in murder cases that there happens to be a local loony wandering the streets, and most of the time they have nothing at all to do with it. They do provide a convenient scapegoat, however.

[Abby Normal]

The reason I think this still is that NONE of the (is it?) 22 current suspects are "perfect", irrefutable or indisputable. If they were, we could all agree and then take up a different hobby.

And so, by elegant logic, if Jack isn't one of the 22, then he must be someone who has never come under suspicion, and that means someone we've never heard of.

Helena

Hi Helen
I somewhat disagree. I think between blotchy, hutch, bury, Kelly, chapman and koz there is a slightly better than 50/50 chance one is the ripper. Add in all the other viable suspects-like Barnett, lech, Fleming, Druitt, etc, and I think that number goes up to about 60%. Add in all other names that are associated with the case like witnesses, peripheral suspects and names associated with the case and I think that number goes up to about 70%.

So I think there is only about a 30% chance it's someone we've NEVER heard of before, at least not associated with the case.

[Michael W Richards]

I know you mean Isenschmid but I have my doubts. You often find in murder cases that there happens to be a local loony wandering the streets, and most of the time they have nothing at all to do with it. They do provide a convenient scapegoat, however.

I believe that Mr Isenschmidt is the only known suspect that was identified as being seen.... in the pub just down the street from the Hanbury murder site.... in the wee hours after a murder acting oddly while bloodstained. That a butcher was bloodstained is nothing new, but the behavior, timing and the location make this somewhat different.

[Joshua Rogan]

Was the man seen by Mrs Fiddymont ever formally identified as Isenschmidt?

[Harry D]

Was the man seen by Mrs Fiddymont ever formally identified as Isenschmidt?

Nope.

[Michael W Richards]

Was the man seen by Mrs Fiddymont ever formally identified as Isenschmidt?

They ran 2 id lineups for Mrs Fiddymont, Ms Chappel and Mr Taylor with Piggot and Piser without a definitive id, but Abberline said later when they had Jacob in custody that he "matched the description" they gave perfectly.

[John Wheat]

Surely you are aware that several men who would be accused of murder lived in that immediate area at the time, that there were some 8-9 unsolved murders in the file that are not linked with any "Ripper", and that Fenians had ongoing murder plans? Assuming that only 1 man committed all the murders in the file is proven most probably incorrect by the historical research alone.

And, since you've assumed what many assume, Ill remind you that its not proven nor indicated that all five canonicals were soliciting when they were attacked and murdered, so the remaining victims part time occupations are not part of the equation.

Yes but there were hardly any violent knife murders in the years leading up to 1888.

[Elamarna]

They ran 2 id lineups for Mrs Fiddymont, Ms Chappel and Mr Taylor with Piggot and Piser without a definitive id, but Abberline said later when they had Jacob in custody that he "matched the description" they gave perfectly.

MICHAEL

with all due respect that is not a positive id.


Steve

[John Wheat]

If you ask me some on this forum swallow certain peoples bullshit far too easily. E.g. The Multiple Killer theory, The Lechmere Theory.

[The Good Michael]

I believe it's one of the top 3 suspects, but will not be solved because people try so hard to disprove suspects for their own reasons until there's so much obfuscation thrown into the mix that the truth, whatever it was, is lost in the murk. Then when the dust settles, similar people add back way too much nonsense to try and re-prove their suspects. It's just like politics with no one attempting to really solve the cases, and just attempting to back their guys.

Mike

[MsWeatherwax]

I believe it's one of the top 3 suspects, but will not be solved because people try so hard to disprove suspects for their own reasons until there's so much obfuscation thrown into the mix that the truth, whatever it was, is lost in the murk. Then when the dust settles, similar people add back way too much nonsense to try and re-prove their suspects. It's just like politics with no one attempting to really solve the cases, and just attempting to back their guys.

Mike

Who are the top three suspects?

[jason_c]

If JtR is not one of the named contemporary suspects then the chances of modern sleuths having named him are small. It's roughly a 50:50 chance imo that he was named at the time. The chances of your average modern author finding him independently of contemporary policemen is relatively small.