Could the Ripper have been a Policeman?

[lynn cates]

Danger Man

Hello Robert. Thanks.

That all depends which John Drake you refer to. (heh-heh)

Cheers.
LC

[Robert]

Hi Lynn

No, it wasn't the one who got locked up in a village.

[Simon Wood]

Greetings From the Village



Be seeing you.

Simon

[ChrisGeorge]

Patrick McGoohan RIP.

[lynn cates]

#1

Hello Robert, Simon, Chris. Thanks.

Yes, yes--but WHO is number one?

Cheers.
LC

[Robert]

"Who is number one?"

You are number six.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Lynn,

Who is Number One?

Judging by his adoring and unquestioning fan-base, I would say it was Jack.

Regards,

Simon

[Michael W Richards]

Hello all,

I would think that if the killer or killers of any of the Canonicals was a policeman he would have had some distinct advantages over the general man on the street..certainly in terms of gaining trust with a proposed victim and the local constabulary behavioral knowledge. Perhaps even in subduing someone silently and quickly.

That doesnt make a policeman a likely candidate though. I do wonder about the possibility of police "tampering", possibly in the case of the apron section and perhaps in Room 13, when the room was supposed to have remained shut for a few hours before being forced open, but I havent seen a sound reason for considering a copper for any of the Canonical murders.

There are a few street policemen I might look somewhat sideways at....Pearce with his birds eye view of the actual murder site, Watkins and/or Harvey,... I havent heard or read a reasonable explanation for Halse, Marriott and Outram to be searching city streets near Mitre that night....and as I mentioned, I have my doubts that Room 13 remained shut from the time Bowyer and McCarthy brought the police into the court until it was officially opened around 1:30pm...I suspect many of them, particularly the senior staff, of secrecy and secret agendas, for sure....but not much else with respect to the street level cop and possible murderers.

I like the comments Lynn made regarding possible murder motives, ...greed, lust, jealousy, hatred, for profit, to silence, ....the regular everyday motives seem most probable to me in most of the Canonicals...and perhaps Terrorism and Serial or random multiple murder, 2 less common motives, might make up the difference.

Cheers

[Michael W Richards]

Just to explain my comments about room 13...since there was furniture blocking the door when it was opened, it might indicate that someone moved it when they entered the room via the window...which we are told were locked. Might mean someone left it there when they left by the window, again the window lock issue...so I believe the evidence as it is suggests the killer left the latch off and the door just locked behind him.

[lynn cates]

motives

Hello Mike. Thanks.

Some motives are believable; some not.

Cheers.
LC

[RavenDarkendale]

Hi Lynn

Serial killers seem to have no real motive, even when they have patterns based on stressers and past experiences.

It would take motive for Pearce to have become involved, I quite agree. Blackmail would do it if Pearce had a secret that JtR knew about and could hold over his head...

Big if, there...

[Monty]

I'd be intetrested to know where Mrs Pearce fits in to all this, and their son.
"Of course, before one gets too excited over Watkins, please to recall the apron piece and Goulston street."

To be fair, I don't think anyone with a sound knowledge of the case and Police procedure (which has clearly been overlooked) would be getting 'too excited' over this suggestion.

Monty

Just in case it was missed.

Monty

[moonbegger]

And why do it on his beat, the very part of London where he is known? If he was spotted, he'd have to abandon his beat and run through the streets in his uniform. Much better to do it off duty, in another place, and in plain clothes.

There was also many plain clothes and undercover coppers patrolling the streets .. surely that would be a cast iron alibi for anyone who recognized him off his beat and out of uniform .

moonbegger

[Michael W Richards]

Just in case it was missed.

Monty

Hi Monty,

Are you aware of any interview that quotes Mrs Pearce directly in reference to the crime that night? Do we have hard copy records of any statement she might have made?

My question is obviously how do we know for certain that she was there that night...just the officers word? Seems to me rather a dismal spot to have your family in...a nearly deserted and poorly lit square.

An aside....I read that of the small group Abberline formed to conduct interviews and investigate the crimes a Pearce was among them, do we have any data that matches these men?

Cheers

[Simon Wood]

Hi Michael,

Richard Pearce, 922 City of London Police, wasn't on Abberline's team, which was formed following the double-event.

As far as I am able to ascertain the police officer in question was Sergeant A. Pearce, H Division, based at Leman Street.

There are a couple of non-Ripper references to him in The Times.

Regards,

Simon