Has he been named?

[Abby Normal]

yup-or the whitechapel murderer.

I would guess that the hundreds (if not thousands-if we take into account every name of a man on record having anything to do with the case) of ripper suspects, persons of interest, witness etc. that his name would be there-as I mentioned 90% chance. I think its very small chance that it was someone completely unknown/unnamed and never mentioned in any way.

heck with my handful of first tier viable suspects-hutch, blotchy, Kelly, koz, bury, chapman-I think theres probably a 60% chance it may be one of these men.

add to that my second tier-Druitt, Lechmere, Barnett, flemming, Richardson, bowyer, tumblety, Legrand, levy, francis Thompson, donston, puckridge, piggot and it goes up to 75%. add everyone else in mentioned in relation to the case and we get to my 90% his name is out there.

[Abby Normal]

No, it wasn't. He was just known as Leather Apron before that.

yup-or the whitechapel murderer.

I would guess that the hundreds (if not thousands-if we take into account every name of a man on record having anything to do with the case) of ripper suspects, persons of interest, witness etc. that his name would be there-as I mentioned 90% chance. I think its very small chance that it was someone completely unknown/unnamed and never mentioned in any way.

heck with my handful of first tier viable suspects-hutch, blotchy, Kelly, koz, bury, chapman-I think theres probably a 60% chance it may be one of these men.

[Harry D]

Hey, if we all agreed there would be nothing to discuss. The Ripper, or the myth of a Ripper was born in letters to the Central Press.

No, it wasn't. He was just known as Leather Apron before that.

[Sam Flynn]

If records of all door-to-door interviews still exist, I would guess there was about a 1-in-4 or 1-in-5 chance of the killer having been interviewed

That seems pragmatic enough to me, Fiver, assuming just over a thousand men were interviewed in like manner throughout the Autumn of Terror. That wouldn't be unreasonable, given that 300 such interviews were conducted in October 1888. The likely truth, I guess, lies somewhere between my pessimistic 1-in-10 and your 1-in-4.

[Michael W Richards]

Unlike Michael, I believe there was a serial killer who was responsible for the majority, if not all, of the Canonical Five. There was a clear MO of strangulation followed by throat cutting, plus mutilation and posing of the bodies. The Whitechapel Killer may have killed others, but all or almost all of the non-Canon murderers were the work of the Torso Killer or other individuals. I also think the Ripper persona was created by the press and had little if anything to do with the personality of the actual killer,

If records of all door-to-door interviews still exist, I would guess there was about a 1-in-4 or 1-in-5 chance of the killer having been interviewed, but with no indication of him being suspicious. If complete records of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee exist, I'd guess about a 1-in-10 chance that the killer joined to avoid suspicion, though not as one of the leaders.

Hey, if we all agreed there would be nothing to discuss. The Ripper, or the myth of a Ripper was born in letters to the Central Press. Its based on a killer who rips his victims open after killing them, in the streets. Anyone not having that characteristic are almost assuredly not victims of a Ripper crime. If you mean bodies were moved to facilitate further mutilations, then Id agree, but that's utilitarian, not someone "posing" a victim.

[Fiver]

Unlike Michael, I believe there was a serial killer who was responsible for the majority, if not all, of the Canonical Five. There was a clear MO of strangulation followed by throat cutting, plus mutilation and posing of the bodies. The Whitechapel Killer may have killed others, but all or almost all of the non-Canon murderers were the work of the Torso Killer or other individuals. I also think the Ripper persona was created by the press and had little if anything to do with the personality of the actual killer,

If records of all door-to-door interviews still exist, I would guess there was about a 1-in-4 or 1-in-5 chance of the killer having been interviewed, but with no indication of him being suspicious. If complete records of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee exist, I'd guess about a 1-in-10 chance that the killer joined to avoid suspicion, though not as one of the leaders.

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Sam, five of those interviews were down to Sutcliffe's car being spotted in the red light districts being monitored [ one more about banking arrangements and his buying and selling of cars]

Hello Darryl. Again, being spotted and subsequently questioned isn't the same as the police knocking on doors on the off-chance that someone might know something, as they would in a house-to-house enquiry.

Maybe 5,000+ potential Rippers in Whitechapel, and only 300 men questioned. They were up against it, that's for sure.

[Darryl Kenyon]

The circumstances adhering to the - original - Ripper case were very different. In the case of Sutcliffe, police were initially able to narrow the field down to 8,000 men (including Sutcliffe) because they traced the serial number of a £5 note found with one of the victims. He was therefore interviewed (and sadly let off the hook) due to a focused piece of detective work, not as a result of a general house-to-house enquiry. Besides, given that many of his victims lived/worked away from Sutcliffe's home area, it's extremely doubtful that he would have been interviewed in a house-to-house exercise on any of those occasions.

Hi Sam, five of those interviews were down to Sutcliffe's car being spotted in the red light districts being monitored [ one more about banking arrangements and his buying and selling of cars] . I know this isn't house to house but it does suggest they were focusing on the areas were he attacked. I know that sounds obvious but back in 1970's England the police would probably surmise that it wasn't somebody on foot because of his ability to travel round West Yorkshire [ I am sure that it was suggested early in the inquiry that he may be a taxi driver or something similar], so he probably used a vehicle and lived somewhere between the murder districts [which he did], until of course the infamous fake tape. Now since Jack's crimes seemed to be so centralised in one area I believe it would be safe for the police to assume that he lived in said district. So the eighty people who were detained for further questioning around the double event were possibly mainly made up of people who were more likely to be in the district at nighttime without constraints [or possibly who had been spotted in the area at night and checked and maybe their name taken by a Bobby].
Regards Darryl

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Sam I would say there would have been more than a population of 78,000 men who could have perhaps been the Yorkshire ripper in the Bradford, Leeds area during Sutcliffe's reign of terror yet that's were the police initially focused their efforts and Sutcliffe was questioned nine times.

The circumstances adhering to the - original - Ripper case were very different. In the case of Sutcliffe, police were initially able to narrow the field down to 8,000 men (including Sutcliffe) because they traced the serial number of a £5 note found with one of the victims. He was therefore interviewed (and sadly let off the hook) due to a focused piece of detective work, not as a result of a general house-to-house enquiry. Besides, given that many of his victims lived/worked away from Sutcliffe's home area, it's extremely doubtful that he would have been interviewed in a house-to-house exercise on any of those occasions.

[Darryl Kenyon]

We're also assuming he lived in the area. A plausible theory but not a proven fact.

That is true Harry, but sometimes you have to go off what you believe [ and what I feel most people think as well], and that he lived, or at the very least had a base somewhere in the heart of Whitechapel
Regards Darryl

[Michael W Richards]

Hi Sam I would say there would have been more than a population of 78,000 men who could have perhaps been the Yorkshire ripper in the Bradford, Leeds area during Sutcliffe's reign of terror yet that's were the police initially focused their efforts and Sutcliffe was questioned nine times.

Also, house to house enquiry after the double event. If they dismissed Jack as a wandering lunatic or someone fresh out of the asylum, why bother with this? And why did Anderson come out with his controversial quote about they came to the conclusion that Jack was being shielded by certain Jews? Not that he was a lunatic who was being protected by his family. Yes, they did check asylum records but to me they also had a broader scope in mind as well.
Regards Darryl

I wonder if that's a reference to Piser/Pizer?

[Darryl Kenyon]

Less than 50:50,, I'd say. Out of a total population of some 78,000 there would have been thousands of men of a feasible age to be the Ripper. If 300 were questioned after the Double Event, we're perhaps looking at a 1 in 10 chance of his being among them... or a 90% chance that he wasn't. The odds might be even worse if, as is possible, the police focused primarily on obvious baddies or weirdos, instead of the unremarkable "regular guys" that serial killers often turn out to be.

Hi Sam I would say there would have been more than a population of 78,000 men who could have perhaps been the Yorkshire ripper in the Bradford, Leeds area during Sutcliffe's reign of terror yet that's were the police initially focused their efforts and Sutcliffe was questioned nine times.

Also, house to house enquiry after the double event. If they dismissed Jack as a wandering lunatic or someone fresh out of the asylum, why bother with this? And why did Anderson come out with his controversial quote about they came to the conclusion that Jack was being shielded by certain Jews? Not that he was a lunatic who was being protected by his family. Yes, they did check asylum records but to me they also had a broader scope in mind as well.
Regards Darryl

[Harry D]

Yes, I am sure he was at least subject to a house to house enquiry at some point and possibly questioned, and his name put in a file somewhere along with scores of others. After the double event 300 men questioned, 80 detained for further questioning for example.
Regards Darryl

We're also assuming he lived in the area. A plausible theory but not a proven fact.

[Losmandris]

Less than 50:50,, I'd say. Out of a total population of some 78,000 there would have been thousands of men of a feasible age to be the Ripper. If 300 were questioned after the Double Event, we're perhaps looking at a 1 in 10 chance of his being among them... or a 90% chance that he wasn't. The odds might be even worse if, as is possible, the police focused primarily on obvious baddies or weirdos, instead of the unremarkable "regular guys" that serial killers often turn out to be.

Very good points!

Tristan

[Sam Flynn]

50/50 chance he was questioned as part of house to house enquiries

Less than 50:50,, I'd say. Out of a total population of some 78,000 there would have been thousands of men of a feasible age to be the Ripper. If 300 were questioned after the Double Event, we're perhaps looking at a 1 in 10 chance of his being among them... or a 90% chance that he wasn't. The odds might be even worse if, as is possible, the police focused primarily on obvious baddies or weirdos, instead of the unremarkable "regular guys" that serial killers often turn out to be.