OK whos your favored suspect/s and why?

[Aethelwulf]

I often wonder if we are missing a trick with the Martha Tabram murder. If, as many do, we believe she was a victim of JTR then is it possible that the soldier who was with Tabram that night is our killer? At 5:30am in George Yard buildings Dr Kileen examined the body and determined she had been dead for 'about 3 hours' so roughly 2:30am.

At approximately 2am PC Barrett spoke with a soldier loitering near the North entrance of George Yard. When approached he said he was 'waiting for his mate who had gone off with a girl'. Now we have no way of knowing if this girl/woman was Tabram but it is very interesting that this happened so close to the presumed TOD(not a perfect estimation but the mitigating factors present in other cases are not as pronounced- I.e temperature, extent of mutiliation so might be close enough). We have some evidence Tabram was in the company of soldiers prior to this encounter albeit a few hours had passed. Any thoughts?

Although it's generally dismissed, given that Tabram was stabbed in the throat when a penknife/claspknife, it's worth remembering Ada Wilson was also stabbed in the throat. Given the account below, where her attacker demands money then blows up with an over the top reaction, I have no trouble imagining the same man stabbing Tabram 39 times:

She said that she occupied both parlours of the above house, and was about to retire to rest when she heard a knock at the door, and upon going there found a total stranger waiting, who demanded money, adding that if she did not at once produce the cash she had but a few moments to live. She refused to give the money and the man at once drew from his pocket a clasp knife, with which he stabbed her twice in the throat. From the details of the man's appearance given by Wilson, the following will be found a fairly accurate description of the man:- Aged about 30, height 5 ft. 6 in.; face sunburnt, with fair moustache; dressed in dark coat, light trousers, and wideawake hat.

Her neighbour possibly suggests the man was already in the room, but it seems Wilson had men coming and going a lot so not clear it is the same person IMO. I've seen it written this isn't something the ripper would have done/poor warm-up for the autumn, but it was over 4 months before tabram. 'Criminal versatility' is also one of the ticks for a psychopath. So there is no need to see this as a warm-up for the autumn, he just wanted money, didn't get it and attacked. Also worth noting that the police actually questioned Peter Sutcliffe's father for a blunt force head trauma burglar attack in the 1960s (not realising it was very likely the son).

IMO, Bury is a very strong suspect for the Wilson attack. He lived just under a mile away and had form for demanding money with menaces (pinned wife to bed and held knife to her throat in argument over money plus other examples), taking money, very short temper, penknife attacker/murderer, slept with a penkife under his pillow. Used and knew prostitutes. Age 28 at the time, said to have fair sandy facial hair, his known drinking could account for the red face. With hat and boots and likely wide uncertainty in estimating heights by witnesses, would fit height (as an example, the man that attacked farmer, seen by many in daylight, was said to be short, short thick fellow, 5'4" but also up to 5'7" in height).

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Although it's generally dismissed, given that Tabram was stabbed in the throat when a penknife/claspknife, it's worth remembering Ada Wilson was also stabbed in the throat. Given the account below, where her attacker demands money then blows up with an over the top reaction, I have no trouble imagining the same man stabbing Tabram 39 times:

She said that she occupied both parlours of the above house, and was about to retire to rest when she heard a knock at the door, and upon going there found a total stranger waiting, who demanded money, adding that if she did not at once produce the cash she had but a few moments to live. She refused to give the money and the man at once drew from his pocket a clasp knife, with which he stabbed her twice in the throat. From the details of the man's appearance given by Wilson, the following will be found a fairly accurate description of the man:- Aged about 30, height 5 ft. 6 in.; face sunburnt, with fair moustache; dressed in dark coat, light trousers, and wideawake hat.

Her neighbour possibly suggests the man was already in the room, but it seems Wilson had men coming and going a lot so not clear it is the same person IMO. I've seen it written this isn't something the ripper would have done/poor warm-up for the autumn, but it was over 4 months before tabram. 'Criminal versatility' is also one of the ticks for a psychopath. So there is no need to see this as a warm-up for the autumn, he just wanted money, didn't get it and attacked. Also worth noting that the police actually questioned Peter Sutcliffe's father for a blunt force head trauma burglar attack in the 1960s (not realising it was very likely the son).

IMO, Bury is a very strong suspect for the Wilson attack. He lived just under a mile away and had form for demanding money with menaces (pinned wife to bed and held knife to her throat in argument over money plus other examples), taking money, very short temper, penknife attacker/murderer, slept with a penkife under his pillow. Used and knew prostitutes. Age 28 at the time, said to have fair sandy facial hair, his known drinking could account for the red face. With hat and boots and likely wide uncertainty in estimating heights by witnesses, would fit height (as an example, the man that attacked farmer, seen by many in daylight, was said to be short, short thick fellow, 5'4" but also up to 5'7" in height).

Your theory is fine if one believes Ada Wilson's story about an attempted robbery.

[Abby Normal]

Although it's generally dismissed, given that Tabram was stabbed in the throat when a penknife/claspknife, it's worth remembering Ada Wilson was also stabbed in the throat. Given the account below, where her attacker demands money then blows up with an over the top reaction, I have no trouble imagining the same man stabbing Tabram 39 times:

She said that she occupied both parlours of the above house, and was about to retire to rest when she heard a knock at the door, and upon going there found a total stranger waiting, who demanded money, adding that if she did not at once produce the cash she had but a few moments to live. She refused to give the money and the man at once drew from his pocket a clasp knife, with which he stabbed her twice in the throat. From the details of the man's appearance given by Wilson, the following will be found a fairly accurate description of the man:- Aged about 30, height 5 ft. 6 in.; face sunburnt, with fair moustache; dressed in dark coat, light trousers, and wideawake hat.

Her neighbour possibly suggests the man was already in the room, but it seems Wilson had men coming and going a lot so not clear it is the same person IMO. I've seen it written this isn't something the ripper would have done/poor warm-up for the autumn, but it was over 4 months before tabram. 'Criminal versatility' is also one of the ticks for a psychopath. So there is no need to see this as a warm-up for the autumn, he just wanted money, didn't get it and attacked. Also worth noting that the police actually questioned Peter Sutcliffe's father for a blunt force head trauma burglar attack in the 1960s (not realising it was very likely the son).

IMO, Bury is a very strong suspect for the Wilson attack. He lived just under a mile away and had form for demanding money with menaces (pinned wife to bed and held knife to her throat in argument over money plus other examples), taking money, very short temper, penknife attacker/murderer, slept with a penkife under his pillow. Used and knew prostitutes. Age 28 at the time, said to have fair sandy facial hair, his known drinking could account for the red face. With hat and boots and likely wide uncertainty in estimating heights by witnesses, would fit height (as an example, the man that attacked farmer, seen by many in daylight, was said to be short, short thick fellow, 5'4" but also up to 5'7" in height).

good post wulf. as usual you make a strong case for bury. what is the source for burys fair sandy facial hair?

[John Wheat]

It is my opinion on the topic from where the Ripper had his medical knowledge, but that he had medical skill is cast Iron by the simple facts of what happened at Mitre Square! Show us the "interested amateur" able to successfully extract a kidney on his knees, in near darkness, in 3-5 minutes, done not leaving a victim looking like a bomb had gone off, but done in steps a 1888 doctor could recognise and would have done similarly himself!

And once again: The mutilations postdate the successful kidney extraction and knowing not to cut through the navel or fixing the sigmoid area in the rectum was surgeonīs knowledge in 1888, even today few persons outside the medical occupations know this.

But this is not cast iron proof. You are passing your opinion off as fact.

[John Wheat]

good post wulf. as usual you make a strong case for bury. what is the source for burys fair sandy facial hair?

I'm with Abby. Great post Aethelwulf.

[Aethelwulf]

good post wulf. as usual you make a strong case for bury. what is the source for burys fair sandy facial hair?

Steve Earp had compiled all of the descriptions of suspects and Bury - think the original source might of been the dundee courier but his website with all the info on hasn't been working for weeks. Hopefully he will resurrect it at some point. I think the quotes were 'dark hair with facial hair inclined to be sandy' and 'dark hair with facial hair a shade lighter'. Think I've posted it before somewhere but will have to search. Will also post a map at some point, all Bury had to was basically come out of his house, cut across a cemetery, along a street at he'd be at Maidman Street, something like 3/4 mile. It's possible Bury didn't want to loose face for not having any money at his wedding on 2nd April. He could also have just wanted drinking money for the Easter weekend. He didn't get access to Ellen's money until they were married.

I also wonder about Bury's total compliance with Elizabeth Haynes when threatened with the police a week later. Given that Wilson's attack would have been investigated from Bow, it wouldn't take a very enterprising detective to make a connection between a knife being held to a woman's throat over money, and Wilson

Bury also stabbed ellen in both groins and I believe Tabram was also stabbed in a similar location