our killer been local

[Robert]

Well, the Goulston St business is a fair point against a suspect like Druitt. Of course, it may just be that Jack heard Watkins's approach, and left the Square by the quickest route that would put distance between himself and Watkins. After which, he kept going through sheer inertia. It's not as though Goulston St and the area generally was swarming with people.

As regards why always the east end, it may have been the reputation - Smith and Tabram - or it may have been something in his past.

I don't think we can rule out an outsider. On the issue of the area, the odds I suppose do favour a local man, but that is one issue only.

[Lechmere]

I'm sure he wouldn't find any well-to-do-ladies out and about, but I'm sure he would find not so well-to-do-ladies in more locations that the East End.
Why always go there and not somewhere nearer his residence, wherever that might have been?
And he penetrated quite far into the East End - Bucks Row and Berner Street.
And why double back to Goulston Street?
And wouldn't he be noticed going off in the early hours and crossing London for no other purpose than murder?

[Robert]

On the other hand, Lechmere, if you are a well-to-do man living in a well-to-do area, and you have the mind of a SK, then you're not going to find many well-to-do ladies out at 3AM. You'll have to travel.

[Lechmere]

There were other poorer areas in London. Prostitutes frequented other areas.

The murder locations were however in the most crowded parts of London, arguably the most difficult areas in which to commit such crimes and escape detection.
All the murders were within a small geographical area.

Taken together this surely very strongly suggests a man with local connections.

It also suggests that the culprit didn’t have the opportunity or connections to commit at least some of the crimes in other very poor and prostitute frequented areas such as the South Bank, Bermondsey, Finsbury or Caledonian Road.

It is often said that the Ripper had a knife in him so he could, if pushed, fight his way out of situations or walk more confidently in the mean streets. But how many examples can we find of a serial killer rounding on anyone other than an intended victim – invariably someone much weaker than themselves, or somehow incapacitated.

The reason why crimes – not just serial killings – are usually committed in areas which the perpetrator is familiar with is that they feel more comfortable. More confident.

The perpetrators movements on the night of the Double Event point strongly to a local man, even if you don’t believe Stride was down to the same hand.

I doubt that avoidance of a house to house search would have been a consideration in selecting where to commit these crimes.

[Robert]

Hi Michael

When were people rushing into Mitre Square?

[Michael W Richards]

Hi Jon and Pinky,

Of course, whoever the ripper was, he was more likely than most to be capable of looking after himself - not least because of the lethally sharp blade he had on him for nefarious purposes. So while I suspect he had some local knowledge of the streets and how to engage the unfortunates he found there, I see no compelling reason why he should not have been based outside and just popped in when he had the urge for some extreme violence. Nothing to connect him with the area, nobody to recognise him and absent for all the house-to-house searches.

In short, he could have been off the radar within a minute or two of leaving the scene, if he wanted to be, by simply rejoining the nearest main road and walking confidently away from the area.

Love,

Caz
X

I would think that one bit of evidence might compel you to assume he was based in the immediate area Caz....If this Ripper fellow killed Kate Eddowes, and the cloth he took from her apron was used to take the excised viscera with him...(which makes infinite more sense than he used it to wipe his hands and then held on to it until Goulston Street), ....it would make sense that he only discarded it when he was very near his home. Less time for any staining from organs transferred to his pocket.

Which would be in the "kill zone" if you will.

I believe its almost impossible to imagine someone not being very familiar with the layout of the streets as they were then to have made successful escapes. Its not that he wasnt caught leaving....he wasnt even seen fleeing anywhere....even if he did so at a saunter. It would have been striking to see someone casually leaving the immediate murder area just as people were rushing in to see what the commotion was all about. Like the CC film of the young Boston bomber....he was casually walking in the opposite direction of the event, and that was suspicious enough to look further into him as a suspect.

Cheers

[Errata]

A: There have been serial killers who have killed every day. With the exception of Chikatilo (who went through a short spree of daily killing evidently), it has always resulted in the killer's arrest (barring one unsolved case I can think of). It's considered devolving behavior. The final descent into madness if you will. It's a sign of having lost all control.

B: Murder/Mutilation in an unsolved case is a pretty good indicator of stalking behavior. They kill when they KNOW they won't get caught. Now how involved or how long the stalking is, nobody knows. It could be a couple of hours, it could be a couple of weeks. Without knowing anything about the stalking behavior, it's hard to pin down how much time he had to invest in each murder. Which would have a lot of bearing on where he lives.

C: The geography of Whitechapel hadn't changed in a long time. While a residence may become a business and vice versa, the footprint stayed the same. So someone who grew up in the area and left would still have a very good knowledge of the streets and alleys. So some kid who made good and got out would have the necessary information to navigate Whitechapel.

[Nick Spring]

Hi Nick,Druitt has always been my favourite suspect but he is the best of a bad bunch I'm afraid.For someone of druitts social class to venture into the area of the murders would have been a very dangerous thing to do I can't see him just happen to wonder into that area without good reason.

Hi,

I'm not totally convinced about Druitt but I have an interest in him anyway as he lived fairly locally to me. and loved cricket.

However there is just something there about him. He may have been familiar with the area, plus his chambers were not far away.

Best

Nick

[Robert]

"walking confidently away from the area."

I think maybe he sauntered nonchalantly away.

[caz]

It's documented often enough - slumming, a middle class male taking a room in the seedy part of town to sample the nightlife and live life to the fullest.

Hi Jon and Pinky,

Of course, whoever the ripper was, he was more likely than most to be capable of looking after himself - not least because of the lethally sharp blade he had on him for nefarious purposes. So while I suspect he had some local knowledge of the streets and how to engage the unfortunates he found there, I see no compelling reason why he should not have been based outside and just popped in when he had the urge for some extreme violence. Nothing to connect him with the area, nobody to recognise him and absent for all the house-to-house searches.

In short, he could have been off the radar within a minute or two of leaving the scene, if he wanted to be, by simply rejoining the nearest main road and walking confidently away from the area.

Love,

Caz
X

[pinkmoon]

It's documented often enough - slumming, a middle class male taking a room in the seedy part of town to sample the nightlife and live life to the fullest.

My ancestors come from this area and my dad was born in Shoreditch in the 1930s and he has always told me that most people would avoid Whitechapel when ever possible my great grandparents lovingly referred to the place as a "piss hole" so my dad tells me.I think for someone to slum it in that area would have to be able to look after themselves I think I read that two policemen were stabbed to death in the area eighteen months before the ripper murders started I might be wrong though

[Wickerman]

Hi Dave,I think people do forget how rough this area was I can't see someone like druitt just popping into Whitechapel on a whim.

It's documented often enough - slumming, a middle class male taking a room in the seedy part of town to sample the nightlife and live life to the fullest.

[pinkmoon]

Hi Jason

In general terms I agree with your reservations regarding Druitt or the like, (and surely if we're talking general suspect terms he's only a distraction...)

But before we get to specifics, let's further consider the generalities...I think we're generally not averse to the possibility that a local, or someone possessing a good deal of local knowledge is more likely indicated...against this, however, is surely to be set the equal possibility that, in all the canonical cases at least, the victims generally led the killer to the site...

So, vis a vis his approach to the site at least, the killer could equally actually be a relative stranger, led by his victim...or a well-informed local...

So surely two other factors come into play:

1) the judgement that it's safe (in relative terms) to commit a murder here

and

2) the succesful mechanics of a safe escape after the crime

Both, to me, indicate local knowledge and predicate it's a local...not by the approach, the victim profile, the method or anything else...just the escape

All the best

Dave

Hi Dave,I think people do forget how rough this area was I can't see someone like druitt just popping into Whitechapel on a whim.

[Cogidubnus]

The end game

Hi Jason

In general terms I agree with your reservations regarding Druitt or the like, (and surely if we're talking general suspect terms he's only a distraction...)

But before we get to specifics, let's further consider the generalities...I think we're generally not averse to the possibility that a local, or someone possessing a good deal of local knowledge is more likely indicated...against this, however, is surely to be set the equal possibility that, in all the canonical cases at least, the victims generally led the killer to the site...

So, vis a vis his approach to the site at least, the killer could equally actually be a relative stranger, led by his victim...or a well-informed local...

So surely two other factors come into play:

1) the judgement that it's safe (in relative terms) to commit a murder here

and

2) the succesful mechanics of a safe escape after the crime

Both, to me, indicate local knowledge and predicate it's a local...not by the approach, the victim profile, the method or anything else...just the escape

All the best

Dave

[pinkmoon]

yes a carman is a good theory.

I cant get Driutt out of me head but if I went for someone else it would be a local carman or a butcher.

A butcher could deal with the trophies where blood is expected.

I was just making the point that knowledge doesn't have to mean local but your point is very valid, if the trophies were taken away then local is safer.

Best

Nick

Hi Nick,Druitt has always been my favourite suspect but he is the best of a bad bunch I'm afraid.For someone of druitts social class to venture into the area of the murders would have been a very dangerous thing to do I can't see him just happen to wonder into that area without good reason.