Bachert NEW timeline evidence...and a confession...

[The Rookie Detective]

Hi all


I have always considered Albert Bachert as one of the prime suspects in the Ripper case, and have always believed that more evidence would surface regarding his timeline post-1893.

I believe I have discovered a new piece of evidence that relates to his whereabouts after his last known appearance in the press in 1893, and as a result, solved a mystery that has shrouded the fate of Bachert for decades.

Where he went, and his life after this time has always been a mystery; and aside from a possible piece of evidence in the 1911 census, there has been no research undertaken that has managed to shine a light on what happened to him after his court appearance in 1893.

He hinted that he would go overseas...

And based on my recent findings, it's exactly where he went.

I believe I have found him in 1910...in Paris.

But it's not just his location in Paris that has re-sparked my curiosity about Bachert, it's his behavior in Paris that I believe brings him back into the spotlight.

As far as I am aware, I am the first to discover his location in 1910, and so I hope that this new piece of evidence will add to his story and draw some more focus onto a man who has always IMO been underestimated as a person of interest in the Ripper case.


So as not to make my initial post too long, I will post my findings over multiple posts, to make it more bite-size so to speak.

But in the meantime, attached below is an interesting PHOTO of Albert in 1910...in Paris...being led down the steps by the French Police.

Notice his face is covered for his protection and to conceal his identity.


Trust me, if you're a Bachert fan, you're going to love what I've found...




More to follow...


RD

[The Rookie Detective]

So...


Why was Albert Bachert in custody of the French Police in 1910...


Well, Albert made an alarming confession...


To the murder of an 18 year old Prostitute by the name of Elisa Vandamme.


Elisa Vandamme was murdered...mutilated...and dismembered in 1910 in an area of Paris very close to a previous murder in 1892.

On the thread "The Paris Torso Killings" the excellent Charlie has led the way in highlighting the UNSOLVED Paris torso murders of 1886 and 1892, which bear a striking resemblance to the Torso killings in London.

However, the 1910 Paris torso killing was alleged to have been solved; the perpetrator having confessed to the crime, a man named Paul Charles Ferdinand.

And so the question is...why did Albert Bachert confess to the murder, mutilation and dismemberment of Elisa Vandamme in March 1910, when a few months later, Paul Ferdinand confessed and was convicted?

Was Ferdinand the real killer?

Was Albert Bachert up to his old tricks again by fantasizing about murder, and thus made a false confession to get public attention again?

Or more alarmingly...

Was Albert Bachert the Paris Torso killer?!

And by proxy...was Albert Bachert Jack the Ripper?


Does his confession, be it true of false, highlight his belief in being a killer? And does this indicate he could have been a killer?

Here's the photo again... but with the story added...


Bachert was pulled from the river Seine after having allegedly trying to commit suicide...

But a note found in his pocket makes things very interesting...

And an explanation as to why nobody up until now has been able to find him...

I give you Mr Albert Behaut... (Albert Bachert)



Lots to ponder...


RD

[Abby Normal]

how do you know bachert and behaut are the same man?

[The Rookie Detective]

how do you know bachert and behaut are the same man?

Albert Behaut only exists in that newspaper article

the note was written in English

he was interrogated by the French Police Commissioner, implying something more than just a run of the mill confession.

He had his identity hidden to protect him

He failed in his attempt to commit suicide, to me suggesting that he staged it to get into the papers


Albert Bachert openly suggested to the press that the killer used a "LATCH" system to gain access to certain areas, but aside from the MJK case, the only use of the LATCH system was for the Whitehall TORSO case... this then implies that Bachert was making a connection between the Ripper killings and the Torso killings, which by proxy also suggests that he was obsessed with the Torso victim cases more broadly.


I believe that after Elisa Vandamme was murdered, he used the opportunity for some self-promotion, and what better way to achieve that, than to stage his attempted suicide and then make a false confession after a note is conveniently found inside his pocket


Now if Albert Behaut suddenly appears in the records, but that then rules out Bachert and Behaut being the same man, then I will gladly admit my huge blunder

But my instinct tells me I have found the elusive Bachert



RD

[Abby Normal]

ok cool. what happened to behaut after this photo?

[The Rookie Detective]

ok cool. what happened to behaut after this photo?

It's currently unknown and all a bit of a mystery thus far.

What IS known is that at some point after this photo, the police didn't believe him to be the killer.

That's because within a couple of months they had Paul Charles Ferdinand confess to the murder after having found a room key belonging to Elisa Vandamme in his own room.

When asked how he got the key, Ferdinand nervously replied

"My mother gave it to me"

Ultimately he couldn't explain how he got the victims room key in his own drawer in his room and quickly changed his mind from staunchly denying having murdered Elisa, to suddenly confessing he was indeed the perpetrator.

It would appear that the police received a tip-off from a couple who claimed they had heard unusual sounds coming from the locality of his room on the night the girl vanished.

Before finding the key the police had nothing on Ferdinand to link him to the murder.

However, they did have him on something else.... Ferdinand was an escaped convict who was currently on the run from the police, and living under a false name and identity, calling himself Antoine Vincenzini and pretending to be from Corsica.

When the lead investigator interviewed Ferdinand, he immediately noticed his accent wasn't Corsican and told him to his face "you're Ferdinand!"

The French police were said to have visited over 8000 houses in and around the Rue Botzaris area of north east Paris before finally finding Ferdinand after that tip-off.

What's confusing is that there was another UNSOLVED Torso murder in the same area of Rue Botzaris 18 years prior, in 1892.

The 1892 case is what the excellent researcher on this site ',Charlie' has been looking into on his thread "The Paris Torso" mystery.

Ferdinand was only 28 when he confessed to the murder of Vandamme and so couldn't possibly have also been the man who dismembered the unknown torso victim back in 1892.

However, Bachert COULD have committed both murders.

A small part of me wonders whether Ferdinand gave a false confession after interrogation from the French Police seeing as he was an escaped convict anyway and was being returned to confinement regardless.

The logical answer would be that Ferdinand was the killer in 1910 and that the 1892 case is just coincidence.

The fact that Behaut was arrested in March, but shortly after the police had nothing to go on, is sure sign enough that Behaut was just after a spot in newspaper.

And that is why Behaut for me, is Bachert.

A man who writes a false confessional note in his pocket relating to a murder that occurred just a few days before, and then jumps into the Seine, to be rescued and then the note found, and who then gets interogated by the French Police Commissioner, before being escorted out with his head covered to protect his identity...

That is Bachert

Let's also note that Bacherr changed the spelling of his name again and again.

The question of why he changed from Bachert to Backert is for me, a simple one....to sound more like "Jack"

He was a narcissistic fantasist in every sense and the comment he made in the English press regarding the "latch" system related to the Torso killings and NOT the Ripper case.

It's clear that he was also obsessed with the Torso killings...and because of that, he took an opportunity to get back into the papers.

But it appears to be his ONLY appearance in aN ENGLISH newspaper.

The picture of Behaut I found was from March 1910 in an English publication.


What I don't have access to is the French newspapers.

But I bet you that Behaut appears in the French Newspapers and that is the next step to reaffirming my findings.

I am hoping that Charlie will work his magic and uncover some French newspaper reports on Behaut.

If Behaut is then proven to NOT be Bachert, then I will openly admit my gross error a d apologize accordingly for following this line of enquiry.

We know that Bachert left England at some point, and France would be an obvious choice, as well as Germany of course.

Bachert and Behaut

It's the same man


RD

[Elamarna]

I simply don't see any evidence to link the two, other than a similar name?




Have you spoken with Mick Priestly

Steve

[The Rookie Detective]

I simply don't see any evidence to link the two, other than a similar name?




Have you spoken with Mick Priestly

Steve

Hi Steve

I haven't had chance to speak with Mick

I would love to know his opinions on this, as I know his knowledge on Bachert far exceeds my own by a country mile.

I hope that he will take a look at my claim and give me some feedback on whether I am on to something, or talking nonsense.

Any feedback is welcome, as I am still learning every day from the amazing researchers in this and the forum sites respectively.


RD

[Debra A]

Thanks for posting this RD. it's an interesting news clip in its own right, Albert Behaut was certainly behaving strangely. I agree with your assessment of Bachert's mental health.
Although I agree with others that there isn't anything in the story to directly link this man to Bachert, your find is certainly something that would probably be interesting to explore and to discover this man's story.
I have checked some French papers but didn't really come up with anything and I kind of suspect his surname was something similar to, but not Behaut and the Daily Mirror may have got the spelling wrong.
I look forward to seeing what comes up.

[The Rookie Detective]

Thanks for posting this RD. it's an interesting news clip in its own right, Albert Behaut was certainly behaving strangely. I agree with your assessment of Bachert's mental health.
Although I agree with others that there isn't anything in the story to directly link this man to Bachert, your find is certainly something that would probably be interesting to explore and to discover this man's story.
I have checked some French papers but didn't really come up with anything and I kind of suspect his surname was something similar to, but not Behaut and the Daily Mirror may have got the spelling wrong.
I look forward to seeing what comes up.

Hi Debra

Thank you so much for your comments and feedback.

I agree with you entirely and believe that the spelling may be wrong.

Theres a chance it may have been "Brehaut" and not Behaut.

It would seem that the note found on Behaut was written in English and not French

Another interesting detail


RD

[The Rookie Detective]

There are 2 important aspect to note.

I was in the process of researching the Paris Torso murders and a potential connection to the London Torso killings, when I stumbled on Behaut and his confession by accident, ergo, I wasn't looking to link Bachert at all, and haven't looked at Bachert for a while

Secondly, the confession note found on Behaut after he was pulled from the Seine, was written in English and not French


The fact Behaut was interrogated by the French police Commissioner and not just a ",regular" group of officers, would indicate that Behaut was more than just some random oddball that messed up his suicide and gave a false confession with no foundations in truth.

For Behaut to be questioned by such a high ranking police official and then have his identity concealed as he was led out by 2 police guards, implies a more diplomatic and bureaucratic scenario.
Why hide his identity to the public and press, after speaking with the police Commissioner if he was just an innocent fantasist?

He was treated as though he was important and signifcant capture by the French police and he wouldnt have received such treatment or got into the paper if he was insignificant.


That is another reason why I believe Behaut was Bachert

There's also the fact that Bachert changed his surname spelling several times.

One thing is for sure, he never kept to Bachert or Backert, because otherwise he would have left a trace under those names.

When you look at the photo of Behaut, it doesn't suggest an innocent man, but a prisoner of some grander Importance.


RD

[Sam Flynn]

One thing is for sure, he never kept to Bachert or Backert, because otherwise he would have left a trace under those names.

Intersting stuff. However, as this incident happened in France, the name may have been pronounced "Bay-ho", which doesn't really sound like Bachert at all.

[caz]

It would seem that the note found on Behaut was written in English and not French

Another interesting detail

RD

Hi Rookie,

You may be overestimating the average Daily Mirror reader's ability to read and understand French, but I doubt the newspaper would have done.

If they were translating it into English for their readers, the original note might have read:

Ne cherchez pas le meurtrier d'Elisa Vandamme. C'est moi.

'It is I' reminds me of 'Allo 'Allo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZelPcA2Dz2c

Love,

Caz
X

[Charlie]

Hello RD,

Debra A is right, as often was the case back then, there's a spelling error in the name written in your English article.
On the Torso Paris discussion thread, you asked me if I could search on French press archive sites, and I replied that despite several searches with "Behaut," as well as "Behault" and "Behaux", I found nothing.
However, I just tried again by translating into French the message supposed to have been written by the individual: "Do not look for the murderer of Elisa Van Damme. It is I"
I initiated a search with:
"Ne cherchez plus le meurtrier d'Elisa Vandamme, c'est moi."
I found nothing.
But with the query:
"Ne cherchez plus l'assassin d'Elisa Vandamme, c'est moi."

I eventually uncovered this article from La Croix newspaper dated March 16, 1910.

Paris
Is he the assassin of Élisa Vandamme? This morning, around 10 a.m., an individual threw himself into the Seine, near the Alexandre III bridge. Immediately rescued by Officer Lecuyer, he was taken to the first aid station, where a note was found on him, reading, "Ne cherchez plus l'assassin d'Élisa Vandamme, c'est moi." It is believed to be a case of madness. The individual in question is named Albert Bihan, 25 years old, a cabinetmaker, residing at 3 Rue de Reuilly, in Saint-Denis. Mr. Ghanot, police commissioner of the Champs-Élysées district, is conducting an investigation.

So, with the correct spelling of the name, Albert Bihan, everything becomes clear, and there are plenty of articles.
In particular, Le Rappel newspaper of March 17, 1910, writes:

The Mystery of Rue Botzaris A madman confesses to the crime and commits suicide.
Yesterday morning, around nine-thirty, a young man threw himself into the Seine from the bank on the right bank of the river, near the Alexandre-III bridge. A bargeman named Goury, who was on a barge, managed to grab him by his clothes, and with the help of an officer, pulled him out of the water. He was transported unconscious to the first aid station of Cours-la-Reine, where rhythmic tongue tractions were performed on him. In the pocket of his jacket, a letter was found reading, "'Ne cherchez pas l'assassin d'Élisa Vandamme; c'est moi.'"
Interrogated by Mr. Chanot, commissioner of the Champs-Élysées district, the desperate man, when he regained consciousness, stated that he had acted in a moment of madness and that his statements were pure invention.
His name is Ernest-Georges-Albert Bihan. Aged twenty-six, originally from Saint-Denis (Seine), and a cabinetmaker working for Mr. Lary, a piano manufacturer in Levallois-Perret. He occupies a modest apartment on Rue de Reuilly and does not seem to be in full possession of his faculties. He had already attempted suicide, and upon leaving the commissioner, he declared that he would try again.

I apologize, RD, but it seems that this Ernest-Georges-Albert Bihan was mentally unstable, and in any case, he was not Albert Bachert.

[The Rookie Detective]

Hi Rookie,

You may be overestimating the average Daily Mirror reader's ability to read and understand French, but I doubt the newspaper would have done.

If they were translating it into English for their readers, the original note might have read:

Ne cherchez pas le meurtrier d'Elisa Vandamme. C'est moi.

'It is I' reminds me of 'Allo 'Allo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZelPcA2Dz2c

Love,

Caz
X

Hi Caz


That is a very interesting observation and I agree that the phrasing of "It is I" does sound more like a French translation than an English phrase.

That goes against my hypothesis, but I am happy to accept your point, which is brilliant


RD