Favourite 'wildcard' suspect?

[Mayerling]

You're so right, I don't know. It could have been one of my great-great uncles coming into Whitechapel from St Anne's Soho with sewing needles, tailor's chalk, & maybe a largish knife, mad in the tertiary stages of syphilis, maybe carrying my great gran's apron for a fetish, but with no anatomical knowledge whatsoever. I've absolutely no idea, I'm just bandying about.

Hi Rosemary,

You have my sympathies about your great-great uncle, who sounds totally balmy.

My favorite candidate would be some local figure we don't know by name, and probably never will. None of the candidates (even those that I find most interesting like Druitt or Tumblety or D'Onston Stevenson) really are fully convincing at this stage. If I had a wildcard I'd throw it for some notorious killer who was later executed (Chapman, Cream, Deeming, Holmes, Mrs. Dyer - although her victims were infants, maybe Mrs. Pearcey). But all of these too have problems for being the Ripper.

Jeff

[pinkmoon]

How'd you figure?

The murders had a pattern look at the dates if our killer lived locally he could quite easily nip out and return home very quickly there would have been more murders and there wouldn't have been two murders in one night either .someone visited Whitechapel to commit these murders this point has been forgotten about over the years also the fact that our killer lived alone is often forgotten about as well.

[Rosella]

I think he (Jack) was an obscure local, who was never suspected. However, Arthur Conan Doyle's name has come up on the JTRF lately, on the grounds that he was a doctor, was callous about skinning seals when he was a ship's surgeon, was fascinated by crime and could have nipped up to London from Southsea, (where he was living in 1888) by train whenever he felt homicidal!

[Wickerman]

The Celebrity Suspect appears to be unduly popular among the less serious theorists. The trouble with "Could-have's" is, they can be applied to anybody, and likely everybody.

[GUT]

The Celebrity Suspect appears to be unduly popular among the less serious theorists. The trouble with "Could-have's" is, they can be applied to anybody, and likely everybody.

And you can make up almost anything and say "could have"

[Observer]

The murders had a pattern look at the dates if our killer lived locally he could quite easily nip out and return home very quickly there would have been more murders and there wouldn't have been two murders in one night either .someone visited Whitechapel to commit these murders this point has been forgotten about over the years also the fact that our killer lived alone is often forgotten about as well.

After the Catherine Eddowes murder a section of her apron was found in Goulston Street, this proves beyond doubt that the killer was heading back in to the East-End, back into Spitalfields. So, considering this, if the killer lived outside the area, as is your belief, where do you think he was headed?

[John G]

I think that the killer was very likely a local. If he was a commuter killer, or had access to transport, i.e. pony and cart, why were his activities focused on a an extremely small geographical area? This is even more inexplicable when you consider that even a substantial increase in police numbers, within the Whitechapel borough, didn't result in the killer changing strategy, i.e. targeting victims in a different London borough with a less intensive police presence.

[John Wheat]

Hi John

Perhaps the killer wanted to take advantage of the number of prostitutes in Whitechapel and or he felt safer murdering in Whitechapel as opposed to on his doorstep.

Cheers John

[Trevor Marriott]

I think that the killer was very likely a local. If he was a commuter killer, or had access to transport, i.e. pony and cart, why were his activities focused on a an extremely small geographical area? This is even more inexplicable when you consider that even a substantial increase in police numbers, within the Whitechapel borough, didn't result in the killer changing strategy, i.e. targeting victims in a different London borough with a less intensive police presence.

If the killer came from outside Whitechapel he might not have known about the increased police presence, whereas someone from Whitechapel would know first hand.

And again criminals tend not to commit crime on their own doorstep for obvious reasons.

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[John G]

Hi John

Perhaps the killer wanted to take advantage of the number of prostitutes in Whitechapel and or he felt safer murdering in Whitechapel as opposed to on his doorstep.

Cheers John

Hi John,

But surely there would have been numerous street prostitutes plying their trade in other London boroughs. Moreover, it's a matter of contention as to whether all of JtR's victims were prostitutes. I agree that many serial killers don't target victims in their immediate locality, for obvious reasons. However, what was the problem with other East End districts, such as Islington, Lambeth and Southwark?

And surely when the heat was turned up in Whitechapel, resulting in a higher police presence and a more vigilant public, it would make sense for a commuter killer to focus his activities on a different district(s). Moreover, doesn't the ease with which he was able to escape detection suggest that he was extremely familiar with Whitechapel and it's numerous passageways, short cuts and escape routes?

[John G]

If the killer came from outside Whitechapel he might not have known about the increased police presence, whereas someone from Whitechapel would know first hand.

And again criminals tend not to commit crime on their own doorstep for obvious reasons.

www.trevormarriott.co.uk

Hi Trevor,

Yes, possibly. However, as I pointed out in my previous post, what was wrong with the other London districts? I mean, if he wasn't local, or had transport, I see no reason why he would exclusively confine his activities to such a small geographical area.

[Observer]

Hi John

Perhaps the killer wanted to take advantage of the number of prostitutes in Whitechapel and or he felt safer murdering in Whitechapel as opposed to on his doorstep.

Cheers John

There were prostitutes in plenty, in all areas of London. The Whitechapel murderer had the added pressure of having on his person the kidney and uterus of Catherine Eddowes, Chapman also had her uterus removed and taken. I doubt he had far to travel in order to get to his bolthole after murdering her.

[John G]

There were prostitutes in plenty, in all areas of London. The Whitechapel murderer had the added pressure of having on his person the kidney and uterus of Catherine Eddowes, Chapman also had her uterus removed and taken. I doubt he had far to travel in order to get to his bolthole after murdering her.

Hi Observer,

Of course it might be the case that his main residence was outside the area, but he just happened to have access to a convenient bolthole in Whitechapel, i.e. a place where he could clean himself up, and perhaps change his clothing and store trophies, without the risk of being disturbed or attracting attention to himself.

[Trevor Marriott]

Hi Trevor,

Yes, possibly. However, as I pointed out in my previous post, what was wrong with the other London districts? I mean, if he wasn't local, or had transport, I see no reason why he would exclusively confine his activities to such a small geographical area.

Perhaps because it had the largest number of prostitutes to be found in London and many to be found still out and about in the early hours of the morning. Add to that the dimly lit fog bound streets of Whitechapel. A perfect killing ground !

https://www.trevormarriott.co.uk

[Observer]

Hi Observer,

Of course it might be the case that his main residence was outside the area, but he just happened to have access to a convenient bolthole in Whitechapel, i.e. a place where he could clean himself up, and perhaps change his clothing and store trophies, without the risk of being disturbed or attracting attention to himself.

Hi John

Certainly a possibility. With the exception of Polly Nichols, the other members of the canon were all murdered at the weeks end, or preceding a Bank Holiday, and i'll include Martha Tabram, for I believe there is a strong possibility that she too fell victim to the Whitechapel murderer. This seems to rule out a place of work as a bolthole, unless the murderer worked week-ends, I 'd say he was returning home after his murderous deeds. Of course, he might well have worked at some small manufactory, shop, something of that ilk, and had access( having a set of keys) and was thus able to seek refuge there after comm iting the murders. Whatever the case he knew the East-End like the back of his hand I'd say.