Francis Spurzheim Craig

[Sally]

Age before Notoriety?

MJK's age aside, I wonder how Francis Craig fits with the various witness sightings of men with the victims shortly before their death etc. that were reported at the time?

At 51, Craig is somewhat older than any estimates given in witness sightings. Will his age be a sticking point when considering the possibility that he was the Ripper?

[Sally]

Hi,
By my maths that made the victim of Millers court a 32 year old, surely that goes against all that we know..24-25 is the age we have always perceived,
Seven-eight years is a huge differential, albeit McCarthy did state she looked about 30, most likely because of deprivation.
It does not rule it out, but ought to be brought up.
Regards Richard.

Hi Richard

If MJK was EWD, we should remember that she hadn't had a life of deprivation - at least not up to the last few years of her life. A well-nourished 31 year old may well pass for younger - particularly, I dare say, in a general environment of extreme poverty such as was prevalent in the slums of Whitechapel at the time.

[sdreid]

Elizabeth was born on 24th July 1856. I have her birth certificate. She was married to Craig on 24th December 1884 when she gave her age as 26 (should have been 28) and her name as Elizabeth Weston Jones, Widow. There's absolutely no doubt that they are the same person as is made clear in Craig's Divorce Petition two years later.

As far as cover serial killings are concerned the classic case is that of Ronald O'Bryan, the 'Trick or Treat' killer who attempted to murder a group of children to conceal the fact that the intended victim was his 8 year old son but there are also other examples. Clearly you have to be a psychopath to do it but I have tried to show evidence that Craig was just that.

Wynne

Thanks Wynne. Yes in 1871, Christiana Edmunds poisoned a bunch of random people, including at least one who died, to cover the fact that she was poisoing her lover's wife. And in 1980s, Stella Nichol killed a random woman with cyanide to cover the fact she had murdered her husband with the same substance. My sorta pet theory regarding the Tynenol Poisonings is also along this line. Cases like Jack Gilbert Graham are also somewhat similar although not exact.

[Robert]

Richard, it has been known - on the odd occasion - for women to knock a few years off their age.

[dixon9]

if Craig was her ex husband,that was also some age gap.Was that the norm in those times?

[richardnunweek]

Hi,
By my maths that made the victim of Millers court a 32 year old, surely that goes against all that we know..24-25 is the age we have always perceived,
Seven-eight years is a huge differential, albeit McCarthy did state she looked about 30, most likely because of deprivation.
It does not rule it out, but ought to be brought up.
Regards Richard.

[Prosector]

Killing others to create a false trail is very rare but it has happened in some product tampering cases and, according to one theory, in the Duff/Sidney Case.

Elizabeth was born on 24th July 1856. I have her birth certificate. She was married to Craig on 24th December 1884 when she gave her age as 26 (should have been 28) and her name as Elizabeth Weston Jones, Widow. There's absolutely no doubt that they are the same person as is made clear in Craig's Divorce Petition two years later.

As far as cover serial killings are concerned the classic case is that of Ronald O'Bryan, the 'Trick or Treat' killer who attempted to murder a group of children to conceal the fact that the intended victim was his 8 year old son but there are also other examples. Clearly you have to be a psychopath to do it but I have tried to show evidence that Craig was just that.

Wynne

[Prosector]

Prosector, thank you for answering questions on here.

Have you considered the possibility that Craig was only responsible for the murder of your relative, if she was the woman known as "Mary Kelly"?

I think your book sounds interesting, and plan to get it.

That's possible but the fact that the murders stopped after her death and that he left the area soon afterwards are somewhat against that.

Wynne

[Prosector]

Yes, That seems to be the one.

Wynne

[Robert]

I take it that this is the Park St in question?

TIMES APRIL 29 1887

[sdreid]

Killing others to create a false trail is very rare but it has happened in some product tampering cases and, according to one theory, in the Duff/Sidney Case.

[sdreid]

What year was Elizabeth born again? Do the birth and marriage records agree on that? I have always suspected that Mary might have been older than she told everyone by maybe around 10 years.

[Robert]

Wynne, the Park St suggestion looks good. Just the servants there in 1881, and no one entitled to vote there around that time, as far as I can judge from the electoral rolls.

[Pcdunn]

Prosector, thank you for answering questions on here.

Have you considered the possibility that Craig was only responsible for the murder of your relative, if she was the woman known as "Mary Kelly"?

I think your book sounds interesting, and plan to get it.

[Prosector]

The dates these murders were committed on tell me that our killer was visiting the area to commit these crimes also one question that always destroys a lot of "suspects" why did our killer stop I think he was either locked up or dead.

Well there is also the possibility that, having achieved his end, there was no need to continue. Gain serial killers are documented as stopping once they achieve their objective. Read the literature.

Wynne