Jack the Ripper is an extremely rare serial killer

[Harry D]

Hello Harry
Bury strangled his wife with a rope, and this was the cause of her death; her neck was otherwise unscathed. This is distinctly different to the Ripper's signature in itself, even before we consider the reality of the knife-wounds.

The Ripper might have used a ligature to incapacitate his victims.

Also, the circumstances aren't the same. Was Ellen's murder premeditated? Bury might have killed her in a fit of drunken rage, instead of setting out to kill her. However, being a creature of habit, he couldn't resist mutilating the body after the act.

As to those, he seems to have inflicted at least two superficial thoracic cuts with a knife, starting at around level of the fifth rib and moving towards the abdomen. There were short, superficial cuts to the abdomen proper, with just one wound, of about 4 inches, which penetrated the abdominal wall sufficient to allow the intestines to bulge out. This one deep wound aside, it looks to me that, far from "ripping", Bury did something more akin to scoring the skin, as one might do when preparing a joint of pork for roasting. Even the one penetrating wound was extremely modest by the Ripper's standards, and all the other wounds appear to have been of a somewhat tentative nature. Not, I'd suggest, like our Jacky's style in any meaningful sense.

So, what you're basically saying is that a killer/post-mortem mutilator whose mutilations aren't exactly the same/as extreme as the Ripper is a weaker suspect than someone who can't even be proven to have murdered someone at all?

[Observer]

So, what you're basically saying is that a killer/post-mortem mutilator whose mutilations aren't exactly the same/as extreme as the Ripper is a weaker suspect than someone who can't even be proven to have murdered someone at all?

So you accept then that McKenzie could have been a Ripper victim.

[Abby Normal]

So you accept then that McKenzie could have been a Ripper victim.

hi observer
good point. It really is a conundrum for me anyway in regards to bury/McKenzie/ripper because I think Mackenzie is more than likely a ripper victim, one of the main reasons being the post mortem mutilation to the abdomen. same as Ellen. so I'm confused on this one.

[Harry D]

So you accept then that McKenzie could have been a Ripper victim.

Possibly, but if any Whitechapel murder was a copycat, it was hers.

And by 'copycat' I simply mean an imitation, motives unknown.

[Abby Normal]

Possibly, but if any Whitechapel murder was a copycat, it was hers.

And by 'copycat' I simply mean an imitation, motives unknown.

you have no idea how grateful I am that you clarified what you mean by copycat! Your statement should be applied to every time someone says the term "copy cat" when referring to murders.

[Sam Flynn]

The Ripper might have used a ligature to incapacitate his victims.

There is no evidence that he did. Even if that were the case, his means of killing was to emphatically cut the throat to effect a swift death. Why he should suddenly switch to the slower method of throttling with a rope so soon after the Autumn of Terror is very hard to understand, and certainly needs a pretty convincing explanation.

So, what you're basically saying is that a killer/post-mortem mutilator whose mutilations aren't exactly the same/as extreme as the Ripper is a weaker suspect than someone who can't even be proven to have murdered someone at all?

Pretty much, in that Bury revealed his hand in Dundee which, in a number of details, doesn't look much like the hand of the Ripper.

[Herlock Sholmes]

He actually used a rope to kill his wife - an important detail.

Good point Sam, I had forgotten about that. It's been a while since I've read about Bury. When I've a 'reading materials gap' I might re-read Bill Beadle's book which I always felt was one of the better Ripper books (I don't know if anyone else agrees with that?)

[John Wheat]

Indeed, but the East End was a large, densely populated area. Strictly speaking, whilst Bury can be placed in the eastern part of the East End, all the canonical Ripper murders happened in the western part. There would have been plenty of potential victims closer to Bury's home, yet not a single canonical Ripper murder happened further east than Bucks Row.

But Sam many serial killers kill in an area slightly away from there home.

[Sam Flynn]

Yup, I'm a big fan of Beadle's book. Apart from anything else, he's a very fine writer.

[Harry D]

There is no evidence that he did. Even if that were the case, his means of killing was to emphatically cut the throat to effect a swift death. Why he should suddenly switch to the slower method of throttling with a rope so soon after the Autumn of Terror is very hard to understand, and certainly needs a pretty convincing explanation.

The Ripper was killing prostitutes on the street or in the victim's hovel, where they had to be silenced to stop them crying out. It also facilitated exsanguination for the on-the-spot organ removal. William Bury killed Ellen in his own basement flat, where he was in control of the situation.

Pretty much, in that Bury revealed his hand in Dundee which, in a number of details, doesn't look much like the hand of the Ripper.

Au contraire, Sam.

[John Wheat]

What named suspect is stronger than Bury?

None Harry.

[John Wheat]

So, what you're basically saying is that a killer/post-mortem mutilator whose mutilations aren't exactly the same/as extreme as the Ripper is a weaker suspect than someone who can't even be proven to have murdered someone at all?

I know totally illogical.

[Sam Flynn]

But Sam many serial killers kill in an area slightly away from there home.

Indeed so, John, but there were prostitutes and street walkers aplenty within a similar radius of Bury's home, elsewhere in the East End, yet we find no Ripper murders there.

[John Wheat]

Indeed so, John, but there were prostitutes and street walkers aplenty within a similar radius of Bury's home, elsewhere in the East End, yet we find no Ripper murders there.

Perhaps Bury felt comfortable in Whitechapel? As opposed to other areas nearby Bow.

[Sam Flynn]

Au contraire, Sam.

Thanks, Harry. Like I said, largely superficial, tentative wounds.