Jill The Ripper Theories

[C. F. Leon]

I'm only offering this for the sake of completeness, but E. J. Wagner in The Science of Sherlock Holmes, offers as a suspect Constance Kent, who had served 20 years for the murder of her younger brother when she was sixteen.
I'm not sure how serious Wagner is being, the main point in the Constance Kent discussion is how authorities may bungle evidence, and the Ripper idea is briefly brought up to point out some similarities.

[Errata]

You know it is possible... I can think of any number of motives for a woman to commit these crimes. And to commit them in this manner. As far as a woman being incapable, that's crap. I could do it easily. The irony is that the "womanly" tasks of the era such as sewing, knitting, weaving, cooking and cleaning build up enormous hand and wrist strength. A woman would not cause alarm to a population fearing a male killer, and I rather doubt witnesses would have even taken note of the victims talking to another woman.

I can't say that I think that's what happened, but I could easily make the argument that it did.

[Jonathan H]

Here is a new Jill the Ripper book.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/09/jack-the-ripper-was-murderer-really-a-woman-asks-author-john-morris_n_1502173.html?ref=uk

I think that's great, and good luck to the author.

I am trying to be throwback; in reviving the Drowned Not-a-Doctor suspect.

What I think is a mistake is the notion of the article about the book, considered a definitely ascertained fact by mansream media, that the police were left with an insoluable mystery.

Not according to significant police figures: Abberline, Anderson, Macnaghten, arguably Swanson, and Littelchild, all to varying degrees, asserted that it was not much of a mystery at all.

I argue that the bombastic William Le Queux created this entrenched notion of a forever clueless constabulary, in 1923, because he had identified the reall killer, a Czarist agent -- and he had the dictated document by Rasputin, no less, to prove it!

[Mitch Rowe]

There is no evidence whatsoever to indicate that the killer was a woman; in fact the majority of the evidence clearly identifies the Whitechapel murderer as being male. The various theories of a 'Jill the Ripper' can be easily debunked.

1. Most of the victims were strangled, likely from behind. The nature of the bruising found on the throats of some of the victims, notably Annie Chapman, indicate that great force was used. A woman would not have had the strength needed to throttle the victims to the extent of bruising found on the throat.

Many of those Women worked just as hard if not harder than alot of Men at that time. I have no doubt there were Women strong enough.

2. The witnesses themselves. Many witnesses came forward during the inquests of each of the murder victims, describing a man in the company of the victims, most notably Mr. Long and George Hutchinson. Mrs. Long suspect if on particular interest, as he was seen with Annie Chapman only minutes before her death and thus was most certainly her killer.

Of course the "Witnesses" were predisposed that the killer was a Man. MacNaghten believed no one saw JTR and no one can be sure anyone did!

[RealTyche]

There is no evidence whatsoever to indicate that the killer was a woman; in fact the majority of the evidence clearly identifies the Whitechapel murderer as being male. The various theories of a 'Jill the Ripper' can be easily debunked.

1. Most of the victims were strangled, likely from behind. The nature of the bruising found on the throats of some of the victims, notably Annie Chapman, indicate that great force was used. A woman would not have had the strength needed to throttle the victims to the extent of bruising found on the throat.

2. The witnesses themselves. Many witnesses came forward during the inquests of each of the murder victims, describing a man in the company of the victims, most notably Mr. Long and George Hutchinson. Mrs. Long suspect if on particular interest, as he was seen with Annie Chapman only minutes before her death and thus was most certainly her killer.

[John Wheat]

Assisted Suicide?

Are you serious?
So are your saying that someone helped the Ripper victims strangle themselves, cut there own throats and then just as they were dying helped them mutilate themselves.
No one in there right mind would commit suicide in this way if it's actually possible assisted or otherwise.
I must conclude that your taking the piss.
I stand corrected your theory is the most crackpot theory I've ever read on Jack the Ripper.

[Pettifogger]

Jack the Ripper being a woman is one of the most crackpot theories if not the most crackpot theory about Jack the Ripper.

You cannot totally dismiss the Jill the Ripper theories if you believe that some (if not all) deaths were assisted suicides. I've yet to see a truly valid theory that dismissed the assisted suicide theory!

[John Wheat]

Jack the Ripper being a woman is one of the most crackpot theories if not the most crackpot theory about Jack the Ripper.

[Pettifogger]

The theory has always been interesting

I give much more credence to a male killer utilizing female garb (washerwoman, etc.) to facilitate his escapes.

[Christine1932]

Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde had Jill the Ripper. Wonderful pseudo-Victorian look and atmosphere and Miss Hyde the Ripper is wonderful monster. Otherwise unbelievable.

[Steelysama]

Good idea. I'll work on it.

JM

Wonderful! I listen to the Rippercast all the time.

It's one of my favorite things to listen to while playing World of Warcraft.

[jmenges]

Good idea. I'll work on it.

JM

[Steelysama]

I do not put much stock in the Jill the Ripper theory and I think most ripperologists don't. But I would love to hear a Rippercast talking about the theory and its history.

[ianincleveland]

Id tend to dismiss the idea of "jill the ripper" because of the mutilations which were done in a sexual frenzy and the fact no women were seen by any of the witnesses

[FromHell_JacktheRipper]

I would consider the possibility that Jack was Jill if and only if there were no eyewitness statements that describe Jack as a man.

Still, though, it is a very good theory especially when you take into account that a midwife could've walked the streets of Victorian London unabated with blood stained acoutrements unnoticed.