Is Kosminski still the best suspect we have?

[tanta07]

I don't think so, I've never quite been convinced about him, judging by what I've read on him I think he was stark raving mad, for lack of a better term. I think the ripper was sane and cunning. Just my opinion of course. If he was acting insensible I think he would have drew attention to himself and been caught out. I think it was someone who had their wits about them who carried out the murders. From the information we have about Kominski's state of mind I don't imagine he could have gone unnoticed at the crime scenes or had the clarity to lure the victims.

Well, as late as December 1889, Kosminski still had it together enough to appear in court and even crack jokes about going by Aaron Abrahams, because Kosminski was too hard to spell, and that he couldn't pay his fine that day (a Sunday) because of Jewish customs.

It seems he didn't regress into the incoherent lunatic who ate out of gutters until around mid-1890.

[c.d.]

I would have to imagine that encounters with the victims involved simply taking out your money and exchanging a few words rather than engaging in lengthy conversations.

c.d.

[Scott Nelson]

From the information we have about Kominski's state of mind I don't imagine he could have gone unnoticed at the crime scenes or had the clarity to lure the victims.

But what if, like epilepsy, his mania was episodic?

[TheTypeWriter]

Stewart P Evans dissertation here https://www.casebook.org/dissertations/dst-koz.html is an excellent attempt to qualify and put context around the chain of events of that time. If this was to be taken as the real timeline and chain of events then it still leaves some interesting questions and observations:

1) If Lawende did positively ID the suspect at the seaside home in July 1890 then why did the police not use that? The excuse of "a Jew won't tell on another Jew" is highly odd. If Lawende was willing to ID the person he saw, then on some base level he wanted to help catch the killer, but only if he turns out not be Jewish? If he had the best look at the Ripper as many believe he did, then would he not already have known this fact? So why even go to the seaside home? Was he really positively identified? We only have the police side on this. Or did the police want to appear that if wasnt for a jew not testifying against another jew they would have the damn ripper?
2) The press at the time were very critical of the police. Much like social media today is of everything. The police were under immense pressure to show they were on top of things. It would suit the narrative of "we knew all along" but other factors prevented us from making an arrest - thus showing they were not inept (certainly in the eyes of the press and the unconvinced public)
3) Koz was clearly on a list of people who may have had opportuniuty when the police were doing their house calls in October 1888, so when out of nowhere they find out a man on their list has had an attack of insanity in July 1890 this was very interesting. So he was on a list from 1888, but not flagged until at least July 1890 - almost 2 years later. Now they have another potential patsy like Druitt, except this one was a little more plausible in the sense he was much fitting of the caricature of what they believed JTR to be. Covenient coat peg springs to mind

If there was more than circumstantial eveidence than just being a bit bat **** crazy and living the area at the time, they would have had more. They didn't. These women would not be left alone with a strange, unclean man like Koz - they were street smart women. Whoever did this had a ruse that put the women at ease. He simply was not capable of this. Outside of the DNA allegedly connecting Koz to Eddowes shawl (which is dubious at best) there is literally little else linking Koz.

I agree especially with your last paragraph.

[TheTypeWriter]

I believe Anderson's suspect was actually Jacob Levy. We won't all agree but it's good to discuss

[TheTypeWriter]

I don't think so, I've never quite been convinced about him, judging by what I've read on him I think he was stark raving mad, for lack of a better term. I think the ripper was sane and cunning. Just my opinion of course. If he was acting insensible I think he would have drew attention to himself and been caught out. I think it was someone who had their wits about them who carried out the murders. From the information we have about Kominski's state of mind I don't imagine he could have gone unnoticed at the crime scenes or had the clarity to lure the victims.

[erobitha]

Stewart P Evans dissertation here https://www.casebook.org/dissertations/dst-koz.html is an excellent attempt to qualify and put context around the chain of events of that time. If this was to be taken as the real timeline and chain of events then it still leaves some interesting questions and observations:

1) If Lawende did positively ID the suspect at the seaside home in July 1890 then why did the police not use that? The excuse of "a Jew won't tell on another Jew" is highly odd. If Lawende was willing to ID the person he saw, then on some base level he wanted to help catch the killer, but only if he turns out not be Jewish? If he had the best look at the Ripper as many believe he did, then would he not already have known this fact? So why even go to the seaside home? Was he really positively identified? We only have the police side on this. Or did the police want to appear that if wasnt for a jew not testifying against another jew they would have the damn ripper?
2) The press at the time were very critical of the police. Much like social media today is of everything. The police were under immense pressure to show they were on top of things. It would suit the narrative of "we knew all along" but other factors prevented us from making an arrest - thus showing they were not inept (certainly in the eyes of the press and the unconvinced public)
3) Koz was clearly on a list of people who may have had opportuniuty when the police were doing their house calls in October 1888, so when out of nowhere they find out a man on their list has had an attack of insanity in July 1890 this was very interesting. So he was on a list from 1888, but not flagged until at least July 1890 - almost 2 years later. Now they have another potential patsy like Druitt, except this one was a little more plausible in the sense he was much fitting of the caricature of what they believed JTR to be. Covenient coat peg springs to mind

If there was more than circumstantial eveidence than just being a bit bat **** crazy and living the area at the time, they would have had more. They didn't. These women would not be left alone with a strange, unclean man like Koz - they were street smart women. Whoever did this had a ruse that put the women at ease. He simply was not capable of this. Outside of the DNA allegedly connecting Koz to Eddowes shawl (which is dubious at best) there is literally little else linking Koz.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

Didn't Kosminski die in Colney Hatch? Then how can he be the suspect at "the seaside home" potentially in Hove?

He did, but much later.

[erobitha]

Didn't Kosminski die in Colney Hatch? Then how can he be the suspect at "the seaside home" potentially in Hove?

[tanta07]

My personal leaning is that Kosminiski and George Chapman are the least unlikely of the bunch. Chapman was at least a known murderer, although like all other suspects, he comes with his own laundry lists of problems fitting the JTR template.

Then there's that pesky Maybrick diary that I can't seem to quit paying attention to...

[The Baron]

At Colney Hatch Asylum, Aaron Kosminski was described at various times as being, "extremely deluded and morose," "rather difficult to deal with

(( where he had been sent by us with difficulty in order to subject him to identification ))

on account of the dominant character of his delusions" "Incoherent, apathetic, excitable"

he is guided and his movements altogether controlled by an instinct that informs his mind.


Yes, I think Kosminski is still the best and solo suspect we have.


The Baron

[John Wheat]

The chief detective also thought a serial poisoner was the Ripper.

Objectively, Bury has to be considered the best named suspect. He's the only one whose circumstances fit the case. He was a convicted murderer with a similar MO/signature to the Ripper, and he was in the East End from 1887-1888. It's really as simple as that, people. Does that mean Bury was the Ripper? Far from it, I still have some healthy skepticism where he's concerned but the facts are stacked in his favour over other so-called suspects who rely on a lot of negative proof.

You're absolutely right Harry. And again I'm going to draw a parallel with Sutcliffe and say the Police in The Ripper case we're looking for someone Jewish or Eastern European when they should have been looking for an every day loser e.g. Bury.

[Harry D]

But the police never thought so.

The chief detective also thought a serial poisoner was the Ripper.

Objectively, Bury has to be considered the best named suspect. He's the only one whose circumstances fit the case. He was a convicted murderer with a similar MO/signature to the Ripper, and he was in the East End from 1887-1888. It's really as simple as that, people. Does that mean Bury was the Ripper? Far from it, I still have some healthy skepticism where he's concerned but the facts are stacked in his favour over other so-called suspects who rely on a lot of negative proof.

[John Wheat]

But the police never thought so.

So what. The Police thought The Yorkshire Ripper was s Geordie and so dismissed Sutcliffe for some time.

[Scott Nelson]

In my opinion and this is no secret nor something I haven't said before is that WH Bury is the best Ripper suspect by a country mile.

But the police never thought so.