Charles Lechmere: Prototypical Life of a Serial Killer

[rjpalmer]

It's been pointed out that No. 107 Poplar High Street was several doors from the mark on my original map; I left off several buildings not listed in the 1888/1889 City Directory, so for the sake of accuracy, here is a new and improved map, showing the orientation between the scene of the crime (purple) and Pickford's Receiving Office (red X).

[rjpalmer]

Clark's Yard, between 184 and 186 Poplar High Street, was seven addresses away from the Pickfords 'receiving office' we have seen advertised as being at no.170. Clark's Yard is also less than 300 yards from the site of the large Pickford's depot on the other side of the road. M.

In fairness to Ed Stow, did he give this address himself in another video? No. 170?

I was just reviewing his video "Lechmere and the Whitechapel Murders--All of Them--Part 5" (on YouTube), which was posted about five months ago, and he does have a map of the area with the correct location of Pickford's Receiving Office in 1889-- No. 107, so if this error ever crept in, he seems to have corrected it himself. Or maybe it was a claim made by one of his acolytes (?)




(No. 178 in blue is the former location of Liz Stride's coffee shop)

[Aethelwulf]

In fairness to Ed Stow, did he give this address himself in another video? No. 170?

I was just reviewing his video "Lechmere and the Whitechapel Murders--All of Them--Part 5" (on YouTube), which was posted about five months ago, and he does have a map of the area with the correct location of Pickford's Receiving Office in 1889-- No. 107, so if this error ever crept in, he seems to have corrected it himself. Or maybe it was a claim made by one of his acolytes (?)




(No. 178 in blue is the former location of Liz Stride's coffee shop)

Interesting as the geography of Poplar High Street and history of Pickfords may be, I see it as totally irrelevant to the question of what happended to Rose Mylett.

[John Wheat]

Interesting as the geography of Poplar High Street and history of Pickfords may be, I see it as totally irrelevant to the question of what happended to Rose Mylett.

I'd go further than that Aethelwulf it has nothing to do with the Ripper murders full stop .

[Mark J D]

I'd go further than that Aethelwulf it has nothing to do with the Ripper murders full stop .

In reality, of course, Lechmere slots right in. Denying his candidacy is increasingly a lost cause. But don't let me stop you...

M.

[John Wheat]

In reality, of course, Lechmere slots right in. Denying his candidacy is increasingly a lost cause. But don't let me stop you...

M.

In reality Lechmere is a terrible suspect.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

In reality, of course, Lechmere slots right in. Denying his candidacy is increasingly a lost cause. But don't let me stop you...

M.

The lost cause is that of Edward Stow or whatever his real name may be.

He admitted to me that he cannot say that Lechhmere went to work that day and was not still in bed with his wife while Mary Kelly was being butchered.

Christer Holmgren, in an equally tight spot, suggested Lechmere may have been on holiday that day, but did not say where.

Charles Lechmere, the man who murdered women on his way to work, except that neither Stow nor Holmgren can even place him at any of the murder sites except on the one morning when he found a body on his way to work and told a policeman about it.

[Aethelwulf]

In reality, of course, Lechmere slots right in. Denying his candidacy is increasingly a lost cause. But don't let me stop you...

M.

I can see why Mylett is potentially important to the Lechmere theory. The body of a prostitute down a dark yard dispatched by an accomplished strangler. Lechmere killed on his way to work and what do you know, a Pickfords Depot nearby and that very morning we are to believe Lechmere had a Special Assignment to be at that depot for 4 am no doubt. As we know though there is an altogether more likely solution of a proven murderer with the same unusual strangulation MO living 20-25 minutes away in December 1888. There is then a rather uncomfortable realisation that the high street-pickfords-Lechmere-mylett is nothing more than tenuous coincidence.

What about Lechmere's only day off, the double event and his mother's? Surely that isn't another meaningless coincidence? After all we know Lech was a proven prostitute user and violent man....

What about those other annoying little things that need explaining away? The testimonies of Long and Cadoche when Lech had long been at work? The cries of murder around 4 am at Millers Court and the killer being there at least half an hour I would say - long after Lech was at work...

The route to work, the 'Lech Triangle' all become meaningless based on an erroneous starting point of assumed guilt.

As I said before, those of us that work on a suspect basis are trying to make the most of circumstantial evidence. In this case, the circumstantial evidence of a proven murder and user of prostitutes with the same strangulation MO living nearby is massively more compelling that the most tenuous of links to Lechmere.

[Dickere]

The lost cause is that of Edward Stow or whatever his real name may be.

He admitted to me that he cannot say that Lechhmere went to work that day and was not still in bed with his wife while Mary Kelly was being butchered.

Christer Holmgren, in an equally tight spot, suggested Lechmere may have been on holiday that day, but did not say where.

Charles Lechmere, the man who murdered women on his way to work, except that neither Stow nor Holmgren can even place him at any of the murder sites except on the one morning when he found a body on his way to work and told a policeman about it.

As opposed to all the other suspects who were lucky enough not to be found standing next to a not quite dead victim.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

I can see why Mylett is potentially important to the Lechmere theory. The body of a prostitute down a dark yard dispatched by an accomplished strangler. Lechmere killed on his way to work and what do you know, a Pickfords Depot nearby and that very morning we are to believe Lechmere had a Special Assignment to be at that depot for 4 am no doubt. As we know though there is an altogether more likely solution of a proven murderer with the same unusual strangulation MO living 20-25 minutes away in December 1888. There is then a rather uncomfortable realisation that the high street-pickfords-Lechmere-mylett is nothing more than tenuous coincidence.

What about Lechmere's only day off, the double event and his mother's? Surely that isn't another meaningless coincidence? After all we know Lech was a proven prostitute user and violent man....

What about those other annoying little things that need explaining away? The testimonies of Long and Cadoche when Lech had long been at work? The cries of murder around 4 am at Millers Court and the killer being there at least half an hour I would say - long after Lech was at work...

The route to work, the 'Lech Triangle' all become meaningless based on an erroneous starting point of assumed guilt.

As I said before, those of us that work on a suspect basis are trying to make the most of circumstantial evidence. In this case, the circumstantial evidence of a proven murder and user of prostitutes with the same strangulation MO living nearby is massively more compelling that the most tenuous of links to Lechmere.

I think you're agreeing with what I wrote previously, that Lechmere has to be found a pretext to be at the scene of each murder at the right time, as follows:


(1) Nichols

This is easy, as Lechmere 'pretended' to come across Nichols' body while on his way to work.

'Obviously', he took the opportunity to murder a prostitute on his way to work, and them acted all innocent when reporting his find to a policeman.


(2) Chapman

While I and opponents of mine are arguing about whether Chapman was murdered at about 5.30 a.m. or hours earlier - perhaps as early as 2.30 a.m. or even earlier - Christer Holmgren has it worked out: Lechmere left home early enough to have eviscerated Chapman on his way to work and still have time to get to work on time without arousing any suspicion.

His collaborator Edward Stow told me he doesn't know whether Lechmere was working that day because he doesn't have access to his work records.

Is it not remarkable that Lechmere manages to leave extra early - unlike when he met Nichols - in order to meet Chapman, and still has time to get to work on time?

It is as if he had an appointment with Chapman.


(3) The 'man who kills prostitutes while on his way to work' is transformed into 'the man who kills a prostitute while on his way home from his mother's house and then decides to kill another prostitute even further from home instead of going home'.

Lechmere has to visit his mother's house om a Saturday evening, without any of his nine children, leave at about half past midnight, happen to walk down Berner St on his way home, happen to meet Stride and murder her there, and then instead of going home, walk a mile westwards to the City of London, murder another prostitute there, and then instead of going home, go to Spitalfields and leave a piece of bloody clothing from his last victim.

Only then does he make his way home.

(4) Kelly.

This is perhaps the most problematic murder of all - that is for those who say that Lechmere committed it.

There is evidence that Kelly was murdered between 3:45 and 4:00 a.m., that her murderer left at about 5:45 AM, and that the mutilations would have taken about two hours to perform.

Lechmere could hardly have got to work before 6:00 AM - two hours late.

Turning up two hours late for work, with bloodstained hands and someone else's bloody heart on one's person, on the morning of a notorious murder about half a mile away, could hardly have failed to arouse suspicion, especially as Lechmere had already come to the police's attention.

Christer Holmgren's responses are: Kelly's heart was not missing; someone once estimated that the mutilations could have taken just half an hour to perform; all the witnesses' timings can be disregarded because all the witnesses were liars; it could have been Lechmere's day off.


It will not do.

The case against Lechmere looks remarkably like a frame-up.

The case does not proceed from the evidence.

Holmgren surmises that Lechmere would have gone down Hanbury Street on his way to work, but why then would he have gone down Dorset Street?

Stow says that there is no reason to suppose that Lechmere would have had a holiday just on account of the Lord Mayor's show, but that he doesn't know whether Lechmere did work that day, whereas Holmgren suggests Lechmere may have had a holiday but does not explain why he would have spent it in Dorset St rather than with his family.


If Lechmere did not arrive for work two hours late that day with Kelly's heart on him, but had a holiday, then he would have had to leave his wife and family, go to Dorset St, mutilate Kelly and then go back home with her heart, and expect none of his family to suspect anything.

Similarly, he would have had to go to work after murdering Chapman, with her kidney and uterus, and then take them home about 12 hours later, without any of his wife or children noticing anything out of the ordinary.

It is well known that serial murderers like to take trophies from their victims.

The Whitechapel Murderer was no exception.

How could he have gloated over his trophies at home when he lived with a wife and nine children?

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

As opposed to all the other suspects who were lucky enough not to be found standing next to a not quite dead victim.

Lechmere was not found standing next to a victim.

He waited for another member of the public to arrive, stopped him from passing by, showed him the body, and then told a policeman about it.

The real murderer had left, just as he did in Berner Street, after Diemschutz arrived, and in Mitre Square when Harvey arrived but before Watkins entered the Square.

The real murderer did not hang around.

[Fiver]

As opposed to all the other suspects who were lucky enough not to be found standing next to a not quite dead victim.

Being found near Nichols' body points towards Lechmere's innocence because he was observed.

Lechmere did not just walk off. Lechmere brought Paul's attention to the body. Lechmere didn't touch the body, even though it would have provided an innocent excuse for blood on hands or clothing. Lechmere stayed with Paul all the way to Paul's job near Spitalfields Market. Lechmere sought out a police officer, who would have carried a lantern. Lechmere voluntarily came forward to testify, even though neither PC Mizen nor Robert Paul knew who he was.

All of which were incredibly stupid things for a murderer to do.

We don't know if Nichols was alive or dead when Lechmere and Paul left her body. If bodies bled out as fast as Fisherman claims, Nichols was killed after Lechmere and Paul left and PC Neill would be the most likely suspect.

Of course Fisherman's bleed rates, like most everything he says about the case, are complete nonsense. Detective Inspector Reid observed Alice Mackenzie's "blood under the head which was running into the gutter" over 15 minutes after her body was found.

Chapman was killed after Lechmere would have been at work.

For Lechmere to have killed Stride and Eddowes, he would have had to get up at least 3 hours early on his only day off or stay up for at least 23 hours straight.

[Aethelwulf]

I think you're agreeing with what I wrote previously, that Lechmere has to be found a pretext to be at the scene of each murder at the right time, as follows:


(1) Nichols

This is easy, as Lechmere 'pretended' to come across Nichols' body while on his way to work.

'Obviously', he took the opportunity to murder a prostitute on his way to work, and them acted all innocent when reporting his find to a policeman.


(2) Chapman

While I and opponents of mine are arguing about whether Chapman was murdered at about 5.30 a.m. or hours earlier - perhaps as early as 2.30 a.m. or even earlier - Christer Holmgren has it worked out: Lechmere left home early enough to have eviscerated Chapman on his way to work and still have time to get to work on time without arousing any suspicion.

His collaborator Edward Stow told me he doesn't know whether Lechmere was working that day because he doesn't have access to his work records.

Is it not remarkable that Lechmere manages to leave extra early - unlike when he met Nichols - in order to meet Chapman, and still has time to get to work on time?

It is as if he had an appointment with Chapman.


(3) The 'man who kills prostitutes while on his way to work' is transformed into 'the man who kills a prostitute while on his way home from his mother's house and then decides to kill another prostitute even further from home instead of going home'.

Lechmere has to visit his mother's house om a Saturday evening, without any of his nine children, leave at about half past midnight, happen to walk down Berner St on his way home, happen to meet Stride and murder her there, and then instead of going home, walk a mile westwards to the City of London, murder another prostitute there, and then instead of going home, go to Spitalfields and leave a piece of bloody clothing from his last victim.

Only then does he make his way home.

(4) Kelly.

This is perhaps the most problematic murder of all - that is for those who say that Lechmere committed it.

There is evidence that Kelly was murdered between 3:45 and 4:00 a.m., that her murderer left at about 5:45 AM, and that the mutilations would have taken about two hours to perform.

Lechmere could hardly have got to work before 6:00 AM - two hours late.

Turning up two hours late for work, with bloodstained hands and someone else's bloody heart on one's person, on the morning of a notorious murder about half a mile away, could hardly have failed to arouse suspicion, especially as Lechmere had already come to the police's attention.

Christer Holmgren's responses are: Kelly's heart was not missing; someone once estimated that the mutilations could have taken just half an hour to perform; all the witnesses' timings can be disregarded because all the witnesses were liars; it could have been Lechmere's day off.


It will not do.

The case against Lechmere looks remarkably like a frame-up.

The case does not proceed from the evidence.

Holmgren surmises that Lechmere would have gone down Hanbury Street on his way to work, but why then would he have gone down Dorset Street?

Stow says that there is no reason to suppose that Lechmere would have had a holiday just on account of the Lord Mayor's show, but that he doesn't know whether Lechmere did work that day, whereas Holmgren suggests Lechmere may have had a holiday but does not explain why he would have spent it in Dorset St rather than with his family.


If Lechmere did not arrive for work two hours late that day with Kelly's heart on him, but had a holiday, then he would have had to leave his wife and family, go to Dorset St, mutilate Kelly and then go back home with her heart, and expect none of his family to suspect anything.

Similarly, he would have had to go to work after murdering Chapman, with her kidney and uterus, and then take them home about 12 hours later, without any of his wife or children noticing anything out of the ordinary.

It is well known that serial murderers like to take trophies from their victims.

The Whitechapel Murderer was no exception.

How could he have gloated over his trophies at home when he lived with a wife and nine children?

Remember, it isn't just the C5 - Stow and his Cronies have fitted Lech up to such an extent that he's dumping torsos left right and centre across multiple decades. Astonishing really when you stop and think what the case against Lech actually boils down.

Some joker also had Lech on a little trip out to Bow to fettle Ada Wilson.

[PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR 1]

Remember, it isn't just the C5 - Stow and his Cronies have fitted Lech up to such an extent that he's dumping torsos left right and centre across multiple decades. Astonishing really when you stop and think what the case against Lech actually boils down.

Some joker also had Lech on a little trip out to Bow to fettle Ada Wilson.

You have reminded me that I was going to mention Martha Tabram (who according to Holmgren was killed by Lechmere) - a case in which Lechmere is required to have set off for work about an hour early in order to be at George Yard Buildings (not Hanbury Street this time) in time to commit the murder.

[Fiver]

You have reminded me that I was going to mention Martha Tabram (who according to Holmgren was killed by Lechmere) - a case in which Lechmere is required to have set off for work about an hour early in order to be at George Yard Buildings (not Hanbury Street this time) in time to commit the murder.

And the Pinchin Street Torso was deposited over an hour after Lechmere started work.