Cornwell's UK Publicity Tour

[Patrick S]

Cornwell's next Ripper Book, "Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert ", is set for publication on January 17, 2017. I'll likely pick it up at library sale in a year or two (as I did with her first Sickert/Ripper book). However, last night, with nothing to read, I happened upon her "Kindle Single", "Chasing the Ripper", (FREE!) on Amazon. In it she describes the UK publicity tour for her fist book as "hell", saying that the "Ripperolgists were laying in wait" and that the "message boards" (without naming "Casebook") were "going crazy" attacking her and her "suspect", Sickert.

I wonder if anyone here had any contact with Cornwell, either on the UK tour or otherwise?

In reading "Chasing the Ripper" I realized, to my astonishment, that Cornwell, in the 15 years since the publication of "Portrait of a Killer" has gained virtually no clarity with respect to the Whitechapel murders. She has clearly, instead, spent the ensuing years reinforcing her fixation on Walter Sickert as Jack the Ripper while completely disregarding any suggestion (or evidence) that does not reinforce her conclusions. Ironically, she spends a bit of time in her e-book debunking the "Eddowes shawl" while attempting to deflect the identical arguments she uses to refute it's provenance away from the conclusions she presented in her own book (i.e. Sickert's DNA on Ripper correspondence).

Ultimately, I'm left to wonder if Cornwell is genuine in her believe that Sickert was the Ripper. Has she contented herself with the knowledge that fans of her novels will come away convinced? Perhaps the odd reader with no real understanding of the crimes might be swayed? I'm also left to wonder if she'll engage with the "Ripperoligists" this time around? For her sake, I hope not. I dare say she'll come out rather worse off for the experience.

[Abby Normal]

Cornwell's next Ripper Book, "Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert ", is set for publication on January 17, 2017. I'll likely pick it up at library sale in a year or two (as I did with her first Sickert/Ripper book). However, last night, with nothing to read, I happened upon her "Kindle Single", "Chasing the Ripper", (FREE!) on Amazon. In it she describes the UK publicity tour for her fist book as "hell", saying that the "Ripperolgists were laying in wait" and that the "message boards" (without naming "Casebook") were "going crazy" attacking her and her "suspect", Sickert.

I wonder if anyone here had any contact with Cornwell, either on the UK tour or otherwise?

In reading "Chasing the Ripper" I realized, to my astonishment, that Cornwell, in the 15 years since the publication of "Portrait of a Killer" has gained virtually no clarity with respect to the Whitechapel murders. She has clearly, instead, spent the ensuing years reinforcing her fixation on Walter Sickert as Jack the Ripper while completely disregarding any suggestion (or evidence) that does not reinforce her conclusions. Ironically, she spends a bit of time in her e-book debunking the "Eddowes shawl" while attempting to deflect the identical arguments she uses to refute it's provenance away from the conclusions she presented in her own book (i.e. Sickert's DNA on Ripper correspondence).

Ultimately, I'm left to wonder if Cornwell is genuine in her believe that Sickert was the Ripper. Has she contented herself with the knowledge that fans of her novels will come away convinced? Perhaps the odd reader with no real understanding of the crimes might be swayed? I'm also left to wonder if she'll engage with the "Ripperoligists" this time around? For her sake, I hope not. I dare say she'll come out rather worse off for the experience.

has it even been conclusively proven that sickerts DNA is even on the letters?

[Patrick S]

has it even been conclusively proven that sickerts DNA is even on the letters?

If I recall one Ripper letter of the hundreds sent to the press and police matched Sickert's mitochondrial DNA profile. Which means, essentially, that either Sickert or someone with a matching mDNA profile sent a letter or Sickert or someone with a matching mDNA profile (about 1% of the population) handled the letter in the 110+ years from the date it was written until the date it was tested.

In seems that everyone who knew Sickert understood his keen and lifelong interest in Jack the Ripper (and Crippen, others). It appears to have been a favored topic of conversation for the man (I can relate). It wouldn't shock me if he did, in fact, write a letter, several letters. He was just under 30 in 1888. If he wasn't in France at the time of (at least some of) the killings then he was likely in the East End. I think it's more likely (and understandable) that - having "been there" - at such a unique, interesting, and macabre time in history, it would have made a lasting and informative impression on him, as a man and as an artist.

Cornwell seems reason that Sickert WAS Jack the Ripper because he was interested in Jack the Ripper, because he enjoyed talking about Jack the Ripper.

[Fisherman]

has it even been conclusively proven that sickerts DNA is even on the letters?

Has it been conclusively proven that he was in England at the times of the murders...? Wasn´t it more probable that he was in France, or am I muddling things?

PS. Just saw that Patrick touched in the matter in his post.

[Patrick S]

Has it been conclusively proven that he was in England at the times of the murders...? Wasn´t it more probable that he was in France, or am I muddling things?

PS. Just saw that Patrick touched in the matter in his post.

You're correct. He spent a great deal of time in France (Paris and Dieppe) in the 1880s. Cornwell's "evidence" that he was "conclusively" in the East End are dated annotations on sketches presumably made by Sickert.

[Abby Normal]

Thanks Patrick and Fish
I could see a young impressionable artist type (theyre eccentric to begin with) getting caught up in the excitement and writing hoax letters, maybe painting a few pictures related to the ripper.

ive seen cornhole in a few documentaries, ripper related and other wise. not impressed-seems more of the attention seeking profit motivated type than a real researcher, historian or scientist. or cop for that matter.

bag it.

out of curiosity though, what ripper letter did she "match" the DNA to?

[Patrick S]

Thanks Patrick and Fish
I could see a young impressionable artist type (theyre eccentric to begin with) getting caught up in the excitement and writing hoax letters, maybe painting a few pictures related to the ripper.

ive seen cornhole in a few documentaries, ripper related and other wise. not impressed-seems more of the attention seeking profit motivated type than a real researcher, historian or scientist. or cop for that matter.

bag it.

out of curiosity though, what ripper letter did she "match" the DNA to?

Okay. So I had to refresh my own memory as I read her book years ago and I didn't make much of an impression in terms of convincing me of her "case" against Sickert. In any event, it may be safe to say her primary bit of mDNA evidence is the "Openshaw Letter".

http://www.casebook.org/ripper_letters/ (scroll down to nearly mid-page, it's dated 29 October, 18888)

Cornwell claims that the paper used matches that used by Sickert. The mDNA was extracted from the envelope stamp. The main issue is that this letter is not widely to considered to have been sent from Eddowes' killer.

[jmenges]

I'm also left to wonder if she'll engage with the "Ripperoligists" this time around? For her sake, I hope not. I dare say she'll come out rather worse off for the experience.

She does engage with "Ripperologists" and has for a long time.

?

JM

[RockySullivan]

I randomly met Cornwell a year or so ago and spoke to hear about the Torso murders very briefly. She said she was going to London to do research on the Ripper. The one thing that interests me about Cornwell is that she believes letter written by Sickert are in the August 14 issue of the Echo, the one found with the Whitehall torso. I'd like to see what those letters are and read through that issue of the echo

[Howard Brown]

Rocky:

I've read that issue ( the torso was found with pieces of the August 24th edition in close proximity.....not August 14th) of the Echo...and there isn't much to it, from what I can ascertain.
The letters to the Echo in the August 24th edition contain nothing to suggest any connection to crime at all.
Hope that helps.

[DirectorDave]

Some seem to be beating about the bush here...let's call Sickert for what he was...a ripperoligist!

He, Just like Tumblety, Donston Stephenson and no doubt others have a century down the line been accused of being Jack because of their interest in the case.

I wonder if in centuries or millennia when the case is saturated with legend if Cornwell's interest will lead to her being accused of being the Whitechapel murderer?

[Holmes' Idiot Brother]

[QUOTE=Abby Normal;n561032]Thanks Patrick and Fish
I could see a young impressionable artist type (theyre eccentric to begin with) getting caught up in the excitement and writing hoax letters, maybe painting a few pictures related to the ripper.

ive seen cornhole in a few documentaries, ripper related and other wise. not impressed-seems more of the attention seeking profit motivated type than a real researcher, historian or scientist. or cop for that matter.

"Cornhole"!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!! Going forward, this is how I will refer to this intellectually dishonest and devoid charlatan! She is a diagnosed bi-polar nutjob, who, even when her ridiculous theories are debunked, still doubles down on her mad belief that Walter Sickert did more than just paint! She is an erratic individual whose works may be safely ignored.