Why two cuts across the throat?

[Wickerman]

Why do Nichols and Chapman have two cuts across their throats, but Stride and Eddowes only one? Does anybody have a theory on that, and what it could reveal about the MO?

Contra to the above mentioned single cut to the throat of Eddowes, the mortuary drawning by Frederick Foster appears to indicate two cuts.



This makes the medical report all the more interesting because it also does not mention the number of cuts, yet appears to describe two different cuts.

Frederick Gordon Brown, while observing her body in situ at Mitre Square, described the cut to her neck as, "....the throat cut across, below the cut was a neckerchief....".
So possibly the second lower cut was covered by the neckerchief.

Next the doctor describes the cuts to the throat while at the post-mortem.

"....the throat was cut across to the extent of about 6 or 7 inches, a superficial cut commenced about an inch and 1/2 below the lobe and about 2 1/2 inches below behind the left ear and extended across the throat to about 3 inches below the lobe of the right ear..."

If the above superficial cut is compared with the mortuary drawing above, it appears to describe the diagonal upper darker cut beginning up behind her left ear and extending diagonally across below her right ear.

Strangely, the medical report continues the above description as if still describing one cut, yet now the cut is very deep, ie; not superficial.

"...The big muscle across the throat was divided through on the left side - the large vessels on the left side of the neck were severed - the larynx was severed below the vocal cord - all the deep structures were severed to the bone, the knife marking the intervertebral cartilages - the sheath of the vessels on the right side was just opened - The carotid artery had a fine hole opening - The internal jugular vein was opened an inch and a half, not divided"

This last part of the description of the wound(s) to the neck does not read as superficial, so I suspect this last half is another cut, but deeper than the first. Consistent with Foster's drawing.

Regards, Jon S.

[sdreid]

Perhaps he originally intended to remove the head and found that it was more difficult than he'd supposed and decided to forgo it in later attacks.