Who was killed by Jack the Ripper?

[Marcel Prost]

Hi all,

Over the years, one of the biggest points of debate in Ripperology has been: which Whitechapel victims were truly killed by Jack the Ripper, and which were not?

I’m sure a poll like this has been done before, but my aim here is to see how things stand right now among members.

This poll isn’t about proving any one theory “right” or “wrong,” but about seeing how current researchers line up on the question of victim inclusion.

Please cast your vote and feel free to share your reasoning in the thread.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

[Abby Normal]

ive got the c7 and probably millwood as an early non fatal victim.

[Marcel Prost]

I am undecided about how to answer my own poll.

I only feel reasonably certain about the canonical three. It is difficult to doubt that Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, and Catherine Eddowes were murdered by the same man.

Before or after that, doubts begin to arise and anything is possible. There are no wrong answers.

Before finding his definitive MO, the Ripper may have started by attacking Annie Milwood and/or Martha Tabram.

On the night of the Double Event, Elizabeth Stride was murdered but not deeply mutilated. Why? Because the Ripper was interrupted, or because she was killed by someone else?

On the other hand, Mary Jane Kelly was mutilated beyond recognition. Is this because Jack was escalating the violence of his attacks? Did this lead him to kill indoors rather than on the street, so that he could carry out a level of mutilation never seen before? Or was Kelly killed by someone else, which is why she was mutilated much more than Nichols, Chapman, and Eddowes?

Then there is Alice McKenzie. She was murdered but less mutilated than the previous victims. Could it be that, as may have happened with Stride, the Ripper was interrupted? Or was McKenzie murdered by someone else? Again, there are no wrong answers.

[ohrocky]

IMO there are two issues with Kelly, either of which would account for her horrific mutiliations. Either it was because it was the killer of the C3 who just had more time being indoors or this was somebody who MJK knew. Disfigurement mutilation murders tend to be committed by someone known / close to the victim. (see the murder of Jade Marsh by her ex-husband). But I have nothing that points me in either specific direction.

All IMHO of course. I have no better idea than the next man or woman!

[Lewis C]

I said C5 plus Tabram, but I'm 50/50 on McKenzie.

[Marcel Prost]

I said C5 plus Tabram, but I'm 50/50 on McKenzie.

Yes, McKenzie’s inclusion or exclusion is of the utmost importance in suspect analysis.

If Alice McKenzie was indeed a Ripper victim, then at least four suspects are eliminated: Druitt, Tumblety, Maybrick and Bury.

[Lewis C]

Yes, McKenzie’s inclusion or exclusion is of the utmost importance in suspect analysis.

If Alice McKenzie was indeed a Ripper victim, then at least four suspects are eliminated: Druitt, Tumblety, Maybrick and Bury.

That's right, and David Cohen and Hyam Hyams could be eliminated too. I don't think much of Edward Buchan as a suspect, but he died shortly after the Kelly murder. And I think the narrative for Joseph Barnett as a suspect assumes that Kelly was the last victim.

[Mike J. G.]

I'm open minded when it comes to the potential victims. I'd be okay including Martha T and Emma S, the C5, and I'm open to Alice M. I'm not entirely sure I'd be comfortable doubting any of the 11 bodies, to be honest. I'd be surprised if the killer was only responsible for the canonical five.

[Tom_Wescott]

ive got the c7 and probably millwood as an early non fatal victim.

I would agree with this, except to add that there can be little doubt but that Millwood's death 10 days after her release from hospital was directly due to her injuries. Almost certainly a blood clot.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Abby Normal]

I would agree with this, except to add that there can be little doubt but that Millwood's death 10 days after her release from hospital was directly due to her injuries. Almost certainly a blood clot.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

thanks tom

ive always felt her death must be related to the attack somehow.

[Tom_Wescott]

thanks tom

ive always felt her death must be related to the attack somehow.

The coroners/police were limited by quota to how many murders they could have on their books and in a case where solution was virtually hopeless, such as in the cases of Millwood and Horsenell, verdicts other than murder were brought in. This also helped keep crime numbers low and made the politicians and police look a bit better than they were. A few excellent academic papers have been written on this fascinating (and completely legal) practice. From what I understand, it ended in England around 1960. Only a fraction of murders were reported/documented as such.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott