Polly Nicholls--Domestic?

[Chava]

This is inspired by the thread in General Victims about the 3rd murder on the night of the DE. Which murder was clearly a domestic.

Which makes me think. I know that Nicholls was an acknowledged prostitute, and Tabram was before her. But it doesn't appear to me that the police in either instance ever considered the possibility that these killings could have been domestic in nature. Even though their experience would have surely showed them that most women are killed in 'domestic' situations. They jumped awfully quickly to the idea that they were stranger kills. Of course as soon as Chapman was killed, they know it's a series. But they don't know that about Nicholl's murder. It's not that I can come up with any reason for this. I just think it's strange!

[kensei]

Polly and her husband had been estranged for a very long time, and she was killed in an awfully out of the way place, so it is not likely that her husband would suddenly decide to do her in after so long and then be able to find her in that time and place. Those may have been reasons not to suspect him.

[Chava]

Polly and her husband had been estranged for a very long time, and she was killed in an awfully out of the way place, so it is not likely that her husband would suddenly decide to do her in after so long and then be able to find her in that time and place. Those may have been reasons not to suspect him.

Absolutely! But a domestic does not necessarily involve the husband but anyone who has been close to the victim. It doesn't seem that Nicholls had any kind of permanent man in her life, but even a former client could be considered for such a situation. The plice seem to have jumped awfully quickly to the stranger-killer theory.

[Pontius2000]

Absolutely! But a domestic does not necessarily involve the husband but anyone who has been close to the victim. It doesn't seem that Nicholls had any kind of permanent man in her life, but even a former client could be considered for such a situation. The plice seem to have jumped awfully quickly to the stranger-killer theory.

yes, it could have been a former client. which would mean it wasn't a domestic. it's feasible that JTR could've been a former client of all or some of the victims. but that doesn't mean he was domestic to them or even knew so much as their names.

as for looking into other clients, if the police had said, "we have a low, destitute, street hooker who's been butchered and need to talk to all the men who had used her services", take a wild guess at how many men would've come forward.

[Pontius2000]

also, Walter Dew's account is good for understanding the actual mood of the time. Nichols was considered the 3rd murder in a series, not the first or second. extra police were already on the streets at the time of the Nichols murder due to the Emma Smith and Martha Tabram murders.

[Addy]

And besides all that, if the police knew the victim was a prostitute, in a violent neighbourhood, my guess would be that prejudices (after all, what would we tend to think?) would lead them to think that it was a stranger who killed her.

Domestics also appear to be done indoors, in the home mostly of the victims (my opinion from what I've read and seen on tv). You don't expect someone murdered out on the streets, in indeed an out of the way place, to be a "domestic"

Greetings,

Addy

[corey123]

Also,

In Domestic murders, they are usually very disorganised. A killer surrounded in rage is a feable difference than on who is cold and calculating like Jack the Ripper. Because we don't know the entier extent of Nichols wounds, we cannot say weather it was either or, but I am betting on the latter.

Whats more, domestics are usualy very noisy, she was killed almost completely under the window of "New Cottage", where people would no doubt hear a woman screaming or struggling.

Yours truly

[Hunter]

In all fairness to the police, they acually did investigate the possiblity of a "domestic" in the case of Mary Nichols- indeed in all of the cases actually.

The first suspects in the Nichol's murder were the 3 slaughterhouse workers for Harrison, Barber and Co. in nearby Winthrop St. One of them , Henry Tompkins had stated that P C Thain had notified them of the murder and they had gone down to see the victim. P C Thain was unable to verify that story. The workers were interogated and gave depositions. Tompkins was called to the inquest. All 3 were cleared.

Polly's father, Edward Walker, was first to testify at the inquest and was asked about any men that he knew of in Polly's life that might do her harm, including her estrainged husband, who Walker evidently didn't think much of.

The ex- husband was questioned as were all of Polly's known acquaintances for any possible motives- of course, with no results.

By the third day of the inquest, Annie Chapman had been murdered and an unfortunate pattern, that was suspected with Nichols, was confirmed with Chapman... And as most know Abberline was called in after Nichol's murder because she was killed in J Division territory and Tabram's death was in H Division's district, he being sent to coordinate the various investigations in case there was a linkage between the two.

Nevertheless, a possible domestic link was considered in all of the murders, it was standard practice, despite the suspicion that one man may have been responsible.

[kensei]

As a further reason for not considering Polly's husband a suspect, let's not forget his observed behavior when he came to identify her body. He was seen to react with significant emotion, and to say to Polly something along the lines of "I forgive you, as you are, for what you have been to me."

[Chava]

In my original post I wasn't construing 'domestic' too closely. Simply referring to a man who had a prior relationship with the victim. It's interesting that Nicholls was seen as a part of a series that started with Smith. We are always told that the Ripper was 'the first serial killer' but of course he wasn't. And the police were already thinking about a series before Nicholls was killed.

[Addy]

Again, Nichols being a prostitute, there are many men who had a "relationship" with her, assuming that she had regular customers like many women seem to have had. I doubt the police would have considered such a relationship as domestic.

Greetings,

Addy

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

I find Nicholls being a "domestic" strange too...

All the best
Jukka

[Suzi]

Hello you all!

I find Nicholls being a "domestic" strange too...

All the best
Jukka

Hi Jukka
I agree- HIGHLY unlikely- considering poor Polly's circumstances at the time

Suz x

[dixon9]

off on a slight tangent (if i may) have read alot about William Nichols supposedly playing 'away' with the nurse who was looking after Polly,could anyone tell me what was wrong with Polly at that time(was it after giving birth?)
Thanks for any help

Dixon9
still learning

[Chava]

Yes. I think it was after the birth of their last child. Polly had a nurse in to give a bit of a hand. And she did. But not to Polly...