MJK Murder Oddities

[Fisherman]

Leatherface writes:

"There was also evidence (I believe) that he may have a sheet over her face when he did the final strike."

If the cuts to the face were final or outset ones is something we do not know. Both theories have their followers. Moreover, whether the cuts to the bedlinen came about as the result of the killer covering Kellys face or as the result of the knife travelling down into the linen underneath her head as he cut, also divides those who have an interest in the case in two camps.

The suggestion that the killer covered her face comes from Bond. I´m not inclined to go along with his deductions in many cases, but this is one occasion where we are agreed.

The best!
Fisherman

[Leatherface]

There was also evidence (I believe) that he may have a sheet over her face when he did the final strike.

R

[Carrotty Nell]

I remember reading that it was not possible to determine whether MJK had been strangled or not because of the extent of the mutilations. Bond does not say yea or nay on the subject. So really there are no grounds for assuming the WM abandoned his MO in this regard.

The arterial spray hit the wall to the right of the bed. So as the killer must have been standing room-side of the bed there is no reason to suppose he would have been drenched in arterial spray.

There were only two who heard the cry of murder, Elizabeth Prater and Sarah Lewis, both giving slightly different timings for it and slightly different accounts of the scream, but not discrepancies sufficient to seriously question whether they both heard the same thing. Various other Miller's Court residents heard various other things throughout the night, Kelly singing, retreating footsteps, Kelly's door closing.

[kensei]

Hi this is my first post.

IIRC according to the coroner Mary Jane Kelly died when her Jugular was severed leaving the wall spattered with arterial spray. This prompts several questions?

ASSUMING IT WAS the WM, it would have violated his M.O. in that the WM strangled his victims before cutting them up. Why would he take such a risk?

Horribly, this also suggests that MJK was conscious when attacked –how did the WM conduct his attack w/o her raising bloody hell instead of the subdued ‘Murder’ heard by the four women living in the room directly above hers?

Also, why wasn’t the WM covered in blood?

JRJ

Hello and welcome JRJ,

I'm no expert but have studied the case for a long time. It's my understanding that ALL the victims died from cut throats, and that the Ripper (or Whitechapel Murderer) did strangle them first but not to death, only to unconsciousness or near-unconsciousness.

I think Mary Kelly probably was conscious when attacked, but she was also quite drunk and not at the top of her game. Being young and relatively healthy, if sober she could have probably given her killer a run for his money. By the way there was only one woman in the room directly above, Mrs. Prater, though I do remember reading that there were a couple of others in other locations nearby that also heard the cry of "Murder."

Lastly, why wasn't the murderer covered in blood? To some degree he almost certainly was. With a fire burning for warmth as well as light, he may have disrobed somewhat as he cut up the body and then covered his bloodstains with a coat when he left.

[JRJ]

Hi this is my first post.

IIRC according to the coroner Mary Jane Kelly died when her Jugular was severed leaving the wall spattered with arterial spray. This prompts several questions?

ASSUMING IT WAS the WM, it would have violated his M.O. in that the WM strangled his victims before cutting them up. Why would he take such a risk?

Horribly, this also suggests that MJK was conscious when attacked –how did the WM conduct his attack w/o her raising bloody hell instead of the subdued ‘Murder’ heard by the four women living in the room directly above hers?

Also, why wasn’t the WM covered in blood?

JRJ