Did Mary know her attacker?

[Chava]

Hi Chris! Our paths haven't crossed for a while.

From the inquest and press reports it sounds as if McCarthy said words to the effect of 'see if you can go and get any money from the Kelly woman. She owes me a bunch.' It certainly didn't sound as if he went round every Friday, if McCarthy has to tell him to do so. However it is possible that normally McCarthy himself collected the rent on Friday. I don't know whether this was the case or not. In any case, Kelly wouldn't have been able to come up with much. Certainly only a small percentage of what she owed.

[Sam Flynn]

If Kelly's attacker went to Kelly's home and Kelly invited him in or if the Ripper broke into Kelly's home that would be an interesting change of MO.

Hi Brad,

I agree - but it's a subject in itself, indeed whole threads have been devoted to it. A stranger could just as feasibly have broken into, or have been invited into, Kelly's room as someone who knew her. In the strict context of "Did Mary know her attacker?", therefore, the notion of whether she stayed in or not after the departure of Blotchy is practically irrelevant.

[c.d.]

With regards to the rent being a factor that might have led Mary to go out later that night, we might be overlooking something. Since prostitution is not a steady job, I am sure that there were times when some of the women in Millers Court couldn't come up with the rent. McCarthy probably let a few long time residents slide now and then or maybe took it out in trade but I doubt that he wanted to appear to be a soft touch. In Mary's case, he might have been more willing to wait when he knew that there were two people contributing to the rent. Now that Joe was out of the picture, he might not have been so patient. This would not have been lost on Mary. Did she really want to tell him she couldn't pay the rent the first time that she was on her own?

c.d.

[paul emmett]

A stranger could just as feasibly have broken into, or have been invited into, Kelly's room as someone who knew her.

Hi, Sam.

I think I agree with Michael here--kinda. IF it could be shown that Kelly stayed in after Blotchy, then odds go through the roof that her killer knew her. Consider your two alternatives: broke in or invited. You know that I feel that if the entire police force can't come up with the window trick in the light of the next day, then a passeby isn't going to figure it out the night before. I can't see a stranger breaking in, and I certianly can't see one invited in. What's his line, "'scuse me; is there a prostitute in here?"?

So I think stay in or go out IS a relevant question--unanswerable perhaps, but relevant.

[NOV9]

Hi Brad,

I agree - but it's a subject in itself, indeed whole threads have been devoted to it. A stranger could just as feasibly have broken into, or have been invited into, Kelly's room as someone who knew her. In the strict context of "Did Mary know her attacker?", therefore, the notion of whether she stayed in or not after the departure of Blotchy is practically irrelevant.

you said " A stranger could just as feasibly have broken into" you know that was not true, the only person to break into her place was the landlord.

[steje73]

Chava said that a fish supper would have stunk up the room. I'm sure that the first thing everyone thought when they went in that room was 'Can you smell chips?'

[c.d.]

Hi Paul,

Mary's killer might have been invited in if he was a regular customer or if he had made an appointment with her earlier in the day or week.

c.d.

[Ben]

Hi CD,

The problem with the idea of a prior "appointment" is that Kelly could have blabbed about it to any number of people. "Any business tonight, Mary?" "Yep, I'm expecting (fill-in-the-blank) tonight".

[c.d.]

Hi Ben,

Well I doubt that Jack would have used his real name and besides a prostitute having a customer would hardly be big news.

c.d.

[paul emmett]

Hi Paul,

Mary's killer might have been invited in if he was a regular customer or if he had made an appointment with her earlier in the day or week.

c.d.

Hi, c.d.

Wouldn't that take him out of the stranger category?

[c.d.]

Hi Paul,

I am not sure I understand your post. The scenario I described would take him out of the stranger category but why is he in that category in the first place?

c.d.

[Ben]

Hi CD,

I just feel there's too much danger of the killer "trapping" himself unnecessarily if he arranges to meet Kelly earlier in the week. It needn't have been a name, just a description or even a nickname that prostitutes often give to clients.

[Chava]

Chava said that a fish supper would have stunk up the room. I'm sure that the first thing everyone thought when they went in that room was 'Can you smell chips?'

So I guess the appropriate response would have been to take one look and run screaming? In fact, if they did smell fish and chips in the room, which they did not, it would have been a clear indication that some were consumed there. And the autopsy would show that they were eaten by Mary Jane. And that might have cast some light on her last movements before she was killed. The cops had precious little at their disposal then in terms of forensics, but they did have noses.

[c.d.]

Hi CD,

I just feel there's too much danger of the killer "trapping" himself unnecessarily if he arranges to meet Kelly earlier in the week. It needn't have been a name, just a description or even a nickname that prostitutes often give to clients.

Hi Ben,

Sorry but I just don't see Mary telling a friend that "I have a customer coming over on Saturday night who is 5'7" and weighs approximately 150 pounds, has long brown hair and a mustache and a fondness for wearing Ashtrakan coats. Said his name is John but likes to be called Jack."

c.d.

[Witch]

So I guess the appropriate response would have been to take one look and run screaming? In fact, if they did smell fish and chips in the room, which they did not, it would have been a clear indication that some were consumed there. And the autopsy would show that they were eaten by Mary Jane. And that might have cast some light on her last movements before she was killed. The cops had precious little at their disposal then in terms of forensics, but they did have noses.

And I am pretty sure they couldn't smell anything but a heavy stench of blood, faeces and other bodily fluids coming from Mary's body.