Murder Weapon(s) used on MJK

[Major Kong]

Hey All,
New to posting on casebook. Long time reader though! This place is THE source for JTR info!!!

Need clarification on something regarding the murder weapon(s) used in the MJK killing. I was watching the Documentary where Frederick Deeming is put forward as JTR...NO I DO NOT think Deeming was the Ripper. Just to get that out there.
But, in the Documentary it is mentioned that an axe and possibly different knives were used in the murder of Mary Kelly. Is this true?? I am especially interested if an axe is mentioned anywhere in the inquests/coroner's reports.

Thanks!!!
-Paul

[John Wheat]

To Paul

I think that some of Mary Kelly's injuries were caused by a hatchet axe possibly found by Jack at the scene.

Cheers John

[GUT]

To Paul

I think that some of Mary Kelly's injuries were caused by a hatchet axe possibly found by Jack at the scene.

Cheers John

G'day John

Which injuries do you think couldn't have been inflicted by a knife?

[Wickerman]

The quick answer (re: the axe) is "No", it is not true.

The idea of an axe being used came from Nick Connell, a surgeon with an interest in Ripperology. He wrote for Ripperana, if I'm not mistaken in the early days (late 1990's?). This may be where the idea first surfaced.

I believe the inspiration for this idea came from a small detail in the photo of Kelly's body (the body on the bed).
If you look close at her right upper thighbone there appears to be a transverse split near to her hip, and the angle of the thighbone appears to change slightly after that split - towards the knee.
If I remember correctly, this was what inspired Nick to speculate that an axe may have been used.

This is going back some years so I hope I remember the argument correctly.

[GUT]

The quick answer (re: the axe) is "No", it is not true.

The idea of an axe being used came from Nick Connell, a surgeon with an interest in Ripperology. He wrote for Ripperana, if I'm not mistaken in the early days (late 1990's?). This may be where the idea first surfaced.

I believe the inspiration for this idea came from a small detail in the photo of Kelly's body (the body on the bed).
If you look close at her right upper thighbone there appears to be a transverse split near to her hip, and the angle of the thighbone appears to change slightly after that split - towards the knee.
If I remember correctly, this was what inspired Nick to speculate that an axe may have been used.

This is going back some years so I hope I remember the argument correctly.

G'day Jon

I would go a step further and say that there seems to be nothing in any of the injuries, including the thigh, that couldn't have been caused by a knife.

[Wickerman]

Hi GUT.
If we had a close up shot of that thighbone, exposed so we can evaluate the complete bone, then we could determine if the angle does change.
As it sits I think we are seeing an optical illusion in a poor quality photo from a poor angle.
I find it hard to imaging Dr Bond not making mention of crushing blows of an axe in his report. After all, his presence was primarily to evaluate the wounds.
This would be a huge oversight.

On the other hand, we have debated whether the killer may have used more than one knife. Sharp knives do dull rather quickly when used on tissue, if he worked for an hour or more with the same knife it must have gone dull towards the end.
If he did bring more than one knife, why?
Did he know he was going to have a woman all to himself with hours to work on?
With the previous murders no need for extra utensils when you only have minutes to spare.

[GUT]

Hi GUT.
If we had a close up shot of that thighbone, exposed so we can evaluate the complete bone, then we could determine if the angle does change.
As it sits I think we are seeing an optical illusion in a poor quality photo from a poor angle.
I find it hard to imaging Dr Bond not making mention of crushing blows of an axe in his report. After all, his presence was primarily to evaluate the wounds.
This would be a huge oversight.

On the other hand, we have debated whether the killer may have used more than one knife. Sharp knives do dull rather quickly when used on tissue, if he worked for an hour or more with the same knife it must have gone dull towards the end.
If he did bring more than one knife, why?
Did he know he was going to have a woman all to himself with hours to work on?
With the previous murders no need for extra utensils when you only have minutes to spare.

G'day Jon

I really have never understood how any change to the angle impacts on the question of what weapon was used, grab a turkey leg bone and cut it with a knife, sometimes the angle might change other times not.

Maybe it's just me but I have never understood the ax theory.

[Wickerman]

Hi GUT.

I'm sure you couldn't cut a human thighbone with a knife, they are quite robust. But I don't think there's much need to understand the axe theory, perhaps "to bury the hatchet" is the most appropriate phrase to use.

[John Wheat]

To Gut/Wickerman

I stand corrected.

Cheers John