Two nonfiction JtR docs on Tv

[Pcdunn]

Tonight I caught two programs from last year (2022) about our killer of interest. Both aired on the History Channel.

First, on UnXplained, which is hosted by William Shatner: (Season 4, Episode 14) "Hunt for Jack the Ripper."
Mixture of talking heads, montage of photos and documents, and dramatic re-enactments. Chronological summary is fairly good. Adam Wood provides most of the murder facts, while other experts weigh in. They cover each victim in order, then discuss possible suspects: the Royals, the Masons, Leather Apron, Chapman, Kosimski/Klowsoi, Sevrin, Tumblety as the American connection, the shawl and DNA theory, so on and so forth. No mention of Cross/Lechmere, nor of Maybrick. Nichols was found by "two deliverymen".

Second, on History's Greatest Mysteries: (Season 3, Episode 10) "Jack the Ripper."
This one, like the JFK Assasination episode, offers a look at various "theories" as to the killer's identity.


To be edited later...

[Pcdunn]

Tonight I caught two programs from last year (2022) about our killer of interest. Both aired on the History Channel.

First, on UnXplained, which is hosted and narrated by William Shatner: (Season 4, Episode 14) "Hunt for Jack the Ripper."

"The question of the identity of Jack the Ripper has baffled police investigators, historians, and armchair detectives for over a century, even with media offering its own unique take on the killer's identity."-- synopsis.

Mixture of talking heads, montage of photos and documents, and dramatic re-enactments. Chronological summary of the events is good. Adam Wood provides most of the murder facts, while other experts weigh in. They cover each victim in order, then discuss the "vast numbers" of possible suspects --"some laughable, some quite plausible."

Letters: Dear Boss-- quoted in full. Notable for giving his preferred moniker.
Double Event: Stride and Eddowes. This led to the publication of the "Dear Boss" letter and the hysteria cranked up again. Did newspaperman Sims write it to sell papers? Also led to more hoax letters. Some experts believed Jack really wrote this infamous missive because he predicted what he'd do "next time."

Conspiracy: possible cover-up due to famous idenity. Perhaps why no photos taken at earlier murder sites? Mention of Goulston Street wall message, its presumed Madonic connection, being wiped away by Charles Warren.
Royal Connection: What if prostitutes blackmailed the Queen's grandson, and Masons tried to protect him?

American Doctor: Francis Tumblety? Quack doctor, misogynist, hated prostitutes, collected wombs in jars, was a failed abortionist. Left "shortly after" Kelly's murder, which was last London killing. Mention of the bloody shirt at Batty Street. The lodger was Tumblety or involved with him? Also Tumblety said in print that the "stupid police" thought he was the Ripper. Mention that Tumblety had in his possession at death a plain brass ring, like one stolen from a victim. Confirms identity?

Shawl and DNA: Recounts story of Eddowes' silk shawl, collected by policeman, handed down, bought by man to search for DNA. Match to the Polish Jew, Aaron Kosimski? One of prime suspects at the time. Mentions debate about the shawl, how did she afford it? Storage problems? Does it actually link Kosimski strongly enough?

Ripper Walking Tours in London so popular due to public fascination with unsolved crimes, puzzle, drive to "make sense" of this.
Can we be sure he was a single serial killer? Maybe more than one murderer?


Second, on History's Greatest Mysteries: (Season 3, Episode 10) "Jack the Ripper."
Begins with the murders in chronological order.

Victim: Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols
Suspect: man known as "Leather Apron" who hated and harassed prostitues.
Victim: Annie Chapman.
Clue: Wet leather apron.
Arrestee: Pizer, bootmaker, Polish Jew. No blood on his knives. Not identified in two line-ups, released for lack of evidence and uncredible accusers.

Victims: Elizabeth Stride and Katherine Eddowes (same night).
Letter: "Dear Boss"-- sardonic, mocking, signed Jack the Ripper.

Victim: Mary Jane Kelly.
Last murder in Whitechapel.

1892: Meville McNaughten. Profiled the killer and named Michael Ostrog ( he was imprisioned at time.)

McNaughten also named Aaron Kosminski. Mentions the shawl and the DNA project, does correctly explain difference between mitichrondical DNA and specific individual's DNA, that it is "consistent" but not "a match."

"David Cohen" mental patient, has syphilsis. Identified in 1987 by Martin Fido

[Pcdunn]

Posted too soon by accident, continued:
Fido identified Nathan Kaminsky, and Aaron Kosminski could have been a misidentification.

Suspect: George Chapman, wife-murderer, claimed to be Jack the Ripper, hanged in 1903.

Suspect: H. H. Holmes. Another American doctor, and notorious serial killer. Executed and buried in an unmarked grave. Real name Herman Mudgett. Built the Chicago hotel which included various traps and "murder rooms" in which to kill guests and sell their skeletons to medical schools. Apparently Holmes had considered a similar "business" in London. And remember the missing wombs and other organs
Holmes' descendant says the "Dear Boss" letter has been compared with samples of his ancestor's writing and is rated a high "consistency" by a noted agency used by law enforcement. Still looking to prove he was Jack the Ripper.

Jill the Ripper?: What if the killer was not a man? Discussion of Kelly's time of death, and Caroline Maxwell's sighting of "Mary" alive long after she was supposed to have died. She never wavered in her testimony, saying she recognized the clothing this woman wore. Perhaps the murderer in victim's clothes?
Theory that if the Ripper was female, she'd be a midwife, who could walk in bloody clothes without notice. Mention of Mary Pearcey, mention of female DNA on one of the letter envelope.

Suspect: Carl Feignbaum, merchant seaman. Identified as a German, and his ship's dates in various international ports match unsolved murders of prostitutes.

Conclusion: Will we ever know the true identity of Jack the Ripper? With so many dedicated investigators, perhaps we will someday.