Patricia Cornwell - Walter Sickert - BOOK 2

[dantheman]

I see from Patricia Cornwell's new book that she now thinks she may be haunted by the ghost of Walter Sickert. During her investigation she has sensed “an entity, a terrifically negative energy that when invoked causes strange aberrations of physics”. It apparently manifests itself in malfunctioning computers, slamming doors, mysterious footsteps and all sorts of strange phenomena. On one occasion, she claims, a giant JR appeared in the sand outside her beachfront house.

To put it very politely, this does not inspire me with much confidence in Cornwell's judgment.

She obviously has some hang ups to think JtR is haunting her. I was disappointing when heard that in whatever interview she was doing. She does build a decent case against Sickert though, especially when compared to other "top" suspects.

-Dan

[PaulB]

Thanks for your informative reply, Paul, much appreciated. Another thing that strikes me is that the killer kept focussing on this very small geographical area even when it made little sense to do so, i.e. on account of the greatly increased police presence and a local population that would, no doubt, be increasingly on their guard. That strongly suggests to me that the perpetrator was drawn to the area by means of a local connection, i.e. he lived, or at least worked, there and it's where he felt safe and comfortable, otherwise why not expand his range?

Another good and fair observation. It's probable that the murderer lived in the area that it was his safety zone, unless he was attracted to the area for some reason, such as its squalor, or the night activity of the fruit and veg market, the proximity to the docks, or something like that. I don't suppose we'll ever know why he killed there. Or, indeed, where he killed - it could be argued that Nichols and Stride were not killed by the same person, and maybe not Eddowes either. But let's not go down that road. Anyway, I had a long journey today and bed beckons.

[GUT]

All she "established" is that someone with the same mtDNA profile as Sickert wrote one of the Ripper letters. Which sounds good, but then you realise there are hundreds if not thousands of potential matches. And that's assuming the DNA testing was accurate in the first place.

No she has gone a bit further than that with the paper match.

Personally, if writing letters were the crime she was investigating, I'd say she had a pretty solid case for old Wally to answer.

[John G]

A very valid point. It could be argued, however, that the majority of murder locations were off or close to main streets which an outsider could have found without getting lost and where he could have met the victims, being taken by them to the place where they were murdered. No great knowledge of the area would therefore have been needed. As for Sickert being in France when the murders were committed, that now seems to be open to question. He did indeed take lodgings in Mornington Crescent and painted a picture ofhis bedroom there, calling it "Jack the Ripper's" bedroom. He was allegedly told that a previous occupant of the rooms was Jack the Ripper, which presumably explains the title.

Thanks for your informative reply, Paul, much appreciated. Another thing that strikes me is that the killer kept focussing on this very small geographical area even when it made little sense to do so, i.e. on account of the greatly increased police presence and a local population that would, no doubt, be increasingly on their guard. That strongly suggests to me that the perpetrator was drawn to the area by means of a local connection, i.e. he lived, or at least worked, there and it's where he felt safe and comfortable, otherwise why not expand his range?

[PaulB]

thank you sir

I'm happy to oblige :-)

[PaulB]

I see from Patricia Cornwell's new book that she now thinks she may be haunted by the ghost of Walter Sickert. During her investigation she has sensed “an entity, a terrifically negative energy that when invoked causes strange aberrations of physics”. It apparently manifests itself in malfunctioning computers, slamming doors, mysterious footsteps and all sorts of strange phenomena. On one occasion, she claims, a giant JR appeared in the sand outside her beachfront house.

To put it very politely, this does not inspire me with much confidence in Cornwell's judgment.

Undeniably nice to have a beachfront house though.

[PaulB]

I would focus on this basic fact: all of the so-called Whitechapel Murders took place within a remarkably small area-wasn't it around one square mile? And this area was, in itself, a complete labyrinth: http://www.casebook.org/press_report...l?printer=true. In other words, a non local would surely keep getting hopelessly lost.

Therefore, I don't think you need to be an eminent geographical profiler to conclude that the odds of the killer being a local are overwhelming; and that, of course, was John Douglas' conclusion.

Now, as far as I'm aware Sickert had no known connection to Whitechapel, and might even have been in France at the relevant time. Hence, on geographical grounds alone I would say that he was highly unlikely to have been the killer.

That said, I believe he had rooms in Mornington Crescent, where part of the Tottenham Torso was discovered!

A very valid point. It could be argued, however, that the majority of murder locations were off or close to main streets which an outsider could have found without getting lost and where he could have met the victims, being taken by them to the place where they were murdered. No great knowledge of the area would therefore have been needed. As for Sickert being in France when the murders were committed, that now seems to be open to question. He did indeed take lodgings in Mornington Crescent and painted a picture ofhis bedroom there, calling it "Jack the Ripper's" bedroom. He was allegedly told that a previous occupant of the rooms was Jack the Ripper, which presumably explains the title.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby
No. The letters have nothing to do with DNA They are letters,some written under Sickert's own name and two purporting to be from Jack the Ripper, that paper expert Peter Bower has identified as coming from the same very small batch of paper.

Cheers
Paul

thank you sir

[AndrewL]

I see from Patricia Cornwell's new book that she now thinks she may be haunted by the ghost of Walter Sickert. During her investigation she has sensed “an entity, a terrifically negative energy that when invoked causes strange aberrations of physics”. It apparently manifests itself in malfunctioning computers, slamming doors, mysterious footsteps and all sorts of strange phenomena. On one occasion, she claims, a giant JR appeared in the sand outside her beachfront house.

To put it very politely, this does not inspire me with much confidence in Cornwell's judgment.

[PaulB]

Hi Paul
Good to see you posting again!

It was the Openshaw letter that she claims has Sickerts DNA on it correct?

Hi Abby
No. The letters have nothing to do with DNA They are letters,some written under Sickert's own name and two purporting to be from Jack the Ripper, that paper expert Peter Bower has identified as coming from the same very small batch of paper.

Cheers
Paul

[John G]

totally agree

Thanks Abby.

[Abby Normal]

I would focus on this basic fact: all of the so-called Whitechapel Murders took place within a remarkably small area-wasn't it around one square mile? And this area was, in itself, a complete labyrinth: http://www.casebook.org/press_report...l?printer=true. In other words, a non local would surely keep getting hopelessly lost.

Therefore, I don't think you need to be an eminent geographical profiler to conclude that the odds of the killer being a local are overwhelming; and that, of course, was John Douglas' conclusion.

Now, as far as I'm aware Sickert had no known connection to Whitechapel, and might even have been in France at the relevant time. Hence, on geographical grounds alone I would say that he was highly unlikely to have been the killer.

That said, I believe he had rooms in Mornington Crescent, where part of the Tottenham Torso was discovered!

totally agree

[Abby Normal]

I wouldn't dignify Carter's post with a response, but I'm surprised that you miss the point, Chris. Patricia Cornwell isn't claiming that Walter Sickert was the murderer because he wrote a letter purporting to be from Jack the Ripper. That letter is simply part of an accumulation of evidence which she sincerely believes points to a specific conclusion. Whether she's right or not remains to be seen, but it doesn't stand or fall just on the letter.

Hi Paul
Good to see you posting again!

It was the Openshaw letter that she claims has Sickerts DNA on it correct?

[John G]

I would focus on this basic fact: all of the so-called Whitechapel Murders took place within a remarkably small area-wasn't it around one square mile? And this area was, in itself, a complete labyrinth: http://www.casebook.org/press_report...l?printer=true. In other words, a non local would surely keep getting hopelessly lost.

Therefore, I don't think you need to be an eminent geographical profiler to conclude that the odds of the killer being a local are overwhelming; and that, of course, was John Douglas' conclusion.

Now, as far as I'm aware Sickert had no known connection to Whitechapel, and might even have been in France at the relevant time. Hence, on geographical grounds alone I would say that he was highly unlikely to have been the killer.

That said, I believe he had rooms in Mornington Crescent, where part of the Tottenham Torso was discovered!

[PaulB]

Well said, Phil!

I am always writing letters, admittedly not "Dear Boss" and "From Hell" letters . . . but as far as I know I have never killed anyone, except in print. Ha ha.

Cheers

Chris

I wouldn't dignify Carter's post with a response, but I'm surprised that you miss the point, Chris. Patricia Cornwell isn't claiming that Walter Sickert was the murderer because he wrote a letter purporting to be from Jack the Ripper. That letter is simply part of an accumulation of evidence which she sincerely believes points to a specific conclusion. Whether she's right or not remains to be seen, but it doesn't stand or fall just on the letter.