Favourite 'wildcard' suspect?

[Harry D]

I suppose everyone has their own interpretation of what is meant by 'wildcard'. For example, I obviously wouldn't consider Druitt, Kosminski, Chapman, or Tumblety as wildcards, as they were identified as police suspects at the time. Nor would I appeal to the faaaar out of left field suspects like Lewis Carroll & Van Gogh, which is frankly crazy talk.

No, what I'm talking about is the minor characters of the Ripper tapestry, witnesses or persons of interest (and yes, I include Crossmere in that!) who we can definitely tie to Whitechapel and might have reason to examine more closely. I have a feeling that's where we'll find our man, buried in some archive, if we had the wherewithal to do so, of course.

[pinkmoon]

I looked forward to the killer milkman but it seems to have sunk without a trace .

[pinkmoon]

The van Gogh theory looked very entertaining but that too has failed to appear.

[pinkmoon]

A famous name that has popped up a few times over the years and no one has brotherd to make any facts up about is randolph Churchill(Winstons dad).

[Harry D]

A famous name that has popped up a few times over the years and no one has brotherd to make any facts up about is randolph Churchill(Winstons dad).

I'm all for looking outside the box, but serial killers are rarely, if ever, famous.

[Steadmund Brand]

Great topic... but hard to answer, for instance, I would say Maybrick is one of my favorite "wildcards"...now I don't believe he was the ripper for a second..but he is a favorite of mine because it makes for an interesting study.. let's face it the diary was a hoot!!

I also like the David Cohen theory as explained by Martin Fido.. and think that should be looked into more.

Steadmund Brand

[pinkmoon]

Great topic... but hard to answer, for instance, I would say Maybrick is one of my favorite "wildcards"...now I don't believe he was the ripper for a second..but he is a favorite of mine because it makes for an interesting study.. let's face it the diary was a hoot!!

I also like the David Cohen theory as explained by Martin Fido.. and think that should be looked into more.

Steadmund Brand

The story of where the diary came from and who wrote it and why is worthy of its own forum and Mr Fido has to be applauded for his work on discovering David Cohen.

[pinkmoon]

I'm all for looking outside the box, but serial killers are rarely, if ever, famous.

Yes but it's fun when people start to try and make them into serious suspects we've even had the elephant man mentioned more than once.

[Abby Normal]

I suppose everyone has their own interpretation of what is meant by 'wildcard'. For example, I obviously wouldn't consider Druitt, Kosminski, Chapman, or Tumblety as wildcards, as they were identified as police suspects at the time. Nor would I appeal to the faaaar out of left field suspects like Lewis Carroll & Van Gogh, which is frankly crazy talk.

No, what I'm talking about is the minor characters of the Ripper tapestry, witnesses or persons of interest (and yes, I include Crossmere in that!) who we can definitely tie to Whitechapel and might have reason to examine more closely. I have a feeling that's where we'll find our man, buried in some archive, if we had the wherewithal to do so, of course.

Hi harryD
Interesting idea for a thread.

Thomas "Indian Harry" Bowyer. McCarthy's lacky.

[John G]

John McCarthy or David Sulivan

[Abby Normal]

John McCarthy or David Sulivan

Hi JohnG

Who is David Sulivan?

[Steadmund Brand]

Yes but it's fun when people start to try and make them into serious suspects we've even had the elephant man mentioned more than once.

Wait.. are you saying Merrick WASN'T the Ripper???? hmmmmm now I have to re-think everything!!! Must have been Van Gogh after all

Steadmund Brand

[John G]

Hi JohnG

Who is David Sulivan?

Hi Abby,

Sorry I meant Daniel Sullivan! He was William Crossingham's brother in law, who also acted as overseer at Dorset Street. He seems to have been involved in a cover up in respect of Mary Ann Austin's murder-he relocated her body and redressed it, and then lied about what he'd done- which occurred at 35 Dorset Street. I believe that she was also killed in her bed, as Kelly probably was, and mutilated in a similar way to the earlier Whitechapel murders: see Westcott, 2014.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,

Sorry I meant Daniel Sullivan! He was William Crossingham's brother in law, who also acted as overseer at Dorset Street. He seems to have been involved in a cover up in respect of Mary Ann Austin's murder-he relocated her body and redressed it, and then lied about what he'd done- which occurred at 35 Dorset Street. I believe that she was also killed in her bed, as Kelly probably was, and mutilated in a similar way to the earlier Whitechapel murders: see Westcott, 2014.

when did the Austin murder take place?

[John G]

when did the Austin murder take place?

Hi Abby

1901. Sullivan would have been 28 at the time of the Ripper murders. Maybe he was Asman!