Did the Ripper strangle his victims?

[caz]

Hi Jon, Pinkerton, All,

Would it be true to say that as long as the choke-hold (and/or ligature) employed was forceful and sudden enough to take a victim completely by surprise and render her momentarily helpless and silent, the killer could then cut the throat almost immediately to finish the job, allowing him to release the pressure before she would otherwise have been rendered completely senseless by choking alone?

Or does the blood evidence suggest that one or more of the victims were rendered either unconscious or dead before the knife was used? And if so, would this suggest either sheer brute strength or a lengthier time spent squeezing the life out of them first?

I'd also appreciate your opinions on how Rose Mylett died, taking me through her last moments. I do believe she was murdered, and I wondered if this case can give us any clues about how her killer rendered her lifeless, and how quickly, considering there was no cut throat, and no apparent screaming or struggling either.

Have a great weekend all.

Love,

Caz
X

[perrymason]

Hello all,

It seems that toxicology levels were checked to determine if there had been some kind of drug used on them, but what they could legitimately extract from those tests I dont really know. Chlorophorm and Ether were in common use, so they would have likely been able to identify those or related traces.

But what if the killer has something that was not commonly known of, something exotic maybe, and something that was absorbed more fully than the others and quickly. Nothing swallowed, only inhaled.

The Blitzkrieg style, choking by hand, scarf, or some ligature, almost certainly would involve some struggle, and maybe noise....so thats why I wonder if a less obvious agent, maybe virtually unknown unless very well travelled, could have been employed.

Best regards all.

[Sam Flynn]

It seems that toxicology levels were checked to determine if there had been some kind of drug used on them

On them, Mike? As far as I know, toxicological testing only happened on one occasion, that being William Sedgwick Saunders' examination of the contents of Catherine Eddowes' stomach. (There is no record of blood-tests having been used, incidentally.)