– (André BDois/)
1. Whitechapel road
Whitechapel Road, in the East End, was a violent part of London at the end of the 19th century. The murder of prostitutes was already a relatively common crime before the Ripper began his murderous trajectory in 1888. road access, dark and empty.
2. Several suspects
In addition to being violent, the East End suffered from racism and xenophobia, especially against Jews, which led to statements that incriminated innocent people. Coupled with high doses of superstition and ignorance, the investigation was a challenge. Actor Richard Mansfield became a suspect just because he acted in a stage adaptation of The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hydea book that narrates crimes committed in the city (see who were the other suspects of being Jack the Ripper).
3. The victims
Officially, there were five victims, all prostitutes: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. The crimes took place from August 31 to November 9, 1888 (Elizabeth and Catherine’s bodies were found just 45 minutes apart). But it is possible that Jack killed more women.
4. Other crimes
In addition to the five crimes, there are six others that the media at the time (and future speculation) placed on Jack’s account, but which were not included in the official investigation. The first of these other victims was Emma Elizabeth Smith, who died in April 1888. The last was an unidentified woman in February 1891.
5. Progressive violence
Jack’s method was well defined. In general, the victims had mutilations on the face, abdomen and genitals, deep cuts on the neck and removal of organs, such as the kidney, heart and uterus. All crimes were committed at night, always on weekends. As the number of cases increased, the mutilations became more aggressive. Jack probably used knives and surgical instruments. But a weapon was never found at the crime scene. Just a mysterious apron.
6. Mysterious appearance
Two witnesses said they saw the killer. They described him as a man of just over 1.60 m, with a mustache and a jacket. Instead of the top hat, immortalized in fiction, Jack would wear a hat deerstalker, typical model used by English hunters. One of the witnesses stated that he looked like a foreigner – even without having seen his face.
7. Dark Cards
The Ripper would have left three letters. But two of them would have been forged by journalists to increase publicity around the case. Both mention the nickname “Jack the Ripper”, created by the press. The other, the most famous of them, is called From hell (name of the movie in which Johny Depp plays the investigator of the case). One of the darkest passages read: “I send you half of a preserved kidney that I took from one of the women. The other piece I fried and ate, it was very nice”.
8. Endless investigation
The investigations had the collaboration of an unusual number of people for the time. More than 2,000 people testified, more than 300 were investigated and 80 were detained for questioning. But, as the forensic procedures of the time were not very precise – not to mention the killer’s talent and the violent and superstitious context of the region -, the case was never concluded. The investigations ended in November 1891.
What end did it take?
Nobody knows. Three official suspects were investigated. And a bunch of theories have emerged since then.
SOURCES: Books The Complete Jack The Ripperby Dobald Rumbelow,Jack The Ripper Streets of Terrorby Rupert MatthewsJack The Ripper: CSI: Whitechapelby Paul Begg and Josh Bennett, andJack The Ripper and the Case of Scotland Yard’s Prime Suspect, by Robert House; documentaries Finding the Ripper (National Geographic) and History Detectives: Special Investigations (PBS).
This article was suggested by reader Carlos Eduardo da Costa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.