14 DAY TRIAL // It’s been decades since the vicious serial killer that came to be known to the world as Jack the Ripper walked the streets of London, yet our fascination with him is just as strong as it was when he first started butchering women, if not stronger.
Case in point, it was earlier this week that Jack the Ripper once again made headlines. This time, it happened because a man best described as an armchair detective announced to the world that he had discovered the killer’s identity.
I don’t know about you, but I have to admit that I cannot help but wonder why it is that somebody who killed people decades ago still has such a strong hold on us. There are other serial killers whose careers are way more impressive, yet few have even heard about them.
Colombia’s Luis Garavito confessed to have killed about 140 people over a 5-year period, and is suspected of having in fact made roughly 400 victims. US’ Ted Bundy officially confessed to having killed 30 women, but many believe that he actually ended 35-36 lives.
Why is it then that we are so obsessed with Jack the Ripper, who only made 5 victims? Is it only because he was never caught, or is there more to our fascination with this serial killer who operated in London in the 19th century?
First off, a few words on Jack the Ripper’s career
Before we move on to discussing our fascination with this serial killer, I dare say that a few words on his career are in order, just to help put things in perspective. I’m no serial killers historian (provided that such a profession even exists) and I really don’t like to hear myself typing, so I’ll try to keep it short.
To begin with, here is what you should know about Jack the Ripper: he was active in the impoverished areas in and around London’s Whitechapel district back in 1988, and he is officially connected to the death of five women who were killed and butchered over the course of just a few months.
His canonical victims are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. Of these women, at least three had some of their internal organs removed after death, case reports dating back to the 19th century say. To kill them, Jack the Ripper simply slashed their throats.
6 other women, i.e. Emma Elizabeth Smith, Martha Tabram, Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, Frances Coles, and an unidentified woman, are believed to have been killed by Jack the Ripper, but there simply isn’t enough evidence to link their deaths to this notorious murderer.
The serial killer was first referred to as the Whitechapel Murderer or the Leather Apron. He got the name Jack the Ripper after London’s Central News Agency received a letter signed as such by somebody claiming to be the killer.
The sender was never identified, and some say that the letter was no more and no less than a hoax set up by a journalist looking to draw attention to the case and make some money in the process. Like Jack the Ripper’s identity, chances are that the origin of this letter will forever remain a mystery.
More suspects than victims
Back in the 19th century, when the London police was busy investigating this case, several men emerged as suspects. Among them, Dorset-born barrister Montague John Druitt, Poland-born barber Seweryn Antonowicz, Polish Jew Aaron Kosminski, and Russian-born professional con man Michael Ostrog.
Decades later, several other people were blamed for the murders. Thus, in a book published in 1987, author and Ripperologist Martin Fido accused Polish Jew David Cohen, who was well known for being violent and antisocial, of having committed the crimes.
Oddly enough, Lewis Carroll, author of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” was also accused of being the Whitechapel murderer by a guy named Richard Wallace, who claimed that two of his works, i.e. “The Nursery Alice” and “Sylvie and Bruno," contained hidden descriptions of the murderers. Not at all surprisingly, this theory was never taken seriously.
As mentioned, it was only a few days ago that one history enthusiast by the name of Russell Edwards went public with the news that, having analyzed DNA samples collected from a shawl said to have belonged to victim Catherine Eddowes, he found that Jack the Ripper was Polish immigrant Aaron Kosminski.
The problem with Russell Edwards' findings, which he details in a book titled “Naming Jack the Ripper,” is that, first off, there is no way to confirm that the shawl in question, which the detective wannabe got at an auction, did in fact belong to Catherine Eddowes.
What’s more, since the shawl is decades old, chances are that it is contaminated with DNA samples from the people who got to handle it during this entire time. Hence, whatever you’ve read in the media these past few days, the identity of the 19th century Whitechapel murderer is yet to be revealed without a shadow of a doubt.
Why is it that we can’t get enough of Jack the Ripper?
As mentioned, there are other serial killers besides Jack the Ripper whose careers were way more prolific, but who, for some reason, are by no means as popular as London’s Whitechapel murderer. So why is it that this one serial killer ended up being world-wide famous?
Well, first off, there is the fact that this killer was never caught, and the police is as close now to figuring out who he was as it was in 1888, when he began killing women in London’s impoverished areas. In a nutshell, this case is a mystery, and there are few things we, humans, like more than a puzzle sitting around, waiting for us to solve it.
Besides – and few of us are really and willing to admit to it – there is little doubt that this serial killer fascinates us because, let’s face it, his crimes make for one hell of a story. There’s violence, a little carnal love sprinkled with decadence, and the set is 19th century London. In fact, I dare say that, in 1888, this series of crimes was a wee of a spectacle for folks living in and around Whitechapel. Gore and gruesomeness aside, that is.
Simply put, Jack the Ripper very much resembles your run-off-the-mill romantic hero, what with his lurking in the night and stalking women. Mind you, Hollywood has played its part in creating this image of Jack the Ripper, seeing how he is most often depicted not as a vicious killer, but as a mysterious stranger who happens to like killing women.
Hence, it’s safe to assume that, deep down inside, most of us don’t even want cops or detectives or anybody else to ever reveal the identity of the Whitechapel murderer. More so given the fact that there is an entire industry – books, movies, even tours – making money on his account.