The killer was almost certainly male. He may have had a female accomplice, but very few women would have the physical strength to commit the actual murders.
I'm not sure why these murders require real physical strength - only one of the victims put up a struggle or attempted to defend herself. The others did not, for reasons still speculated. Perhaps he got the jump on them, slit their throats from behind, or incapacitated them with a drug (such as lacing a drink or grapes with laudanum). Since they didn't struggle, anyone should be capable of it, in theory.
The only one who seemingly struggled, fought back, and had full use of her faculties during her murder was the last victim, Mary Kelly. She was attacked in her bed, and received defensive wounds.
However, it probably wouldn't have taken much to overpower a frail, surprised, prostitute in her bed. A capable woman could easily do her in.
I do believe Jack the Ripper was a man but it's not implausible that it was a woman - especially on the grounds of physical prowess. Only the last victim was overpowered, and again, it probably wouldn't take much.
He was probably white because all the victims were and serial crimes usually follow the same racial line.
He was probably white because the majority of people living in London in 1888 were white. Not that there weren't other ethnicities, but statistically speaking, odds are he was white.
He probably or worked in the area, because serial killers usually commit their crime where they feel comfortable and know the escape routes.
Plausible, although people can know the area without working there and the prostitutes put themselves in a bad spot. Their professions require some degree of privacy, so they'd put themselves in a place unlikely for a disturbance. Ironically this would give Jack the advantage of some privacy and knowledge of his surroundings, whether he knew it ahead of time or not.
He obviously had a good working knowledge of women's anatomy
That's a huge can of worms - the "surgeon's hand" debate. Did he have knowledge, was his medically trained, was he just ripping things apart? That's a big debate and I won't get into it here. Suffice it to say, Jack having working knowledge of women's anatomy was a long-held assumption (myself included), but is actually quite challenged nowadays.
and he probably well spoken and likable, the exact opposite of what most people would expect from a killer like that which is how avoided being suspected.
Actually, being well spoken and likeable would very much so arouse suspicion. If you're a prostitute in Whitechapel and someone with a RP accent and perfect diction approaches you in a friendly way, you'd certainly be suspicious (not to say you'd deny service, but certainly you'd be untrusting). Why? Because they're use to dealing with cockney, low-class, frequently inebriated stragglers who, although entirely rude, give them a rogering then move along.
They would be suspicious of anyone proper or polite because it'd be highly out of the ordinary.
Assuming Jack the Ripper was a commoner, or a foreigner, as is frequently suggested, he wouldn't be well spoken to begin with.
Some interesting theories, some that as plausible, others not quite, or at least for the reasons you suggest.
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14 years ago
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pelopen3bc
13 years ago
Were there really grapes? I thought that was an invention of this film.
There were grapes, but their appearance and significance to the case are greatly exaggerated by the film
From Hell (the book less so). One victim was found clutching grapes, and another had them found in her vicinity, perhaps belonging to her perhaps not. There's a possible connection with two victims, not like the film implies.
Again, their significance is highly debatable.
A woman going around killing prostititues for no sensible reason? Just doesn't happen.
Swap "man" with "woman" and you get an equally indefensible statement. There's no sensible reason for a man or woman to do something like this. There's nothing in psychology that suggests a woman in incapable of doing this. There's also no established motive for Jack the Ripper.
There are plenty of female serial killers, to be sure.
I think the real reason a female killer might be ruled out is circumstantial. These women were most likely in the process of turning tricks, and only one was thought to be bisexual (5th victim Mary Jane Kelly). Evidence points to the fact these women were attempting to service a customer when they were killed, again the exception being Mary Kelly. She tends to be a highly confounding outlier in the Jack the Ripper case.
I think that points to him being a male, not male versus female psychology.
The Ripper had a kill rate of 100%, apparently.
We don't know that for sure. Yes, 100% of his dead victims were dead, but that's a pinch redundant.
A gentleman in Whitecastle wuld've been suspicious
Although I know you meant White
chapel, that is a rather funny typo. And if I may, I think it's still true.
I think the streetwalker would still go with him--he has the money.
Quite possible early on, although a documentary wisely pointed out that it wouldn't have been the case as the murders developed. The canonical image of the top hat and black cloak was one in people's minds even back then, and if a woman saw that she'd likely run the other way screaming. Prostitutes may not be known for their discerning taste, but they would certainly not trust a man matching Jack's (however inaccurate) description.
Good points though.
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jj-patton
13 years ago
I don't believe there were any grapes actually connected with the case.
AFAIK, two different grape stories came up, both concerning Liz Stride. One was a man who claimed to have sold grapes to Liz and a man. His story was discredited, and no grapes were found injested by Stride.
Second was a report by a cop at the Stride crime scene who said he saw grapes in her hand. This was shown later to be drops of blood. Liz was, however, oddly holding a packet of cachous in one hand, showing how amazingly quick these murders were. Just how Jack did these crimes is still to me somewhat of a mystery, the street killings all involved rendering victims unconscious by choaking, lowering them gently to the ground, and then violently slashing their throats. All within seconds and without a struggle or even a sound. Other than Mary Kelly, these women never even had a chance to raise their arms and were totally off guard and unsuspecting.
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beckapoe
13 years ago
There were grapes, but their appearance and significance to the case are greatly exaggerated by the film From Hell (the book less so). One victim was found clutching grapes, and another had them found in her vicinity, perhaps belonging to her perhaps not. There's a possible connection with two victims, not like the film implies.
Sorry, but where did you get this info from?
The only victim where there have been found grapes are with Elizabeth Stride. First of all it's still in debate if she really was a Ripper victim to begin with, second of all the grapes that were found lay in the area where she was found - but nowhere near the body, third: her stomach didn't have grapes in them during the autopsy.
Also, there was NO victim that was clutching grapes, as you suggest.
If there were sources claiming this, they did it just to prove a theory they build (trust me, alot of lies have been send into the world in the Ripper case for this exact reason).
But it was incorrect. Read the police reports and you will know.
http://www.youtube.com/ChristinaRicciLover
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Sugarminx
11 years ago
- A woman going around killing prostititues for no sensible reason? Just doesn't happen -
"Swap "man" with "woman" and you get an equally indefensible statement. There's no sensible reason for a man or woman to do something like this."
LOL. I love that you pointed this out...
'a prostitute was murdered.'
'A man did it.'
'...oh well, that makes sense then...'
- The Ripper had a kill rate of 100%, apparently -
"We don't know that for sure. Yes, 100% of his dead victims were dead..."
LOL again. I love the OP :)
You fill me with inertia - George Spiggott
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lathe-of-heaven
11 years ago
"it's not implausible that it was a woman - especially on the grounds of physical prowess. Only the last victim was overpowered, and again, it probably wouldn't take much..."
Nope, sorry...
If that was the case then the murderer would have been called Jackie the ripper...
I have over 5000 films, many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK!
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