August 14, 2025 • 22 mins
In this episode of The Rabbit Hole Chronicles, host Joe Foster delves into the chilling case of Jack the Ripper, one of history's most notorious serial killers. Explore the gruesome murders of five women in London's Whitechapel district during 1888, the attempts to identify the killer through controversial letters, and the significant figures who were involved in the investigations. Learn about various suspects, from Montague John Druitt to Francis Tumblety, and discover how this unsolved mystery has left a lasting impact on forensic science, media, and popular culture. Don't miss this comprehensive exploration of a case that continues to fascinate and baffle more than a century later.
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The Rabbit Hole Chronicles is produced and hosted by Joe Foster.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Joe Foster (00:02):
Welcome to The Rabbit Hole Chronicles a podcast
where we delve into themysteries and stories of the
past.
I'm your host, Joe Foster, andin today's episode we're going
to take a close look at one ofthe most infamous serial killers
in history, Jack the Ripper.
(00:22):
In the late 19th century, thestreets of white chapel, a
district in London's East End,were plagued by a series of
gruesome murders, five women.
All of them prostitutes werefound brutally killed and
mutilated in a way thatsuggested the murder as some
knowledge of the human, humananatomy.
Despite extensiveinvestigations, the killer was
(00:44):
never caught, and his identityremains a mystery to this day.
The five canonical victims ofJack the Ripper were Mary Ann
Nichols Annie Chapman, ElizabethStride, Catherine Ese, and Mary
Jane Kelly.
The murderers occurred betweenAugust and November of 1888, and
(01:07):
the victims were all killed in asimilar manner.
Their throats were slashed andtheir bodies were mutilated.
Born on August 26th, 1845.
Maryanne Nichols also known asPolly, was the first of the
canonical five victims.
She was married and had fivechildren, but separated from her
(01:30):
husband William Nichols in 1881after the separation, she lived
in various workhouses andboarding houses, often resorting
to prostitution to make endsmeet.
On August 31st, 1881, Polly wasfound dead in Buck Row White
Chapel.
Her throat had been deeplyslashed and her abdomen was
(01:53):
mutilated with several deepcuts.
It was this murder thattriggered the beginning of the
Jack the Ripper Investigations.
Annie Chapman was born onSeptember 25th, 1841.
She was married to John Chapmanand had three children.
However.
However, after the death of oneof their children, both Annie
(02:16):
and John became heavy drinkersleading to their separation in
1884.
Polly Annie lived in variouslodging houses and occasionally
engaged in prostitution.
On September 8th, 1888, Annie'sbody was discovered in the
backyard of 29 Hanbury Street.
(02:36):
Her throat was slashed and herabdomen was extensively
mutilated.
The killer had also removed theU.
Her uterus fueling thespeculation that Jack the ripper
has some knowledge of the humananatomy.
Born on November 27th, 1843.
Elizabeth Stride was a Swedishimmigrant who moved to London in
(03:00):
1866.
She married John Thomas Stride.
But their marriage deteriorateddue to her alcoholism and
alleged infidelity.
They separated in the late1870s, and Elizabeth eventually
turned to prostitution.
On September 30th, 1888,Elizabeth was found dead in
(03:22):
debts filled yard off BurnerStreet.
Her throat had been slashed.
But her body wasn't mutilated.
Mutilated like the previousvictims.
This led to some, oh mygoodness.
This led to some to questionwhether her murder was committed
by Jack the Ripper, or if it wasthe work of a copycat.
(03:45):
Catherine Ese was born on April14th, 1842.
She had a common law husband,Thomas Conway, with whom she had
three children.
They separated in 1881 due toher alcoholism.
Um, seems like common thinghere.
All these women are drunks afterI, they like to drink and the
(04:10):
prostitutes.
Anyways, I digress afterward.
Catherine lived with John Kellyin various lodging houses in the
East end.
On the same night as ElizabethStride's murder, September 30th,
1888, Catherine's body wasdiscovered in Mitri Square.
(04:31):
My tree square, I don't know.
Her throat was cut and her bodywas mutilated in a manner
consistent with the earlierripper murders.
Her left kidney and part of heruterus had been removed.
Further support is furthersupporting the theory that the
killer had knowledge of thehuman anatomy.
(04:54):
Mary Jane Kelly, the youngestand final canonical victim, was
born around 1863.
Little is known about her earlylife, but believed she was
married and widowed.
Before moving to London, shelived with a man named Joseph
Barnett before turning toprostitution.
(05:15):
On November 9th, 1888, Mary Janewas found brutally murdered in
her room at 13 Miller's Court.
Her throat was slashed and herbody was horrifically mutilated
with many organs removed andscattered around the room.
The severity of this attack wasfar greater than the previous
(05:37):
murders, making a grizzly end tothe canonical killings.
The name Jack The ripper comesfrom a letter allegedly written
by the killer himself sent tothe police in newspapers in
1888.
However, the authenticity ofthis letter, as well as several
(05:57):
others attributed to the killerhas been questioned.
With that in mind, let's getinto these letters here.
The, uh, most famous lettersassociated with Jack the Ripper
case are the Dear Boss Letter,the Saucy Jackie Postcard, and
the from Hell letter.
(06:18):
These letters were allegedlywritten by the killer himself.
As stated before, theauthenticity has been the
subject of much debate.
The Dear Boss letter was sent tothe Essential News Agency on
September 27th, 1888.
In this letter, the writerclaimed responsibility for the
murders and referred to himselfas Jack the Ripper for the first
(06:41):
time.
The letter included details ofthe murders as well as taunts
directed at the police.
It also contained a chillingpromise to keep killing and even
mentioned the desire to clip thelady's ears off.
A few days later, Catherine ese,one of the victims was found
with her earlobe cut.
(07:03):
Which seemed to tell incredibility to the letter Thei
Jackie postcard was received bythe Central News Agency on
October 1st, 1888.
It referred to the double murderof Elizabeth Stride and
Catherine Ese on September 30th,1888.
The postcards writer claimedthat the police had not found
(07:25):
all the mutilations on thevictims and boasted about his
ability to avoid capture.
The from Hell letter was sent toGeorge Lusk, the head of the
White Chapel Vigilance Committeeon October 16th, 1888.
It was accompanied by small boxcontaining half a human kidney,
(07:48):
which the writer claimed to havetaken from one of the victims.
Just as a reminder, CatherineESE was missing a kidney.
The letters the letter's authordescribed how he cooked and ate
the other half of the kidney andtaunted lusk stating that he may
yet send you the bloody knifethat took it out if you only
(08:10):
wait a while longer.
The authenticity of theseletters has been widely debated.
Some argue that the letterscould have been written by the
killer as they contain accuratedetails of the crimes.
And demonstrate a similarwriting style.
However, others believe that theletters were hoax possibly
(08:32):
created by journalists lookingto centralization or
sensationalize the story andsell more newspapers.
It has also been suggested thatsome of the letters might have
been written by differentindividuals either trying to
confuse the investigation orseeking attention.
(08:52):
Handwriting analysis was notprovided Conclusive, uh,
evidence and the debate over theauthenticity of the letters
continues to this day.
The murders of Jack the Ripperprompted one of the largest
manhunt British history.
Despite this, the killer wasnever caught in his identity
(09:15):
remains unknown.
In the late 19th century,investigative methods were still
relatively primitive compared tomodern standards.
The use of fingerprinting andDNA analysis was not yet
available, and the police reliedheavily on eyewitness accounts,
interviews, and physicalevidence found at the crime
(09:36):
scenes.
Detectives conducteddoor-to-door inquiries, searched
for suspicious individuals, andgathered information from
locals.
They also consulted with medicalexperts to determine the
killer's possible background andskillset.
Several key figures wereinvolved in Dejected Ripper
(09:58):
investigations, one being SirCharles Warren.
The Metropolitan PoliceCommissioner at the time warn
face criticism from his handlingof the case and eventually
resigned in November of 1888.
Frick Aberly, a skilleddetective and inspector.
Aberly was a key investigator onthe case, and many of his notes
(10:20):
reports, or many of his notesand reports have since been used
to study the murderers.
Edmond Reed, a local detective,uh, inspector Reed, was involved
in the investigation and hadextensive knowledge of the white
chapel area.
Donald Swanson, a senior officerin the Metropolitan Police,
(10:41):
Swanson, was responsible forcoordinating the Ripper
investigation.
And Dr.
Thomas Bond, not James Bond.
Thomas Bond was a policesurgeon, uh, assisted in several
autopsy examinations of thevictims and provided his expert
opinion on the killer's possibleskills and motivations.
(11:06):
The police faced numerouschallenges during the
investigation.
Um, limited forensic methods andtechnology.
The absence of advanced forensictechniques made it difficult to
conclusively link physicalevidence to the killer,
inaccurate and unreliableeyewitness accounts, conflicting
testimonies, and a lack ofreliable witnesses made it
(11:28):
challenging to build a clearpicture of the suspect.
Difficulty in tracking thekiller's movements.
The crowded and poorly litstreets of the white chapel
provided ample opportunities forthe killer to evade capture and
the pressure from the public andthe media, the high profile
nature of the case and themedia's sensationalized coverage
(11:52):
added to the pressure on thepolice to solve the crimes
quickly.
Now, the impact that the mediahad over this this case was, uh.
They had a pretty significantrole in shaping the Jack Ripper
case.
Newspapers provided extensivecoverage of the murderers with
detailed accounts andillustrations of the crime
(12:15):
scenes, the sensationalism andreporting fueled public fear and
fascination with the caseturning Jack the ripper into an
infamous figure.
The media also played a part indisting.
The letters allegedly written bythe killer.
Including the Dear Boss letterthat gave rise to the name Jack
(12:37):
the Ripper.
This further amplified thepublic's interest in the case,
but it also led to numerousfalse leads and hindered the
investigation.
Additionally, the media'sportrayal of the victims, the
East End of London, and thepolice perceived incompetence
contributed to the overallnarrative and legacy of the Jack
(12:58):
the Ripper case.
Over the years, countlesssuspects have been proposed as
the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Some theories points to, or sometheories point to individuals
with medical training whileothers suggest the involvement
of prominent figures or even agroup of killers.
(13:20):
Montague, John drew it.
I believe that's, uh, that lastname's PR pronounced correctly.
Uh, Mague was a barista andschool teacher who committed
suicide in December of 1888.
Shortly after the last canonicalmurder, sir Millville, a high
(13:42):
ranking police officer namedDrew it as a suspect in a
private.
1894 memorandum stating that themurderer was a sexually insane
doctor who killed himself afterthe Kelly murder.
However, drew it wasn't a doctorand there was no concrete
(14:02):
evidence leaking him to themurderers.
The timing of this suicide.
Or the timing of his suicide andMelville's suspicion have kept
D's name attached to the case.
Aaron Cos Minsky was a PolishJewish immigrant who lived in
(14:22):
the white chapel area during thetime of the murder.
He was admitted to an insaneasylum in 1891, suffering from
auditory hallucinations andparanoid schizophrenia.
At the time, several officialsbelieved that the killer was a
local Jewish man.
Aaron's mental illness andproximity to the crime scenes
(14:44):
made him a suspect.
In 2014, a controversial DNAstudy claimed to have found a
match between.
Aaron and a SWA allegedlybelonging to one of the victims.
However, the study has beenwidely criticized for its
methodology and lack of purereview.
(15:06):
Dr.
Thomas Nere was a Canadiandoctor and convicted serial
killer.
He was executed in 1892 forpoisoning for women in London.
After his arrest, he wasdiscovered that he had also
committed similar crimes inChicago.
Some believed that Kareem was inLondon during the time of the
(15:27):
Ripper murders and had themedical knowledge consistent
with the mutilations.
However, records indicate thatKareem was imprisoned in
Illinois during the murders,making it highly unlikely that
he was Jack the Ripper.
Francis Ti was an American quackdoctor with a history of
(15:47):
criminal activity.
He was in London during the timeof the murders and was arrested
in November, 1888 for anunrelated defense.
Ty's suspicious behavior and hisalleged collection of female
organs have led some to considerhim a suspect.
After his release on Bell Blitfled to the United States.
(16:10):
And the murderers seem to stop.
Despite the circumstantialevidence, there is no definitive
proof linking to bleeding to thekillings.
And Walter Sick, that's sicker.
No.
Yeah.
Sick.
Not secret.
Okay.
Walter Sickert was a prominentBritish painter who became a
(16:34):
suspect in the 20th century.
After crime novelist, PatriciaCornwell published a book,
implicating him in themurderers.
Cornwell believed that sickersickert paintings connect
contained clues pointing to hisguilt and that he had the
necessary anatomy knowledge.
(16:55):
However, her theories have beenwidely criticized for the
speculative nature and lack ofconcrete evidence.
Many experts dismiss the ideathat Sicker was involved in the
Ripper murders.
While these are some of the mostpopular suspects, while these
are some of the most popularsuspects, none of them have been
(17:17):
definitively proven to be Jackthe Ripper.
The case remains unsolved.
And it is likely that newtheories and suspects will
continue to emerge as peopleremain fascinated by this
enduring mystery.
I, for one am pointing my fingerat Francis Ity.
It's very suspect that he leavesand then the murder stop.
(17:40):
But what do y'all think?
So the case of the Jack theRipper has left a lasting impact
on popular culture andchronology.
It has inspired countless books,movies, documentaries, and
theories, and continues to be atopic of fascination and debate.
(18:01):
Why else would we be talkingabout on this podcast if it
wasn't right?
The Jack Ripper case occurredduring a time when forensic
science was in its infancy.
The investigation showcased thelimitations of the techniques
and tools available at the time.
As a result, it highlighted theneed for advancements in the
field.
(18:22):
Some key impacts on forensicscience include crime scene
prevention.
The per case emphasized theimportance of preserving crime
scenes and avoidingcontamination of evidence.
Future investigations wouldbenefit from greater attention
to detail and collecting andpreserving physical evidence.
Use of forensic pathology.
(18:44):
The case demonstrated the needfor a better understanding of
human anatomy and theapplication of forensic
pathology.
In the following years, thefield of forensic pathology
would grow, becoming anessential part of criminal
investigations, and profilingthe inability of, or the
inability to identify Jack TheRipper led investigators to
(19:06):
develop early concepts ofcriminal profiling.
Which would later evolve into amore systematic approach to
understanding criminal behaviorand identifying suspects.
So the role that the mediaplayed was pretty significant in
shaping the narrative of theJack the Ripper case.
(19:28):
Some of the ways it influencedthe case include sensationalism,
newspapers were eager tocapitalize on the public's
fascination with the gruesomemurders.
They often sensationalized thestory fueling fear and hysteria
in the general population.
This man nation of information,the media served as the primary
(19:52):
means of dismantling.
Or dismantling information aboutthe case that is a difficult
word, uh, both accurate andaccurate.
This allowed the public tofollow the investigation
closely, but it also led to thespread of misinformation and
(20:13):
speculation, creating the myth.
The media helped create theenduring myth of Jack the Ripper
by giving the killer a memorablename.
Publishing the alleged ledgersfrom the murderer and
emphasizing the mysterious andseemingly supernatural aspect of
the case.
The Jack The Ripper case has hada lasting impact on the
(20:36):
portrayal of serial killers andpopular culture.
The mysterious killer, theenduring mystery of ripper's
identity has made the figure atemplate for subsequent
fictional serial killers.
The concept of an unknown ICkiller has been used in
countless books, movies, andtelevision shows the brutal
(20:57):
nature of the crimes.
The gruesome mediationsinflicted by Jack the Ripper
have influenced the depiction ofviolence in crime fiction and
media.
This has led to a trend ofincreasingly graphic portrayals
of violence in the genre and thegenius criminal.
The fact that Jack the Ripperwas never caught.
(21:19):
Has contributed to the notion ofthe serial killer as a criminal
mastermind.
This idea had been explored innumerous works of fiction with
killers portrayed as intelligentand methodical, always staying
one step ahead of lawenforcement Overall, the Jack
the Ripper case has had alasting impact on forensic
(21:39):
science, media coverage ofcrime, and the portrayal of
serial killers in popular code.
The fascination with thisunsolved mystery endures
continuing to influence crimenarratives and investigations
more than a century later.
The true identity of Jack theRipper may never be revealed,
(22:03):
but the case serves as achilling reminder of the dark
side of humanity and thechallenges faced by
investigators in the pursuit ofjustice.
Thank you for joining us on thisepisode of The Rabbit Hole
Chronicles Be sure to subscribeto our podcast for more
fascinating stories from thepast.
I'm Joe Foster, and I'll see younext time.
Welcome to The Rabbit Hole Chronicles a podcast
where we delve into themysteries and stories of the
past.
I'm your host, Joe Foster, andin today's episode we're going
to take a close look at one ofthe most infamous serial killers
in history, Jack the Ripper.
(00:22):
In the late 19th century, thestreets of white chapel, a
district in London's East End,were plagued by a series of
gruesome murders, five women.
All of them prostitutes werefound brutally killed and
mutilated in a way thatsuggested the murder as some
knowledge of the human, humananatomy.
Despite extensiveinvestigations, the killer was
(00:44):
never caught, and his identityremains a mystery to this day.
The five canonical victims ofJack the Ripper were Mary Ann
Nichols Annie Chapman, ElizabethStride, Catherine Ese, and Mary
Jane Kelly.
The murderers occurred betweenAugust and November of 1888, and
(01:07):
the victims were all killed in asimilar manner.
Their throats were slashed andtheir bodies were mutilated.
Born on August 26th, 1845.
Maryanne Nichols also known asPolly, was the first of the
canonical five victims.
She was married and had fivechildren, but separated from her
(01:30):
husband William Nichols in 1881after the separation, she lived
in various workhouses andboarding houses, often resorting
to prostitution to make endsmeet.
On August 31st, 1881, Polly wasfound dead in Buck Row White
Chapel.
Her throat had been deeplyslashed and her abdomen was
(01:53):
mutilated with several deepcuts.
It was this murder thattriggered the beginning of the
Jack the Ripper Investigations.
Annie Chapman was born onSeptember 25th, 1841.
She was married to John Chapmanand had three children.
However.
However, after the death of oneof their children, both Annie
(02:16):
and John became heavy drinkersleading to their separation in
1884.
Polly Annie lived in variouslodging houses and occasionally
engaged in prostitution.
On September 8th, 1888, Annie'sbody was discovered in the
backyard of 29 Hanbury Street.
(02:36):
Her throat was slashed and herabdomen was extensively
mutilated.
The killer had also removed theU.
Her uterus fueling thespeculation that Jack the ripper
has some knowledge of the humananatomy.
Born on November 27th, 1843.
Elizabeth Stride was a Swedishimmigrant who moved to London in
(03:00):
1866.
She married John Thomas Stride.
But their marriage deteriorateddue to her alcoholism and
alleged infidelity.
They separated in the late1870s, and Elizabeth eventually
turned to prostitution.
On September 30th, 1888,Elizabeth was found dead in
(03:22):
debts filled yard off BurnerStreet.
Her throat had been slashed.
But her body wasn't mutilated.
Mutilated like the previousvictims.
This led to some, oh mygoodness.
This led to some to questionwhether her murder was committed
by Jack the Ripper, or if it wasthe work of a copycat.
(03:45):
Catherine Ese was born on April14th, 1842.
She had a common law husband,Thomas Conway, with whom she had
three children.
They separated in 1881 due toher alcoholism.
Um, seems like common thinghere.
All these women are drunks afterI, they like to drink and the
(04:10):
prostitutes.
Anyways, I digress afterward.
Catherine lived with John Kellyin various lodging houses in the
East end.
On the same night as ElizabethStride's murder, September 30th,
1888, Catherine's body wasdiscovered in Mitri Square.
(04:31):
My tree square, I don't know.
Her throat was cut and her bodywas mutilated in a manner
consistent with the earlierripper murders.
Her left kidney and part of heruterus had been removed.
Further support is furthersupporting the theory that the
killer had knowledge of thehuman anatomy.
(04:54):
Mary Jane Kelly, the youngestand final canonical victim, was
born around 1863.
Little is known about her earlylife, but believed she was
married and widowed.
Before moving to London, shelived with a man named Joseph
Barnett before turning toprostitution.
(05:15):
On November 9th, 1888, Mary Janewas found brutally murdered in
her room at 13 Miller's Court.
Her throat was slashed and herbody was horrifically mutilated
with many organs removed andscattered around the room.
The severity of this attack wasfar greater than the previous
(05:37):
murders, making a grizzly end tothe canonical killings.
The name Jack The ripper comesfrom a letter allegedly written
by the killer himself sent tothe police in newspapers in
1888.
However, the authenticity ofthis letter, as well as several
(05:57):
others attributed to the killerhas been questioned.
With that in mind, let's getinto these letters here.
The, uh, most famous lettersassociated with Jack the Ripper
case are the Dear Boss Letter,the Saucy Jackie Postcard, and
the from Hell letter.
(06:18):
These letters were allegedlywritten by the killer himself.
As stated before, theauthenticity has been the
subject of much debate.
The Dear Boss letter was sent tothe Essential News Agency on
September 27th, 1888.
In this letter, the writerclaimed responsibility for the
murders and referred to himselfas Jack the Ripper for the first
(06:41):
time.
The letter included details ofthe murders as well as taunts
directed at the police.
It also contained a chillingpromise to keep killing and even
mentioned the desire to clip thelady's ears off.
A few days later, Catherine ese,one of the victims was found
with her earlobe cut.
(07:03):
Which seemed to tell incredibility to the letter Thei
Jackie postcard was received bythe Central News Agency on
October 1st, 1888.
It referred to the double murderof Elizabeth Stride and
Catherine Ese on September 30th,1888.
The postcards writer claimedthat the police had not found
(07:25):
all the mutilations on thevictims and boasted about his
ability to avoid capture.
The from Hell letter was sent toGeorge Lusk, the head of the
White Chapel Vigilance Committeeon October 16th, 1888.
It was accompanied by small boxcontaining half a human kidney,
(07:48):
which the writer claimed to havetaken from one of the victims.
Just as a reminder, CatherineESE was missing a kidney.
The letters the letter's authordescribed how he cooked and ate
the other half of the kidney andtaunted lusk stating that he may
yet send you the bloody knifethat took it out if you only
(08:10):
wait a while longer.
The authenticity of theseletters has been widely debated.
Some argue that the letterscould have been written by the
killer as they contain accuratedetails of the crimes.
And demonstrate a similarwriting style.
However, others believe that theletters were hoax possibly
(08:32):
created by journalists lookingto centralization or
sensationalize the story andsell more newspapers.
It has also been suggested thatsome of the letters might have
been written by differentindividuals either trying to
confuse the investigation orseeking attention.
(08:52):
Handwriting analysis was notprovided Conclusive, uh,
evidence and the debate over theauthenticity of the letters
continues to this day.
The murders of Jack the Ripperprompted one of the largest
manhunt British history.
Despite this, the killer wasnever caught in his identity
(09:15):
remains unknown.
In the late 19th century,investigative methods were still
relatively primitive compared tomodern standards.
The use of fingerprinting andDNA analysis was not yet
available, and the police reliedheavily on eyewitness accounts,
interviews, and physicalevidence found at the crime
(09:36):
scenes.
Detectives conducteddoor-to-door inquiries, searched
for suspicious individuals, andgathered information from
locals.
They also consulted with medicalexperts to determine the
killer's possible background andskillset.
Several key figures wereinvolved in Dejected Ripper
(09:58):
investigations, one being SirCharles Warren.
The Metropolitan PoliceCommissioner at the time warn
face criticism from his handlingof the case and eventually
resigned in November of 1888.
Frick Aberly, a skilleddetective and inspector.
Aberly was a key investigator onthe case, and many of his notes
(10:20):
reports, or many of his notesand reports have since been used
to study the murderers.
Edmond Reed, a local detective,uh, inspector Reed, was involved
in the investigation and hadextensive knowledge of the white
chapel area.
Donald Swanson, a senior officerin the Metropolitan Police,
(10:41):
Swanson, was responsible forcoordinating the Ripper
investigation.
And Dr.
Thomas Bond, not James Bond.
Thomas Bond was a policesurgeon, uh, assisted in several
autopsy examinations of thevictims and provided his expert
opinion on the killer's possibleskills and motivations.
(11:06):
The police faced numerouschallenges during the
investigation.
Um, limited forensic methods andtechnology.
The absence of advanced forensictechniques made it difficult to
conclusively link physicalevidence to the killer,
inaccurate and unreliableeyewitness accounts, conflicting
testimonies, and a lack ofreliable witnesses made it
(11:28):
challenging to build a clearpicture of the suspect.
Difficulty in tracking thekiller's movements.
The crowded and poorly litstreets of the white chapel
provided ample opportunities forthe killer to evade capture and
the pressure from the public andthe media, the high profile
nature of the case and themedia's sensationalized coverage
(11:52):
added to the pressure on thepolice to solve the crimes
quickly.
Now, the impact that the mediahad over this this case was, uh.
They had a pretty significantrole in shaping the Jack Ripper
case.
Newspapers provided extensivecoverage of the murderers with
detailed accounts andillustrations of the crime
(12:15):
scenes, the sensationalism andreporting fueled public fear and
fascination with the caseturning Jack the ripper into an
infamous figure.
The media also played a part indisting.
The letters allegedly written bythe killer.
Including the Dear Boss letterthat gave rise to the name Jack
(12:37):
the Ripper.
This further amplified thepublic's interest in the case,
but it also led to numerousfalse leads and hindered the
investigation.
Additionally, the media'sportrayal of the victims, the
East End of London, and thepolice perceived incompetence
contributed to the overallnarrative and legacy of the Jack
(12:58):
the Ripper case.
Over the years, countlesssuspects have been proposed as
the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Some theories points to, or sometheories point to individuals
with medical training whileothers suggest the involvement
of prominent figures or even agroup of killers.
(13:20):
Montague, John drew it.
I believe that's, uh, that lastname's PR pronounced correctly.
Uh, Mague was a barista andschool teacher who committed
suicide in December of 1888.
Shortly after the last canonicalmurder, sir Millville, a high
(13:42):
ranking police officer namedDrew it as a suspect in a
private.
1894 memorandum stating that themurderer was a sexually insane
doctor who killed himself afterthe Kelly murder.
However, drew it wasn't a doctorand there was no concrete
(14:02):
evidence leaking him to themurderers.
The timing of this suicide.
Or the timing of his suicide andMelville's suspicion have kept
D's name attached to the case.
Aaron Cos Minsky was a PolishJewish immigrant who lived in
(14:22):
the white chapel area during thetime of the murder.
He was admitted to an insaneasylum in 1891, suffering from
auditory hallucinations andparanoid schizophrenia.
At the time, several officialsbelieved that the killer was a
local Jewish man.
Aaron's mental illness andproximity to the crime scenes
(14:44):
made him a suspect.
In 2014, a controversial DNAstudy claimed to have found a
match between.
Aaron and a SWA allegedlybelonging to one of the victims.
However, the study has beenwidely criticized for its
methodology and lack of purereview.
(15:06):
Dr.
Thomas Nere was a Canadiandoctor and convicted serial
killer.
He was executed in 1892 forpoisoning for women in London.
After his arrest, he wasdiscovered that he had also
committed similar crimes inChicago.
Some believed that Kareem was inLondon during the time of the
(15:27):
Ripper murders and had themedical knowledge consistent
with the mutilations.
However, records indicate thatKareem was imprisoned in
Illinois during the murders,making it highly unlikely that
he was Jack the Ripper.
Francis Ti was an American quackdoctor with a history of
(15:47):
criminal activity.
He was in London during the timeof the murders and was arrested
in November, 1888 for anunrelated defense.
Ty's suspicious behavior and hisalleged collection of female
organs have led some to considerhim a suspect.
After his release on Bell Blitfled to the United States.
(16:10):
And the murderers seem to stop.
Despite the circumstantialevidence, there is no definitive
proof linking to bleeding to thekillings.
And Walter Sick, that's sicker.
No.
Yeah.
Sick.
Not secret.
Okay.
Walter Sickert was a prominentBritish painter who became a
(16:34):
suspect in the 20th century.
After crime novelist, PatriciaCornwell published a book,
implicating him in themurderers.
Cornwell believed that sickersickert paintings connect
contained clues pointing to hisguilt and that he had the
necessary anatomy knowledge.
(16:55):
However, her theories have beenwidely criticized for the
speculative nature and lack ofconcrete evidence.
Many experts dismiss the ideathat Sicker was involved in the
Ripper murders.
While these are some of the mostpopular suspects, while these
are some of the most popularsuspects, none of them have been
(17:17):
definitively proven to be Jackthe Ripper.
The case remains unsolved.
And it is likely that newtheories and suspects will
continue to emerge as peopleremain fascinated by this
enduring mystery.
I, for one am pointing my fingerat Francis Ity.
It's very suspect that he leavesand then the murder stop.
(17:40):
But what do y'all think?
So the case of the Jack theRipper has left a lasting impact
on popular culture andchronology.
It has inspired countless books,movies, documentaries, and
theories, and continues to be atopic of fascination and debate.
(18:01):
Why else would we be talkingabout on this podcast if it
wasn't right?
The Jack Ripper case occurredduring a time when forensic
science was in its infancy.
The investigation showcased thelimitations of the techniques
and tools available at the time.
As a result, it highlighted theneed for advancements in the
field.
(18:22):
Some key impacts on forensicscience include crime scene
prevention.
The per case emphasized theimportance of preserving crime
scenes and avoidingcontamination of evidence.
Future investigations wouldbenefit from greater attention
to detail and collecting andpreserving physical evidence.
Use of forensic pathology.
(18:44):
The case demonstrated the needfor a better understanding of
human anatomy and theapplication of forensic
pathology.
In the following years, thefield of forensic pathology
would grow, becoming anessential part of criminal
investigations, and profilingthe inability of, or the
inability to identify Jack TheRipper led investigators to
(19:06):
develop early concepts ofcriminal profiling.
Which would later evolve into amore systematic approach to
understanding criminal behaviorand identifying suspects.
So the role that the mediaplayed was pretty significant in
shaping the narrative of theJack the Ripper case.
(19:28):
Some of the ways it influencedthe case include sensationalism,
newspapers were eager tocapitalize on the public's
fascination with the gruesomemurders.
They often sensationalized thestory fueling fear and hysteria
in the general population.
This man nation of information,the media served as the primary
(19:52):
means of dismantling.
Or dismantling information aboutthe case that is a difficult
word, uh, both accurate andaccurate.
This allowed the public tofollow the investigation
closely, but it also led to thespread of misinformation and
(20:13):
speculation, creating the myth.
The media helped create theenduring myth of Jack the Ripper
by giving the killer a memorablename.
Publishing the alleged ledgersfrom the murderer and
emphasizing the mysterious andseemingly supernatural aspect of
the case.
The Jack The Ripper case has hada lasting impact on the
(20:36):
portrayal of serial killers andpopular culture.
The mysterious killer, theenduring mystery of ripper's
identity has made the figure atemplate for subsequent
fictional serial killers.
The concept of an unknown ICkiller has been used in
countless books, movies, andtelevision shows the brutal
(20:57):
nature of the crimes.
The gruesome mediationsinflicted by Jack the Ripper
have influenced the depiction ofviolence in crime fiction and
media.
This has led to a trend ofincreasingly graphic portrayals
of violence in the genre and thegenius criminal.
The fact that Jack the Ripperwas never caught.
(21:19):
Has contributed to the notion ofthe serial killer as a criminal
mastermind.
This idea had been explored innumerous works of fiction with
killers portrayed as intelligentand methodical, always staying
one step ahead of lawenforcement Overall, the Jack
the Ripper case has had alasting impact on forensic
(21:39):
science, media coverage ofcrime, and the portrayal of
serial killers in popular code.
The fascination with thisunsolved mystery endures
continuing to influence crimenarratives and investigations
more than a century later.
The true identity of Jack theRipper may never be revealed,
(22:03):
but the case serves as achilling reminder of the dark
side of humanity and thechallenges faced by
investigators in the pursuit ofjustice.
Thank you for joining us on thisepisode of The Rabbit Hole
Chronicles Be sure to subscribeto our podcast for more
fascinating stories from thepast.
I'm Joe Foster, and I'll see younext time.
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