Between August and November 1888, five prostitutes turned up dead on the streets of London’s Whitechapel neighbourhood.
Mary Kelly Crime Scene Photograph.
All were found within a mile of one another – two on the same night – and all had their throats slashed from left to right.
Alice McKenzie Mortuary Photograph.
The lead investigators on the case suspected the killer was left-handed.
Catherine Eddowes Mortuary Photograph.
All but one had been gutted with precision, leading investigators to suspect the killer might have been trained as a butcher or surgeon.
Elizabeth Stride Mortuary Photograph.
The killer managed to commit these murders and escape undetected, which suggested the killer was familiar with the rhythms of the neighbourhood.
The murderer, whom the press referred to as “Jack the Ripper,” was never identified. Perhaps, Jack the Ripper died before he was able to carry out any additional murders? Or perhaps his killings evolved over time, as other murders occurred in Whitechapel over the next three years, which bore some similarities to Jack’s work. In either case,
Dutfield’s Yard, Scene of Elizabeth Stride’s Murder.
Jack the Ripper is now long gone, and it appears he has taken his identity with him to the grave. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from speculating as to who he might have been.
