In all of these regards, Jack the Ripper is a classic example of the disorganized serial killer. In fact, I suspect that he was a paranoid schizophrenic who feared and hated women. His murders demonstrated great rage toward his female victims. The Ripper also had what is known as a signature.
Full Answer
What mental illness did Jack the Ripper have?
Forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Stone in his book, "The Anatomy of Evil" theorizes that Jack had paranoid schizophrenia. He estimates Richard Trenton Chase as the modern equivalent with the similarities of their crimes.
Was Jack the Ripper a real person?
Unidentified serial killer. Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer generally believed to have been active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888.
What was unique about the murders committed by Jack the Ripper?
Jack the Ripper committed at least five murders in or near the Whitechapel district of London’s East End. What was unique about the murders committed by Jack the Ripper? All of Jack the Ripper’s victims were prostitutes, and all but one were killed while soliciting customers on the street.
Who were Jack the Ripper’s victims?
Who were Jack the Ripper’s victims? The five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper were Mary Ann Nichols (found August 31, 1888), Annie Chapman (found September 8, 1888), Elizabeth Stride (found September 30, 1888), Catherine Eddowes (also found September 30, 1888), and Mary Jane Kelly (found November 9, 1888). All the victims were prostitutes.
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How did Elizabeth Stride die?
Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were both killed in the early morning hours of Sunday 30 September 1888. Stride's body was discovered at approximately 1 a.m. in Dutfield's Yard, off Berner Street (now Henriques Street) in Whitechapel. The cause of death was a single clear-cut incision, measuring six inches across her neck which had severed her left carotid artery and her trachea before terminating beneath her right jaw. The absence of any further mutilations to her body has led to uncertainty as to whether Stride's murder was committed by the Ripper, or whether he was interrupted during the attack. Several witnesses later informed police they had seen Stride in the company of a man in or close to Berner Street on the evening of 29 September and in the early hours of 30 September, but each gave differing descriptions: some said that her companion was fair, others dark; some said that he was shabbily dressed, others well-dressed.
What was Jack the Ripper's killer called?
In both the criminal case files and contemporary journalistic accounts, the killer was called the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron . Attacks ascribed to Jack the Ripper typically involved female prostitutes who lived and worked in the slums of the East End of London.
What is the name of the letter that Jack the Ripper wrote?
The "Dear Boss" letter , dated 25 September and postmarked 27 September 1888, was received that day by the Central News Agency, and was forwarded to Scotland Yard on 29 September. Initially, it was considered a hoax, but when Eddowes was found three days after the letter's postmark with a section of one ear obliquely cut from her body, the promise of the author to "clip the ladys ( sic) ears off" gained attention. Eddowes's ear appears to have been nicked by the killer incidentally during his attack, and the letter writer's threat to send the ears to the police was never carried out. The name "Jack the Ripper" was first used in this letter by the signatory and gained worldwide notoriety after its publication. Most of the letters that followed copied this letter's tone, with some authors adopting pseudonyms such as "George of the High Rip Gang." Some sources claim that another letter dated 17 September 1888 was the first to use the name "Jack the Ripper", but most experts believe that this was a fake inserted into police records in the 20th century.
Why was Jack the Ripper important?
The Ripper murders mark an important watershed in the treatment of crime by journalists. Jack the Ripper was not the first serial killer, but his case was the first to create a worldwide media frenzy. The Elementary Education Act 1880 (which had extended upon a previous Act) made school attendance compulsory regardless of class. As such, by 1888, more working-class people in England and Wales were literate.
How many people were interviewed in the Whitechapel murders?
A large team of policemen conducted house-to-house inquiries throughout Whitechapel. Forensic material was collected and examined. Suspects were identified, traced, and either examined more closely or eliminated from the inquiry. Modern police work follows the same pattern. More than 2,000 people were interviewed, "upwards of 300" people were investigated, and 80 people were detained. Following the murders of Stride and Eddowes, the Commissioner of the City Police, Sir James Fraser, offered a reward of £500 for the arrest of the Ripper.
Where did Jack the Ripper kill his victims?
Women and children congregate in front of one of the Whitechapel common lodging-houses close to where Jack the Ripper murdered two of his victims. In the mid-19th century, Britain experienced an influx of Irish immigrants who swelled the populations of the major cities, including the East End of London.
What happened to Alice McKenzie?
Alice McKenzie was murdered shortly after midnight on 17 July 1889 in Castle Alley, Whitechapel. She had suffered two stab wounds to her neck, and her left carotid artery had been severed. Several minor bruises and cuts were found on her body, which also bore a seven-inch long superficial wound extending from her left breast to her navel. One of the examining pathologists, Thomas Bond, believed this to be a Ripper murder, though his colleague George Bagster Phillips, who had examined the bodies of three previous victims, disagreed. Opinions among writers are also divided between those who suspect McKenzie's murderer copied the modus operandi of Jack the Ripper to deflect suspicion from himself, and those who ascribe this murder to Jack the Ripper.
What is a disorganized serial killer?
The victim’s body is usually left where the attack took place and the killer makes no attempt to hide it. In all of these regards, Jack the Ripper is a classic example of the disorganized serial killer. In fact, I suspect that he was a paranoid schizophrenic who feared and hated women. His murders demonstrated great rage toward his female victims.
What was the first serial killer story?
The Ripper case was the first serial killer story in history to cause a widespread media frenzy and that was due to the proliferation of inexpensive broadsheet newspapers in Victorian London in the late 19th century.
Why did the ripper have a signature?
His murders demonstrated great rage toward his female victims. The Ripper also had what is known as a signature. The signature is not required in order to commit the crime. Rather, it serves the emotional or psychological needs of the offender.
What did Bond conclude about the gaping wounds inflicted by the Ripper?
Bond reached his conclusion after noting that the gaping wounds inflicted by the Ripper were not consistent with the training of a medical expert or “ even the technical knowledge of a butcher or horse slaughterer.”.
How many newspapers were sold in the Jack the Ripper case?
By the fall of 1888, at the height of the Ripper’s killing spree, one million newspapers with updated stories on the case were sold each day—an unprecedented circulation of newspapers at the time. The Jack the Ripper case has generated a glut of conspiracy theories concerning his identity over the years.
What did the murderer's mutilations indicate?
In the opinion of Bond, the murderer must have been “a man of solitary habits, subject to periodic attacks of homicidal and erotic mania, and the character of the mutilations possibly indicating 'satyriasis' or uncontrollable sexual desire.".
When was Jack the Ripper's Punch cartoon?
Jack the Ripper: Punch cartoon 1888. The legendary tale of Jack the Ripper involves five extremely brutal slayings of prostitutes between August and November of 1888 in the Whitechapel area of London, England. Legend has it that the perpetrator called himself Jack the Ripper in letters he sent to the London police—taking credit for the crimes.
How many murders did Jack the Ripper commit?
Jack the Ripper committed at least five murders in or near the Whitechapel district of London’s East End.
Why is Jack the Ripper so famous?
Jack the Ripper is famous in part because his identity is unknown. For years people have speculated about his identity. Commonly cited suspects include Montague Druitt, a barrister and teacher with an interest in surgery; Michael Ostrog, a Russian criminal and physician; and Aaron Kosminski, a Polish immigrant who lived in Whitechapel.
What happened to Jack the Ripper's victims?
All of Jack the Ripper’s victims were prostitutes, and all but one were killed while soliciting customers on the street. In each instance the victim’s throat was cut, and the body was mutilated in a manner indicating that the murderer had at least some knowledge of human anatomy.
How many women did Jack the Ripper kill?
Learn More in these related Britannica articles: serial murder: History. …19th century was that of Jack the Ripper, who killed at least five women in London in 1888.
What is the oldest city in the world?
London. London, city, capital of the United Kingdom. It is among the oldest of the world’s great cities—its history spanning nearly two millennia—and one of the most cosmopolitan. By far Britain’s largest metropolis, it is also the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural centre.….
Where was Jack the Ripper?
Jack the Ripper, pseudonymous murderer of at least five women, all prostitutes, in or near the Whitechapel district of London ’s East End, between August and November 1888. The case is one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of English crime.
When was Jack the Ripper murdered?
Front page of a newspaper reporting on a murder committed by Jack the Ripper, September 1888.
What is the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?
While psychopaths suffer from mental chronic disorders, demonstrating violent social behaviour; sociopaths suffer from personality disorders with extreme behaviours and attitudes. Determining which of these disorders an individual actually has; often decides their punishment, should a crime be committed. In the case of Jack the Ripper, there has ...
Why is Jack the Ripper considered a sociopath?
There are plenty of people who believe that Jack the Ripper was, in fact, a sociopath. In part, this is because sociopaths tend to move around a lot, and this would explain why the killings were concentrated over a few a months , and he was then never heard of again. . It also explains the displaying of his victims’ bodies, post mutilation, along with the way in which they were killed.
Why did Jack the Ripper dress up as a prostitute?
The notion that Jack the Ripper dressed up as someone with money to attract his prostitute victims demonstrates sociopathic tendencies and a split personality disorder.
How long ago was the Psychoanalysis of the Ripper case?
With the coldest case on the planet still hot on the lips of psychologists, criminal profilers and fanatics around the round; it’s no wonder that the case gets looked at by professionals and amateurs alike on a regular basis, even though it is a case from 128 years ago .
Why are psychopaths harder to catch?
Psychopaths are meticulous in their planning, which is part of the reason they are harder to catch. They are likely to stick to their plans, despite obstacles in their way. This was demonstrated by his carrying out the second kill of his double event, despite almost being caught in the first murder of the evening.
Was Jack the Ripper a psychopath?
After looking through the evidence and psychological profile, the consensus is that Jack the Ripper was a psychopath that revelled in the notoriety of his own crimes.
Can a firm diagnosis be made due to the lack of patient to be evaluated by experts?
While it may be argued that no firm diagnosis can be made due to the lack of patient to be evaluated by experts, there are still many hints and clues towards his state of mind that allows investigators, Ripperologists and other fanatics around the world enough information, to speculate and suggest their own judgements.
How long was Peter Sutcliffe in jail?
By its verdict the trial jury rejected, on the balance of probabilities, the truth of the account Sutcliffe had given to the psychiatrists and he was given a life sentence of at least 30 years, which he started at Parkhurst maximum security prison. Peter Sutcliffe should be returned to jail, say psychiatrists. Read more.
What was the Yorkshire Ripper mental health review?
Yorkshire Ripper mental health review revives central issue of trial. Jury in 1981 rejected truth of Sutcliffe’s account to psychiatrists that a divine voice had told him to kill prostitutes. Peter Sutcliffe in 1974.
Was Peter Sutcliffe sane?
It has always been a key feature of the Yorkshire Ripper case that although the jury at his trial found Peter Sutcliffe sane at the time that he murdered 13 women, the psychiatrists diagnosed him as having paranoid schizophrenia. The sole issue at his trial in 1981 was whether or not his responsibility for the killings was diminished by mental ...
When did Sutcliffe start taking anti-psychotics?
Murray’s report revealed that in July 1993 Sutcliffe was started on anti-psychotic medicine and had persevered with it ever since. He said Sutcliffe had been the subject of three assaults, including one in which he lost his right eye.
Who were the three psychiatrists that Dr. Kay was a gravedigger?
The three psychiatrists called in his defence, Dr Milne, Dr McCullogh and Dr Kay, each diagnosed that he had “encapsulated (or hidden) paranoid schizophrenia” based on his account that a divine voice had told him in 1967 while he was working as a gravedigger that it was his mission to kill or eradicate prostitutes.
Is there a cure for mental illness?
Brian Dow, of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: “There’s no cure as such. There’s no medication that will make it go away, but people will often be able to manage their symptoms to a point where they can lead a very normal life.
Why was Sutcliffe transferred to hospital?
Sutcliffe may have been transferred because he became more unwell in prison or it may be that a prison psychiatrist considered Sutcliffe’s schizophrenia to be central to his serial killing. Again the exact reasons are unclear, however, regardless of the reasoning, in order to make a transfer to hospital from prison, the law requires that two psychiatrists have to recommend that a transfer is required.
Why did Sutcliffe go to Broadmoor?
Despite this, the judge refused to accept a plea of diminished responsibility and, although the exact reasons are unclear, Sutcliffe’s subsequent transfer to Broadmoor is reported to have been because of this paranoid schizophrenia.
What is paranoid schizophrenia?
Paranoid schizophrenia is a sub-type of schizophrenia, where the symptoms experienced are very suspicious beliefs. The person may believe that they are being persecuted. It can also include grandiose symptoms alongside suspicion and Sutcliffe is reported to have said that he heard the voice of God telling him to kill.
How long was Peter Sutcliffe in prison?
In 1981, Peter Sutcliffe was given a whole-life tariff for the murders of 13 women. Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper by the press, initially spent three years in prison before being moved to Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility, where he has been held since 1984.
Why do people with schizophrenia act violently?
Research shows that those with schizophrenia who act violently have a heightened sensitivity to negative emotional cues in the environment and are slower at processing responses, which may be one of the reasons these people act violently, compared to them socially withdrawing. However, research is still emerging in this area and is not clear.
How much of violence is attributed to schizophrenia?
Although it is reported that under 10% of violence can be attributed in some way to schizophrenia, for people like Sutcliffe, their response to symptoms can be extreme violence. It is accepted that schizophrenia has a strong link to violence and while some studies have found that up to 10% of people awaiting trial for murder have schizophrenia – ...
What happens if a prisoner goes back to prison?
There is also a danger that in a busy prison, prison officers might not notice subtle changes in his behaviour – changes that could signify a worsening of his mental state. If he transfers back to prison he would need to be closely monitored by mental health professionals during this transition stage.
Overview
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in the impoverished districts in and around Whitechapel in the East End of London in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporary journalistic accounts, the killer was called the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron.
Attacks ascribed to Jack the Ripper typically involved female prostitutes who li…
Background
In the mid-19th century, Britain experienced an influx of Irish immigrants who swelled the populations of the major cities, including the East End of London. From 1882, Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in Tsarist Russia and other areas of Eastern Europe emigrated into the same area. The parish of Whitechapel in London's East End became increasingly overcrowded, with the population incr…
Murders
The large number of attacks against women in the East End during this time adds uncertainty to how many victims were murdered by the same individual. Eleven separate murders, stretching from 3 April 1888 to 13 February 1891, were included in a London Metropolitan Police Service investigation and were known collectively in the police docket as the "Whitechapel murders". Opinion…
Investigation
The vast majority of the City of London Police files relating to their investigation into the Whitechapel murders were destroyed in the Blitz. The surviving Metropolitan Police files allow a detailed view of investigative procedures in the Victorian era. A large team of policemen conducted house-to-house inquiries throughout Whitechapel. Forensic material was collected and examined. Suspects were identified, traced, and either examined more closely or eliminated fro…
Suspects
The concentration of the killings around weekends and public holidays and within a short distance of each other has indicated to many that the Ripper was in regular employment and lived locally. Others have opined that the killer was an educated upper-class man, possibly a doctor or an aristocrat who ventured into Whitechapel from a more well-to-do area. Such theories draw on cultural p…
Letters
Over the course of the Whitechapel murders, the police, newspapers, and other individuals received hundreds of letters regarding the case. Some letters were well-intentioned offers of advice as to how to catch the killer, but the vast majority were either hoaxes or generally useless.
Hundreds of letters claimed to have been written by the killer himself, and thre…
Media
The Ripper murders mark an important watershed in the treatment of crime by journalists. Jack the Ripper was not the first serial killer, but his case was the first to create a worldwide media frenzy. The Elementary Education Act 1880 (which had extended upon a previous Act) made school attendance compulsory regardless of class. As such, by 1888, more working-class people in England an…
Legacy
The nature of the Ripper murders and the impoverished lifestyle of the victims drew attention to the poor living conditions in the East End and galvanised public opinion against the overcrowded, insanitary slums. In the two decades after the murders, the worst of the slums were cleared and demolished, but the streets and some buildings survive, and the legend of the Ripper is still promot…