Jack The Ripper

Jack the Ripper. Perhaps the most infamous serial killer of all time.
Hundreds of suspects have been named for this case and it has baffled investigators and ripperologists alike for over 100 years
The year is 1888. The stage, the shadowy and bog-filled streets of the East End of London. More specifically, the Whitechapel District, an area with a proclivity for violence and crime amongst the backdrop of poverty. But suddenly, a string of murders terrorize the public in a way never seen before.
The culprit, a mad man with no clear motive. The world's most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper.
While most believe the Ripper claimed the lives of only five, now referred to as "The Canonical Five," others believe the Ripper claimed the lives of up to 11 women. All five of the canonical victims were prostitutes, as many women in the Whitechapel District had to turn to prostitution as a way to survive. The morbid intrigue is not a recent development. At the time of the murders, literacy was increasing amongst the general population.
On August 31, 1888 at 3:40 a.m., the body of Mary Ann Nichols was found in Buck's Row in Whitechapel. The body was discovered by a man named Charles Cross, who claims he was walking along Buck's Row when he noticed a bundle towards the western end. Another man named Robert Paul approached the body with Cross. Police would eventually arrive on the scene. Mary Ann Nichols was found on her back, her throat severely slashed, and she was disemboweled. It was determined she had only been dead for about a half hour, meaning the killer was likely nearby when Cross first saw the body.
On September 8, 1888, the body of Annie Chapman was found at 29 Hanbury Street. Her body was discovered by a man named John Davis, an elderly resident of the 29 Hanbury Street building. Her throat was cut and this time the violence escalated in that the murderer took her womb.
Dr. George Baxter Phillips was serving as the divisional police surgeon at the time and proposed the idea that the killer had anatomical knowledge by the manner in which Annie Chapman's womb was removed.
Later that month on September 27, 1888, the Central News Agency receives a letter from the apparent killer. It reads;
"Dear Boss,
I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they won't fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now? I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with, but it went thick like glue and I can't use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope. Ha. Ha. The next job I do I shall clip the lady's ears off and send to the police officer just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good luck.
Yours truly, Jack the Ripper.
Don't mind giving me the trade name.
Wasn't good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands. Curse it. No luck yet.
They say I'm a doctor now. Ha. Ha."

This letter wasn't released to the public until October 1st and many believe that it was fabricated by a journalist, but regardless, it made its way to the papers. Once in the eyes of the public, the name stuck, and the killer from that point on went by the now famous moniker, Jack the Ripper.
Three days later on September 30 at 1:00 a.m., the body of Elizabeth Stride was found on Berner Street by a man named Louis Diemschutz. Only her throat was cut, which led police to believe that the murder was interrupted when Diemschutz approached. Right now we're walking up on the site of the second murder, Elizabeth Stride.
Determined that she was dead when examined around 1:15 a.m. Shockingly, only 45 minutes after the discovery of Elizabeth Stride, another body was found in Mitre Square, just west of the Stride murder. A woman named Catherine Eddowes was the second victim in the same night. Her body was severely mutilated, including her face. Her uterus was removed, as well as her left kidney.
It's here that police would discover one of the few solid clues in the entire case, a piece of Catherine Eddowes apron found near the scene of the crime. The apron was found by Alfred Long in the doorway of an apartment block near Goulston Street, a nearby street east of the Eddowes murder site.
Near this apron a message was written in chalk that read, "The Juwes are the men that will not be blame for nothing." A sign of the anti-Semitism that was common in the area. However, the crucial detail of this clue is the fact that it was found east of the Eddowes murder site, in the direction of Elizabeth Stride's murder site, the murder that occurred just 45 minutes prior. This perplexing decision could mean that the killer willingly entered an area that was swarming with cops. Aside from demonstrating the killer's evasive abilities, this could suggest the killer lived in this East London area, as it possibly explains the motive for entering a dangerous situation.
Nearly a month later, on November 9, 1888, the body of the fifth and final canonical victim, Mary Kelly, was found at 13 Millers Court in her bed by her landlord's assistant, who was seeking rent. This murder was by far the most gruesome as her body was disemboweled and "virtually skinned down."
We could be actually at the place of residence of Jack himself. Here's the landlord on the state of the body.
"The sight that we saw I cannot drive away from my mind. It looked more like the work of a devil than of a man."
And with that we arrive at the end of the five canonical victims, but as stated before, some believe there could be up to 11 victims. With Jack the Ripper's reign of terror, one should wonder if anybody caught a glimpse of this monster, and it would seem that people did.
When aggregating eyewitness testimonies of those who believed they saw the Ripper, a rough outline of the killer can be visualized. It can be assumed that he was between 25 to 35 years old, roughly 5'5 to 5'7, stocky, with a fair complexion, and a mustache. Allegedly, he was seen wearing a dark overcoat and a dark hat. The Scotland Yard's Violent Crime Command team has said that Jack the Ripper, who one could call evil incarnated, could be described in appearance as "perfectly sane, frighteningly normal, and yet capable of extraordinary cruelty." There have been multiple theories on who Jack the Ripper was, but none were proven due to the lack of evidence. For over 100 years, the mystery of Jack the Ripper has continued to fascinate, confound, and infuriate the public. Perhaps one day we will have the means to solve the crime. Or perhaps this famous case will be yet another victim to time. But, for now, the age old question will continue to persist. Who was Jack the Ripper?