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Jack the ripper

A story of a serial killer

By Hamza MustafaPublished 3 years ago 3 min read

Jack the Ripper was an English serial killer. Between August and November 1888, he murdered at least five women—all prostitutes—in or near the Whitechapel district of London's East End. Jack the Ripper was never identified or arrested. Today the murder sites are the locus of a macabre tourist industry in London.

Jack the Ripper was a notorious serial killer who terrorized the streets of Whitechapel, London in the late 19th century. Despite numerous efforts by the police and the public, he was never caught, and his identity remains a mystery to this day.

The story of Jack the Ripper began in the fall of 1888, when the first victim was discovered in a back alley off Whitechapel Road. Mary Ann Nichols, a 42-year-old prostitute, had been brutally murdered and mutilated. Her throat had been slit, and her abdomen had been cut open with surgical precision.

The news of the murder spread quickly, and it wasn't long before another victim was found. Annie Chapman, a 47-year-old prostitute, was discovered in a backyard on Hanbury Street just a week later. Like Nichols, she had been savagely attacked and mutilated. Her uterus had been removed, leading some to speculate that the killer had some medical knowledge.

The murders continued at a steady pace over the next few weeks, each one more gruesome than the last. Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were both murdered on the same night, just a few hours apart. Stride's body was found on Berner Street, while Eddowes' body was found in Mitre Square. Both women had been killed in a similar manner, with their throats slashed and their bodies mutilated.

The final victim of Jack the Ripper was Mary Jane Kelly, a 25-year-old prostitute. Her body was discovered in her room on Dorset Street on November 9th, 1888. She had been completely disemboweled, and her body had been mutilated beyond recognition. The brutality of the murder shocked the city, and the police were under intense pressure to find the killer.

Despite a massive manhunt, Jack the Ripper was never caught. The police investigated countless suspects, including doctors, butchers, and even members of the royal family. The media fueled the hysteria with sensational headlines, and the public became obsessed with the case. Some even claimed to have seen the killer, but their descriptions were often contradictory and unreliable.

The case of Jack the Ripper has fascinated people for over a century, and it has inspired countless books, movies, and TV shows. Many theories have been put forward about the killer's identity, ranging from the plausible to the absurd. Some believe that the killer was a surgeon or a medical student, while others think that he was a member of the royal family or a wealthy businessman.

Despite the many theories, the identity of Jack the Ripper remains a mystery. It's possible that he was never caught because he was clever enough to evade the police, or because he died before he could be brought to justice. Whatever the case may be, the legend of Jack the Ripper lives on, and his story continues to fascinate and terrify people around the world.

Jack the Ripper, pseudonymous murderer of at least five women 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.

the discovery of one of Jack the Ripper's victims

the discovery of one of Jack the Ripper's victims

letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper

letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper

letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper

letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper

coverage of Jack the Ripper in The Illustrated Police News

coverage of Jack the Ripper in The Illustrated Police News

Some dozen murders between 1888 and 1892 have been speculatively attributed to Jack the Ripper, but only five of those, all committed in 1888, were linked by police to a single murderer. The so-called “canonical five” victims were Mary Ann Nichols (whose body was found on August 31), Annie Chapman (found September 8), Elizabeth Stride (found September 30), Catherine (Kate) Eddowes (found September 30), and Mary Jane Kelly (found November 9).

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Hamza Mustafa

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