In the Footsteps of a Killer—Forensics and the Hunt for Jack the Ripper | True Crime Saturday

True Crime Saturday: “In the Footsteps of a Killer—Forensics and the Hunt for Jack the Ripper”

Whitechapel (1880)

In the shadowy alleys of East London’s Whitechapel, where poverty clung to every corner, a nameless monster prowled the fog-drenched streets of the 1880s, leaving behind a trail of terror. This faceless serial killer—later infamously known as Jack the Ripper—claimed the lives of five women with ruthless precision. His reign of fear stretched across Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Aldgate, and even brushed against the boundaries of the City of London.

What tied these gruesome killings together was the Ripper's chilling modus operandi: his victims were all prostitutes, each name now etched into the pages of history—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine "Kate" Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Their tragic fates remain shrouded in mystery, casting an eerie glow over the streets they once walked.

Economical Background

Life in East London during the Victorian era was anything but triumphant. Cramped streets overflowed with people, jobs were scarce, and inflation made survival a daily struggle. Many lived in perpetual hardship, often going without food or shelter. Sanitation was non-existent, and new epidemics seemed to bloom as frequently as the grey London fog. For most, the only way to secure even a sliver of space under a roof was by renting a bed in the squalid, overcrowded "dosshouses."

However, for women working in prostitution, even these meager accommodations were out of reach. Forced to wander the streets at night, they became tragically vulnerable to the sinister figure lurking in the shadows—Jack the Ripper. With nowhere safe to sleep and no refuge to turn to, they found themselves at the mercy of the city's most infamous killer.

The Victims

According to Wondrium Daily, a key element of Jack the Ripper’s modus operandi was targeting women under the cover of night—the time when his gruesome acts took place. Yet, curiously, no traces of semen were found at any of the crime scenes, reinforcing the connection between these murders while suggesting that sexual assault was not part of his motive. Another disturbing pattern that ties the cases together is the escalating brutality with each killing, revealing a chilling progression—an all-too-common hallmark in the evolution of serial offenders. As time went on, the Ripper’s violence intensified, leaving behind a legacy of terror and unanswered questions.

Criminal investigative analyst and the first full-time profiler for the FBI John E Douglas writes in his book The Cases that haunt us:

“And despite a tremendous allocation of manpower and resources on the parts of two police forces at the time, and the efforts of countless “Ripperologists” in the more than 110 years since then, the crimes remain unsolved, tantalizing us with their profound mystery (though if we were working them today, I feel confident we could crack them in relatively short order).”

He refers to the haunting Jack as “unknown subject—or UNSUB”
Jack the Ripper’s known victims, often referred to as the "Canonical Five," were all women struggling with poverty and working in prostitution:

• Mary Ann Nichols (43) – Found on August 31, 1888, in Buck’s Row. Her throat was slashed, and her abdomen mutilated.
• Annie Chapman (47) – Discovered on September 8, 1888, in the backyard of 29 Hanbury Street. Her body was disemboweled with organs removed.
• Elizabeth Stride (44) – Found on September 30, 1888, on Berner Street. Her body only had a throat wound, suggesting the killer may have been interrupted.
• Catherine "Kate" Eddowes (46) – Killed later that night in Mitre Square. Her face was mutilated, and her kidney and part of her uterus were removed.
• Mary Jane Kelly (25) – Found on November 9, 1888, at 13 Miller’s Court. Her body was nearly unrecognizable, with organs scattered around the room.

Forensic Evidence

Eye Witness Accounts

One of the biggest flaws in the Jack the Ripper investigation was the absence of reliable testimony. Most eyewitness accounts were inconsistent, vague, or tainted by personal biases. With no proper forensic science to fall back on, the police relied heavily on these testimonies—but they often contradicted one another.

Witnesses described different suspects, many of whom likely reflected the prejudices of the time rather than objective observations. This lack of a neutral, coherent truth severely hampered the investigation, leaving detectives chasing shadows through the fog of Whitechapel's alleys. As a result, the Ripper's identity slipped further into mystery, frustrating efforts to solve the case.

Forensic Photography

In the late 19th century, photography was still in its infancy, limiting its value in criminal investigations. Photographs lacked clarity, and long exposure times often resulted in blurred or poorly lit images. External factors such as weather, lighting conditions, and equipment limitations further compromised their quality. As a result, many crime scene and morgue photographs from the Jack the Ripper case have deteriorated over time, offering only fragmented glimpses of the horrors. These aged and distorted images provide little beyond what can be observed on the surface, leaving modern investigators with few visual clues to aid in unravelling the mystery.

Handwriting

The letters allegedly written by Jack the Ripper, particularly the infamous "Dear Boss" letter, "Saucy Jack" postcard, and "From Hell" letter, have intrigued investigators for over a century. However, their authenticity remains hotly debated.

One challenge is the inconsistency in handwriting across these letters. Differences in style, slant, and pressure suggest that some might be hoaxes sent by journalists or pranksters looking to exploit the public's fear. Even the handwriting that appears similar between letters raises questions—was it the Ripper, or simply an imitator mimicking his style to maintain the mystery?

At the time, forensic graphology was underdeveloped, so experts had little to compare beyond superficial characteristics. Modern analysis hints that if the same hand wrote multiple letters, the person was likely educated, witty, and intentional in their phrasing—qualities that fed the media frenzy. However, the lack of definitive handwriting evidence leaves us guessing, with the Ripper’s true identity as elusive as ever.

Autopsy Reports

Detailed autopsies were performed on the victims, revealing critical information about the nature of their wounds. For instance, the precise cuts and organ removals indicated a certain level of anatomical knowledge, suggesting the killer might have had some medical training or familiarity with dissection. -Behavioural study Though not formally recognized at the time, early attempts at criminal profiling emerged as investigators tried to understand the psychological makeup of the killer based on the nature of the crimes. Some key characteristics are:

• Sociopathic Traits: The Ripper exhibited signs of a sociopathic personality, characterized by a lack of empathy and remorse.
• Need for Control and Power: The brutal nature of the murders, especially the mutilations, indicates a desire for dominance and control over his victims. This could reflect deep-seated issues related to power dynamics, possibly stemming from feelings of inadequacy in his own life.
• Isolation and Anonymity: The Ripper's ability to blend into the crowded, chaotic environment of Victorian London suggests he was likely socially isolated.
• Possibly Victimized in Childhood: Some theories posit that the Ripper may have experienced trauma or victimization during his childhood, potentially contributing to his violent behavior as an adult. This could manifest as unresolved anger or resentment towards women, particularly those he perceived as vulnerable.







Who Is the Ripper?



The identity of Jack the Ripper was supposedly uncovered by Russell Edwards and his science mate Dr. Jari Louhelainenfrom University of Leeds. Keep reading to find out what had been done and who is Jack the Ripper? In 1888, Sergeant Simpson retrieved a shawl from the crime scene of Catherine Eddowes, one of Jack the Ripper’s victims. This shawl would become one of the last remaining pieces of physical evidence linked to the case. Unfortunately, during the Victorian era, the process of DNA extraction from bloodstains was unknown, and the bloodstain found on the shawl was not documented as evidence at the time. The shawl was passed down through Simpson's family, ultimately finding its way to the Black Museum, where it remained until Russell Edwards acquired it.

In his book Naming Jack the Ripper, Russell Edwards details his groundbreaking work to uncover the identity of the notorious serial killer using the shawl. With the assistance of friends from the genetics unit at Leeds University, Edwards undertook a rigorous analysis of the bloodstain on the shawl. His research led to DNA testing that purportedly matched the blood on the shawl to that of Catherine Eddowes, and he claimed to have identified a suspect, thus reigniting public interest in the Ripper case. Edwards’s findings represent a significant intersection of historical crime and modern forensic science, showcasing how new technologies can potentially solve old mysteries.

The research papers released by Dr. Jari Louhelainen presents the scientific investigation of the shawl. Here is the inference: In this paper, we describe for the first time systematic, molecular level analysis of the only surviving physical evidence linked to the Jack the Ripper murders. We obtained mitochondrial DNA sequences for identification of both the victim and the suspect candidate. Thus, finding both matching profiles in the same piece of evidence enhances the statistical probability of its overall identification and reinforces the claim that the shawl is authentic.

Furthermore,phenotypic information about the suspect was derived from the genomic DNA of single cells extracted from the shawl. A custom set of in-house-designed assays was used for examination of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to be linked to human hair, skin and eye colour. As in most historic cases involving genetic material, the age of the biological material and its limited availability remain bottlenecks of the forensic analysis. In the case presented here, all the data collected support the hypothesis that the shawl contains biological material from Catherine Eddowes and that the mtDNA sequences obtained from semen stains match the sequences of one of the main police suspects, Aaron Kosminski. The phenotypic information derived from the genomic DNA also matches with the only eyewitness account, which has generally been considered reliable.



This research paper boldly claims that Aaron Kosminski, a prime suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, is indeed the infamous killer, supported by a blood sample from Catherine Eddowes and mitochondrial DNA obtained from Kosminski's descendants.

This revelation has sent shockwaves through the realm of Ripperology, reigniting discussions about Kosminski’s potential culpability in the notorious murders. With this new forensic evidence, the centuries-old mystery surrounding the Ripper’s identity may finally have found a plausible resolution—voilà! In conclusion, the investigation into the Jack the Ripper case stands as a fascinating intersection of early forensic science and criminal psychology. Despite the limitations of the Victorian era, including unreliable eyewitness accounts, rudimentary forensic techniques, and the absence of modern DNA analysis, significant efforts were made to understand the killer’s motives and methods. The gruesome nature of the crimes and the psychological profiling of the Ripper have provided insights into the mind of one of history's most notorious serial killers. Ultimately, while the Ripper's true identity may never be definitively established, the evolving landscape of forensic science continues to shed light on the complexities of criminal investigations. As new technologies emerge, the hope remains that one day the shadows surrounding Jack the Ripper may finally be lifted, allowing us to confront the chilling reality behind the legend.

Sources

• Begg, P., & Bennett, J. (2013). The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper.
• Louhelainen, J., & Miller, D. (2019). Forensic Investigation of a Shawl Linked to the Jack the Ripper Murders.
• Edwards, R. (2014). Naming Jack the Ripper. Pan.