Category: Jack the Ripper

For the greater part of human history, life involved hunting, gathering, hand-making goods and living in agricultural societies. For an awfully long time, people were dependant on the access they have to food and basic human needs. During the 18th century, the process of urbanisation increased and manufacturing of goods became mechanicalised. Goods that had once been painstakingly crafted by hand started to be produced in mass quantities by machines in factories, thanks to the introduction of new machines and techniques in textiles, iron-making and other industries. Fueled by the game-changing use of steam power, the Industrial Revolution began in Britain and spread to the rest of the world. These innovations meant freedom for people, but also encouraged exploitation by ruthless industrialists.

Amid the Industrial Revolution, the population in Whitechapel, London – hit a peak. People were now having kids, not to make a family, but to put them into long hours of dangerous work for a source of income for the household. As a result of the rapid population growth, the lack of housing and facilities became a huge issue in an already crime ridden quarter. Housing shortages at this time lead to more homelessness making people vulnerable to the infamous killer, Jack the Ripper. The location of the East End was a place where violence and drunkenness was common. 7600 people lived in slums and the community had the highest death rate in England. In a country as wealthy as wealthy as great Britain, it was hard to reconcile the living conditions in Whitechapel. Although most people knew Whitechapel and Spitalfields were not fashionable neighborhoods, few knew the extent of the poverty. Jack took advantage of the statistics and location of White Chapel and then proceeded to carry out his illegal activity.

Women suffered dramatic social changes during the 18th to 19th century. The lack of adequate welfare for the poor and destitute had resulted in the majority of the victims being forced to lead transient lives and supplementing their livelihoods by resorting to prostitution. 73% of women turned to prostitution as a main source of income. Whitechapel alone was home to over 1200 prostitutes, many of which were often drunk and roamed the streets desperate for money very late at night, and in the early hours of the morning. To Jack’s convenience, he was able to pick out victims who were desperate to do anything for money so that they could pay their bare necessities. This meant they had little choice but to go with him into the dark corners of the badly lit backstreets where it was easy for Jack to murder his targets with little fear of interuption. Many of the streets where Jack carried out his attacks were bit lit by light, making it easier for Jack to carry out his crimes and then to escape without being seen. Jack the Ripper was seen as an inevitable result of the appalling social conditions that had been allowed to fester, unchecked, in the districts of Whitechapel and Spitalfields for decades. The effects of women being belittle during this time, leading them to prostitution meant that women were left immensely vunerable to Jack the Ripper’s attacks.

Annotated Bibliography

The identity of the Whitechapel murderer is a contestable topic based on eyewitness accounts and police reports. Over time, key arguments have emerged in published literature that suggest that Jack the Ripper was a sociopath and was more than likely a surgeon based on the injuries of his victims. However, these arguments have been highly contested throughout history, especially as more evidence has appeared and analysed through the use of modern technology.

Source 1 Citation:

Begg, P. (2005). Jack the Ripper: the definitive history (2nd ed). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unda/reader.action?docID=1441812

Annotation (100-200 words):

Within the text, Begg describes the mannerisms and background of the suspects of Jack the Ripper. Begg doesn’t aim to identify who Jack the Ripper was, but rather acknowledges the theories of his identity and the reasons for his significance. Begg uses the historical background and ideas developed over time by individuals to intrigue the audience in the mysterious identity of Jack the Ripper. The text is useful to my topic, as Begg provides background information of each suspect. This allows me to develop an idea of the potential motives of each suspect. This source is limited, as it does not provide an analysis of who Jack the Ripper was most likely to be, but instead discusses the women and suspects involved. This source will help establish my research by providing a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances and historical context of East London. This text also provides a different perspective on who the suspects were and provide detailed information concerning the victims as well.

Source 2 Citation:

Knight, A & Watson, K. D. (2017). Was Jack the Ripper a slaughterman? Human-animal violence and the world’s most infamous serial killer. Animals. 7(4), 1-12. doi: 10.3390/ani7040030

Annotation (100-200 words):

Knight and Watson focus on the surgical skills of Jack the Ripper. Both authors conclude that Jack the Ripper was more likely a slaughterman, rather than a surgeon contrary to popular belief. Knight and Watson identify within Animals that the knife techniques used on the five victims were unlike the skills used within professional surgical training of the Victorian era. Through the identification of unusual surgical methods, Knight and Watson conclude through evidence derived from mortuaries, police reports, and photographs that Jack the Ripper was not a surgeon. The information that is concluded within this article will be quite useful within my topic, as it produces a different perspective of who Jack the Ripper was. This source also supports other sources in stating the location of each murder and the witness accounts as reported by local police of the time. This source is limited, as the information does not compare suspects to the profile of Jack the Ripper and does not attempt to pinpoint any suspects. This source supports the overlying thesis of the essay, as it contests Jack the Ripper’s surgical abilities and develops the serial killer’s profile.

Source 3 Citation:

Adam, D. (2019, March). Does a new genetic analysis finally reveal the identity of Jack the Ripper?, Science. Retrieved from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/does-new-genetic-analysis-finally-reveal-identity-jack-ripper

Annotation (100-200 words):

Within the article, Adam links the identity of the Whitechapel murderer to genetic evidence discovered on a shawl found beside Catherine Eddowes. The author uses DNA evidence gained from forensic examinations to provide information about a suspect’s link to a Jack the Ripper crime scene. Adam describes the DNA evidence found on the shawl and links this to one of the main suspects living relatives. However, due to privacy, the family is unable to be revealed to the public, causing this source to be quite limited. The author also implies that other researches do not agree with the reliability of the genetic data, as it can only eliminate suspects rather than name specific individuals. This journal article will be of use within my research topic as Adam discusses the analysis of genetic testing of physical evidence such as letters linked to cases surrounding Jack the Ripper. This article will be the main source of research within my topic, but instead will provide an understanding of the genetic analysis in identifying Jack the Ripper.

Source 4 Citation:

Lister, K., Milne-Smith., Heijden, M. V. D., Colpus, E. (2020). The five: the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper, Women’s History Review, 1-6. DOI: 10.1080/09612025.2020.1720092

Annotation (100-200 words):

Within the article, Lister et al reviews the lives of the victims of Jack the Ripper before prior to their deaths. The authors briefly describe the employment status and home life of each victim by providing an overview of Hallie Rubenhold’s (2019) book The Five: the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. This article discusses Rubenhold’s priorities in recognising each victim before their death to develop an understanding of who they were as women in the Victorian era. This article is useful, as it describes who Jack the Ripper’s victims were and the events that eventually led to their deaths. This text, however, does not provide a discussion linking to the identity of Jack the Ripper and only produces a summary of Rubenhold’s (2019) book and her reasons for writing the text. This article will not be used primarily in the research of my topic, as in order to develop a better understanding of Jack the Ripper’s victims, noting the original text will be more beneficial to my topic.

Source 5 Citation:

Louhelainen, J., & Miller, D. (2019). Forensic investigations of a shawl linked to the “Jack the Ripper” murders, Journal of Forensic Sciences, 65 (1), 1-9. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14038

Annotation (100-200 words):

Louhelainen and Miller explain the process and outcome of the genetic analysis of the remaining evidence involved with the Whitechapel murder cases. The article discusses the techniques used to find and analyse cells and DNA on a shawl found beside one of the victims. The authors explain the results of the genetics and how this links to the suspects of the Leather Apron (Jack the Ripper). The article is quite useful as the forensic evidence identify who the shawl most likely belonged to and the physical profile of the individuals linked to the case. The article has limitations, however, as it does not aim to identify Jack the Ripper, but instead, describe his basic profile. This article will be used to develop my research topic by providing genetic evidence of Jack the Ripper’s profile. This source supports my thesis statement through the use of modern technology to examine the physical profile of Jack the Ripper, developing key arguments about his profile.

Source 6 Citation:

Gray, D. D. (2013). London’s shadows: The dark side of the Victorian city. (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Annotation (100-200 words):

Within this e-book, Gray describes the conditions and life of each class system within Victorian London during the Whitechapel murders. Gray intends to illustrate Victoria London as a constantly evolving period as seen through the evolution of the press and police force. The author intends to differentiate the East end and the West End through social differences and historical background. This e-book will be useful within my research as it indicates the reasons for the Whitechapel murders to take place in the East End of London, rather than the West End. This source also demonstrates the significance of Jack the Ripper through social change and the evolution of industries such as the detective force. However, the e-book is limited, as it does not identify who Jack the Ripper was or link the main suspects to key arguments surrounding the murders. This source will not form my underlying research but will instead develop my understanding of the background information of the East End.

Source 7 Citation:

Wilson, L. (2012). Criminal major case management: Persons of interest priority assessment tool (poipat). (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Annotation (100-200 words):

Wilson reviews evidence gained from the canonical five’s murder cases and uses an assessment tool to identify who out of the main suspects was most likely to identify as Jack the Ripper. Wilson uses a variety of evidence from the victim’s cases and develops a criminal profile for each suspect to identify Jack the Ripper. Each suspect is compared to the assumed profile of the Whitechapel murderer, identifying the lifestyle, employment, and criminal history of each individual. This text is useful to my topic, it identifying key arguments regarding Jack the Ripper’s profile and aims to identify the most likely suspect. This source, however, is limited as it does not provide a basic overview of the background of Victoria London. Watson’s e-book will form as a key component of my research as it supports my overall thesis statement, developing key contested arguments regarding Jack the Ripper’s profile.

Source 8 Citation:

Walkowitz, J. R. (1982). Jack the Ripper and the myth of male violence, Feminist studies, 8(3), 542-574. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3177712

Annotation (100-200 words):

Within this article, Walkowitz describes the social division and division of gender within Victorian society prior to and following the Whitechapel murder. Walkowitz describes the influence of individuals of high power within the social hierarchy and the impact they had on people within the lower classes. The article aims to illustrate the exploitation of media upon men regarding violence towards women, as influenced by the Jack the Ripper cases. This article is useful as the author includes various propaganda posters aimed towards women and their safety and describes the key argument of women’s safety during the Victorian era. This source is limited, however, not aiming to describe the contested profile of Jack the Ripper or the primary suspects. This article will help to develop my research, as this source supports the underlying thesis of the topic regarding the contestability of the key argument of women’s safety.

Source 9 Citation:

Warkentin, E. (2010). “Jack the Ripper” strikes again: the “Ipswich Ripper” and the “vice girls” he killed, Feminist media studies, 10(1), 35-49. DOI: 10.1080/14680770903457097

Annotation (100-200 words):

Warkentin discusses the impact of Jack the Ripper on women in the Victorian era and the treatment of the women murdered by him. Warkentin has a feminist approach within the article, discussing the cultural narrative shaped around the Jack the Ripper cases. The article draws on numerous case studies to develop the idea of ‘female behaviour’ regarding the Victorian era, rather the safety of women. The article is useful to my topic, the text providing me with a comprehension of the varied reactions to Jack the Ripper and the treatment of women following this. This article, however, is limited, as it only provides an understanding of women and feminism during the Victorian era, rather than aiming to identify Jack the Ripper. Warkentin’s article supports my thesis by providing a different perspective of the Whitechapel murderer cases as seen through the point of view of women and the attitudes developed towards them as a result. This source will not provide the main foundation of my research, as the information does not focus on the key arguments surrounding the identity of Jack the Ripper. However, this article produces a contested opinion of the treatment of women during this period, helping develop my research.

Source 10 Citation:

Gray, D. (2018). Exorcising a demon?: Why history needs to engage with the Whitechapel murders and dispel the myth of ‘Jack the Ripper’, Humanities, 7(2), 1-10. DOI: 10.3390/h7020052

Annotation (100-200 words):

Gray discusses the mannerisms reflected in society over time as a result of the way the Whitechapel murders have been perceived. The article aims to describe the impact of the Whitechapel murders on the entertainment industry and how society has ‘glorified’ Jack the Ripper for entertainment purposes. This article is useful as it showcases the evolution of women’s rights and the treatment of women by society in the Victorian era. This source, however, is limited as it does not aim to identify who Jack the Ripper was or link his identity to key arguments. This article instead discusses the exploitation of the Whitechapel murder cases by the media. Gray’s article will develop the research for my topic by providing an understanding of the way people have reacted to the murder cases over time and how women were treated as a result.

References

1. Adam, D. (2019, March). Does a new genetic analysis finally reveal the identity of Jack the Ripper?, Science. Retrieved from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/does-new-genetic-analysis-finally-reveal-identity-jack-ripper
2. Begg, P. (2005). Jack the Ripper: the definitive history (2nd ed). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unda/reader.action?docID=1441812
3. Gray, D. (2018). Exorcising a demon?: Why history needs to engage with the Whitechapel murders and dispel the myth of ‘Jack the Ripper’, Humanities, 7(2), 1-10. DOI: 10.3390/h7020052
4. Gray, D. D. (2013). London’s shadows: The dark side of the Victorian city. (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
5. Knight, A & Watson, K. D. (2017). Was Jack the Ripper a slaughterman? Human-animal violence and the world’s most infamous serial killer. Animals. 7(4), 1-12. DOI: 10.3390/ani7040030
6. Lister, K., Milne-Smith., Heijden, M. V. D., Colpus, E. (2020). The five: the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper, Women’s History Review, 1-6. DOI: 10.1080/09612025.2020.1720092
7. Louhelainen, J., & Miller, D. (2019). Forensic investigations of a shawl linked to the “Jack the Ripper” murders, Journal of Forensic Sciences, 65 (1), 1-9. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14038
8. Walkowitz, J. R. (1982). Jack the Ripper and the myth of male violence, Feminist studies, 8(3), 542-574. DOI: 10.2307/3177712
9. Warkentin, E. (2010). “Jack the Ripper” strikes again: the “Ipswich Ripper” and the “vice girls” he killed, Feminist media studies, 10(1), 35-49. DOI: 10.1080/14680770903457097
10. Wilson, L. (2012). Criminal major case management: Persons of interest priority assessment tool (poipat). (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Bibliography

1. Adam, David. “Does a New Genetic Analysis Finally Reveal the Identity of Jack the Ripper?” Science, March 2019. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/does-new-genetic-analysis-finally-reveal-identity-jack-ripper.
2. Begg, Paul. Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History. 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2005. Proquest Ebook Central.
3. Gray, D. “Exorcising a Demon?: Why History Needs to Engage with the Whitechapel Murders and Dispel the Myth of ‘Jack the Ripper’,” Humanities 7, no. 2 (2018): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3390/h7020052.
4. Gray, Drew. D. London’s Shadows: The Dark Side of the Victorian City. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2013. Proquest Ebook Central.
5. Knight, Andrew, and Katherine D. Watson. “Was Jack the Ripper a slaughterman? Human-Animal Violence and the World’s Most Infamous Serial Killer.” Animals 7, no. 4 (2017): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040030.
6. Lister, Kate, Amy Milne-Smith, Manon Van Dr Heijden, and Eve Colpus. “The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper.” Women’s History Review, (2020): 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/09612025.2020.1720092.
7. Louhelainen, Jari, and David Miller. “Forensic Investigations of a Shawl Linked to the “Jack the Ripper” Murders,” Journal of Forensic Sciences 65, no. 1 (2019): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14038.
8. Walkowitz, Judith. R. “Jack the Ripper and the Myth of Male Violence,” Feminist studies 8, no. 3 (1982): 542-574. DOI: 10.2307/3177712.
9. Warkentin, Elyssa. ““Jack the Ripper” Strikes Again: the “Ipswich Ripper” and the “vice girls” he Killed,” Feminist media studies 10, no. 1 (2010): 35-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680770903457097.
10. Wilson, Larry. Criminal Major Case Management: Persons of Interest Priority Assessment Tool (POIPAT). Baton Rouge: CRC Press LLC, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Berkoff’s theatre is commonly known as total theatre. His key conventions were physical theatre, aggressive direct address, archaic text mixed with expletives, monologues with ensemble mime, multi role and cross gender casting, surreal representation of ordinary, settings/events and elaborate transitions

With regards to physical theatre (his most well-known convention) he liked the actors becoming props and even using them to create the scenery. He also liked the actors to create sound effects and use mime. His theatre used a mixture of unison and canon and was also very high energy and tightly choreographed with very abstract and often grotesque movement and expression.

However, his relationship with the audience is also key. He liked to break the fourth wall and often had his actors facing out front to the audience even when talking to another actor on stage. This had many uses, for instance it allowed to audience to see the actor’s expression, but it was also to unsettle the audience and make them uncomfortable, to get a reaction.

Because our devised pieces are based around the work of Berkoff we had to choreograph under his conventions. This means that our piece was very tightly choreographed with over exaggerated movement, physical theatre and even moments of song and Shakespeare.

For example, in the first monologue, we start in a marketplace, there are two characters selling a product and two actors who are customers. We have used song here to create the fast pace intensity of what the markets would have been like, combined with the street actors which were incredibly popular in the 1800s when it is set.

Our devised piece is based on the theories around the Jack the Ripper case. There are a group of 4 American theorists who are debating which of their ideas is the best one to explain who Jack the Ripper was. It switches from the 4 theorists in modern day America into scenes which show the idea each one is presenting set in the 1800s in the east end of London.

Each actor multi roles across time period and gender in order to show each idea and we swap from realism in the modern day to abstract physical theatre in the theories. This allows us a clear distinction between the two main settings.

We do however break up the scenes set in 1800s by referencing back to modern pop culture and using different accents to allow the audience to see the roles have changed for each actor.

For example, in the first monologue, the actor is giving a feminist theory of jack the ripper, she talks about how she is trying to find a husband, “And I’ve hooked many a man by showing my ankle on a wet day.” and the other actors refer back to the modern day to mock the theorist and to explain to the audience what is happening. The actors then all go back into the scene straight away to carry on with the theory.

Berkoff says that East was ‘written in a mood of exaltation and frivolity. It was an experiment in playwriting and an attempt to be bold’. “It is episodic and much like the Falstaff scenes from Shakespeare’s Henry plays. The language uses London slang and verse. The motorbike scene was one of the most beautiful theatre moments ever.” – www.iainfisher.com

East, by Steven Berkoff, is set in 1970 in the east end of London. It shows 3 main characters, Mike Les and Slv fighting against boredom with sex and violent behaviour. They are frightened of ending up like other members of their family but eventually find out that they inevitably will anyway as history repeats itself.

In our piece we had to change our physicality to not only show a change of role, but also a change to time period. We also had to be aware not only of how we were moving, but where the other actors were and how we were moving the stage blocks.

For example, the first scene shows one of the Jack the rippers reading out the “Dear boss” letter. Here, we must really overemphasise what is written in the letter. For example, in the line “You will soon hear of me with my funny little games.” we create a bed with one actor lying down on it, and the other three all play the murderer. They lean across the bed on the word “games” they pull their arms back as if they are cutting up the actress. When they do this movement, the actress pulls her body upstage, in the same direction as the three have mimicked pulling her. This overemphasised movement contrasts to the 4 as American theorists as the movement is much more contained and realistic rather than abstract.

The exception to this is in the final scene. The 4 theorists are discussing which of the 4 theories they have presented is the best one and this is a very naturalistic scene as the four are standing and talking to each other and their physicality matches that of a modern man or woman. But at the end of this modern set, the feminist-based theorist claims she knows who the murderer is, and it transitions into a scene that is still set at the same time but uses the physicality from the 1800s pieces. For example, the murders are performed using slow and large arm gestures and the deaths are shown with large dramatic falls in which we see clearly how they were killed. This is to show the connection between this character and her theory.

“Steven Berkoff forged an outrageous poetry from the collision of Shakespearean rhythms and cockney slang, creating a heightened theatrical vernacular that is at once obscene, audacious, dark and beautiful.” – Posted by Alison Croggon on Witness performance discussion community

Our devised piece is set in Whitechapel in 1800s. This allows us to incorporate Berkoff’s use of cockney slang in a huge way as most our monologues are done in a cockney accent to keep accurate to the cases. However, we also have a theory that is set to the backdrop of the royal family meaning that we must make our voices the opposite of our cockney accents and make our voices incredibly posh. To do this, we worked very hard on our pronunciation and our diction to allow for the over dramatized accent we were aiming for. To practise our diction, we found that saying our lines in a way that was far too over emphasised and then going back to our neutral accents allowed us to find an accent that was both dramatic but also understandable for an audience.

We had two key differences in what our mannerisms and gestures were representing. One was modern day America: this was more naturalistic and less fixed. Here we used smaller gestures and less physical theatre to show that we had gone back to our ‘neutral characters’. If we used gestures, they were smaller more contained and were in context with a naturally set conversation. Incidentally, this was also where our speech was more aimed at each other and less at the audience and was closer to that of a show done under a naturalistic director. Our second main group of characters were the 1800s ripper victims and killers. This second category involved bigger, more melodramatic physicality and was aimed mainly at the audience rather than other actors. For example, at the end of the royalty theory, the actress at the front leaned down and pretended to kill one character by leaning to the ground and sharply moving her face upward while making a ripping noise, she then physically shook out of her 1800s character and turned around to aim her speech at the other actors. This

Jack the Ripper:

Introduction

For three months in 1888, fear and terror stalked the streets of Whitechapel, London. During these months, five women (some ought to believe more) were murdered and horribly mutilated by the man who was known as ‘Jack the Ripper’.

Main Body:

One of many forensic advances that would aid in solving this case would have been the possibility of CCTV cameras. Jack the Ripper is an infamous unknown serial killer; thus, CCTV’s could help identify him or the type of individual to look for; tall? short? Big? Dark hair? etc, as well as, finding out whether there were more than five victims involved. (Forensicfilesnow.com, 2019)

Another unusual aspect occurred during the Eddowes case (victim 4), a message was left written in chalk located on the wall of a busy marketplace beside her piece of apron that was left abandoned. “The Juwes [sic] are the men that will not be blamed for nothing.” (Everything.explained.today, 2019) The meaning of what was written is open for debate and interpretation as to what it could mean. However, it reiterated the anti-Semitism that was causing a division between the community due to the murders. One of the many things that should have been conducted was forensic photography as it would today, due to this technique already existed and was used to take photos of the victims, however not completed correctly. Instead they wrote down what was written and proceeded to move along. This caused heavy criticism towards the police when decided to eradicate the message, which was conducted because of the fear and anxiety they had knowing it would cause a riot against the Jewish community. (Forensicfilesnow.com, 2019)

The forensic advancements used today would include in forensic handwriting analysis. Through identifying small differences between a writing sample where the writer is known and another sample of where the writer is unknown, examples of these differences could be shaky lines, dark and thick starts and finishes for words, pen lifts, grammar, spacing of letter, phrasing and the English language used. For example, if there are a lot of grammatical errors etc, it may be due to the graffiti not coming from a native English speaker, helping to narrow down who the suspect could be. (Crime Museum, 2019) Another advancement that could be used today includes Fingerprinting. It has remained unknown whether the person who wrote the message on wall used gloves or any protection. Thus, there could potentially be finger marks (unintentional, often latent) or prints (left on purpose) around the crime scene area, linking us towards the killer if a match has been found. Depending on the type of wall (porous or non-porous) different techniques would be used, for example, aluminium (smooth), black (smooth – light coloured), magnetic (rough) or fluorescent (multi coloured surfaces) powders. (Hazarika and Russell, 2012)

During the years of 1888 many advances in the forensics world were not established, for example, the testing of mitochondrial DNA. Linking this to the case of the nameless and faceless serial killer. This would depend on whether Jack the Ripper was smart enough to use any type of protective clothing (gloves, masks, hair and shoe cover etc.). This would be highly critical as it would be difficult to obtain any biological evidence within the crime scene. When looking at the description of the crime scene, all the victims had been gutted and internal body parts had been laid out in front of them. Of course, this would cause a trail of blood, and so believing that no trace of the killer would be found is highly unreasonable; “Every touch leaves a trace” – Locard’s exchange principle. (Crime Museum, 2019) (Wilding, 2019)

DNA would help identify and analyse biological samples to form a DNA profile as to whom was involved. this could be through blood, semen, spit or any type of biological material that contains DNA. This process would be conducted through DNA analysts that conduct their work in forensic crime labs to examine samples of DNA to detect any potential suspects. After conducting tests on each of the sample, analysts would usually compare the identity of the unknown sample to other known samples. If there is a match, law enforcements will be provided with positive identification.

Conclusion:

To deduce this case, if forensic advancements; DNA, handwriting analysis, fingerprinting, CCTV, were available within the years this crime took place, there is a higher chance that the unknown suspect would have been captured.

The Cleveland Torso Murderer:

Introduction:

The Cleveland Torso Murderer has still remained as an unidentified serial killer. These murderers took place in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1930’s. The serial killer was characterised for the dismembered bodies of twelve victims. Some ought to believe that more than one person was involved with the killings.

Main Body:

Although the victims were identified by their gender, forensic anthropology could be used as a forensic advancement. Forensic anthropology is a special sub-field of physical anthropology (the study of human remains), which involves applying skeletal analysis and techniques in archaeology to solving criminal cases. Forensic Anthropologists specify in exploring and evaluating in hard tissues, such as, bones, which can possibly aid a case by assisting law enforcements with the site and recovery of human remains at crime scenes. They also clean the bones so that they are able to be examined, analyse skeletal remains to determine the biological profile of the individual, and confirm if the skeletal remains interrupt trauma to determine the type and level of injuries. (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University, 2019)

When discussing the year these killings were conducted. It is visible that some forensic advancements were not introduced at that time period. Thus, serial killers wouldn’t be as educated within the forensics field, including the type of protective clothing that should be worn to help to avoid getting caught. For example, currently DNA technology has advanced hugely and can easily be traced back to the killer in question with just a drop of blood instead of a pint, especially since they didn’t have the techniques and knowledge of forensics as much as today’s society. (Cleveland Police Museum, 2019)

An example of advanced technology that could be used towards the Cleveland Torso Killer would be; NGS (Next Generation Sequencing). When researching The Cleveland Torso serial killer, it has been made evident that as the victims increase, the more adventurous the bodies were found, for example Victim five was found outside a police officer building near railway tracks (missing head). Thus, obtaining the idea that he may have been more reckless with how careful he is with not leaving any types of evidence/trace. This forensic advancement has transformed biological sciences. Due to its speed, ultra-high throughput and scalability, NGS allows scientists and researchers to perform and study a large variety of biological systems at a level never possible. The idea behind NGS is fairly similar to sanger sequencing (DNA is copied many times, making fragments of different lengths), which depends on capillary electrophoresis. The genomic strand is fragmented, and the bases in each fragment are discovered through emitted signals when the fragments are ligated against a template strand. These testings will allow forensic scientists to sequence Short Tandem Repeat markers, causing an increase in the ability to distinguish individuals in complex mixtures, for example if and when cross contamination occurs. Alternative markers, such as Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) can me more easily incorporated into casework laboratories, causing new resources, for example, ancestry or phenotype predicting in unresolved cases. (van der Gaag and de Knijff, 2015) (Dr. Ananya Mandal, 2019)

This leads to the next advancement. Referring to Locard’s Principle “Every touch leaves a trace”. When obtaining information throughout the whole case, not many types of techniques were used. For example, Forensic Footwear Analysis. When the killer disposed of the bodies, there must have been some sort of footwear. Especially in wood, forest, or lake like areas, it is bound to detect some imprint due to the weather and humidity. For example, the first victim was found within the September month; a typical wet and cold season.

The analysis of footwear can position a person at a crime scene. This is either done through thread marks left in a footprint at the scene, or through trace evidence that may have been apprehended in the thread of the shoes. One important section when investigating a footwear analysis is that shoe soles suggests a person’s individual distinctive walking style. An example, feet that roll inwards or high arches will have a particular wearing pattern on the soles of the shoes. When examining cases that involves assault, for example, a victim that has been kicked and stamped by a suspect, forensic footwear experts can identify the impressions on the victim’s body, giving a clue as to the type of shoe, force and possible size involved. (Rannik et al., 2000) The Cleveland Torso serial killer was never found, however, using footwear analysis could help build a profile of the suspects at the crime scene through scientists identifying an estimated height and the activity the person was conducting when the shoe print was made. Researchers have proved that footprint may be used to estimate stature, body weight and sex to solve the crime. (Bull, Parker and Morgan, 2006)

April 1938, an unidentified young female was pulled out of the river and the use of drugs were detected for the first time. Using forensic anthropology today could help identify the young female. This would lead to investigating the personal background of the female to debunk whether she previously used drugs rarely or regularly. This leaves the question whether she was a drug addict or if the killer did this for a specific reason. The drugs used were never identified so in today’s advancements. (Gookin, Pogue and Rathbone, 2019) Once drugs are distinguished through screening, such as spot test kits (marquis or immunoassays), samples are then composed and sent to laboratories for confirmation tests. This confirmation entails high selectivity and sensitivity towards drugs, including their metabolites. It is usually carried out through Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS). (Staff.buffalostate.edu, 2019) Targeted drug compounds within a sample are recognised through their retention times when samples pass through chromatography columns. When GC and MS are combined together, it makes a powerful technique due to the structures of the unknown compound that can be identified after GC has separated them. Other analytical instruments can be found in forensic laboratories as complementary techniques, for example, UV/Vis, FTIR or HPLC. (Kaempe, 1984)

When the type of drug is recognised, investigating where the drug can typically be found and bought from could help identify the type of suspect due to how rare people find use it. This could be either a hit or miss. However, this would lead to eyewitness testimony, which refers to an explanation by people of an event that has taken place which they saw. This involves in the description of the suspect, details of what occurred and any type of information that occurred that day. Usually when the individual is describing what happened, it must be said from A to Z and from Z to A to ensure accuracy, however the memory can be remarkably accurate or inaccurate. There have been various changes within forensic toxicology over the last 15 years. One significant recognition would be the need for good laboratory practises in forensic toxicology laboratory. This has followed the advancement of a certification programme for laboratories. With newer techniques introduced, it allows forensic toxicologists to analyse and investigate large quantities of drugs with increased sensitivity. (MA, 2019)

Conclusion:

Overall, naturally there are many more advancements that could be included with this case to help identify the suspect. However, this is what was found that could assist the incident; DNA, forensic anthropology and footprint/mark analysis.

Reference:

1. Bull, P.A., Parker, A. and Morgan, R.M., 2006. The forensic analysis of soils and sediment taken from the cast of a footprint. Forensic Science International, 162(1-3), pp.6-12.
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6. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University. (2019). TORSO MURDERS | Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University.
7. Everything.explained.today. (2019). Whitechapel murders explained.
8. Forensicfilesnow.com. (2019). ‘Jack the Ripper’ – Forensic Files Now.
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11. Hazarika, P. and Russell, D. (2012). ‘Advances in Fingerprint Analysis’, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51(15), pp.3524-3531.
12. Hao, L.G., Deng, S.X. and Zhao, X.C., 2007. Recent advancement in relationship between DNA degradation and postmortem interval. Fa yi xue za zhi, 23(2), pp.145-147.
13. Jobling, M.A. and Gill, P., 2004. Encoded evidence: DNA in forensic analysis. Nature Reviews Genetics, 5(10), p.739.
14. Kaempe, B. (1984). Topics in forensic and analytical toxicology. Forensic Science International, 26(3), p.215.
15. Kanatli, U., Yetkin, H. and Cila, E., 2001. Footprint and radiographic analysis of the feet. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, 21(2), pp.225-228.
16. MA, P. (2019). Advances in forensic toxicology. – PubMed – NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
17. Rannik, Ü., Aubinet, M., Kurbanmuradov, O., Sabelfeld, K.K., Markkanen, T. and Vesala, T., 2000. Footprint analysis for measurements over a heterogeneous forest. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 97(1), pp.137-166.
18. Staff.buffalostate.edu. (2019). Forensic Drug Analysis.
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20. Wilding, S. (2019). Locard’s Exchange Principle – Forensic Handbook. [online] Forensic Handbook.

The article was about the issue of the fatherhood of Rizal to Adolf Hitler. The former was a dictator and leader of a group known as Nazi Party in Germany. It explained the possibilities of father and son relationship of the two. The writer also made mention of Jack the Ripper, the mysterious notorious serial killer of the 19th century in London. It pinpointed Rizal as one of the suspects of the Whitechapel killings in 1888.

There were several arguments presented on the article. Let’s begin with Rizal as the biological father of Hitler. The first argument was Rizal had a German connection because he studied at Heidelberg University in Germany and probably had a son who later became Adolf Hitler. But the argument was easy to discredit for Hitler was actually an Austrian and not a German. Secondly, is that Rizal and Hitler share the same physical characteristics such as height, eyes and hair color. Lastly, when Rizal visited Vienna, he spent a night with an Austrian prostitute which could be the mother of Hitler.

Another issue was Rizal being the infamous killer Jack the Ripper. It was stated that during the time of killings, Rizal was also in London copying the book “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas” in the British Library. The first argument was that when Rizal left the place, the killings stopped, making our national hero a suspect to the crimes. Second is Rizal and Jack the Ripper share the same initial J.R. which I think is non-sense. Another was that Rizal was good with weapons and has a medical background since it was believed that the killer was somehow had a medical experience on the way he murdered his victims.

The issue of Rizal being Jack the Ripper was new to me, as well as the Rizal and Hitler father-son relationship. I’m quite amazed how people made these connections. Actually, I never had such interest in Rizal’s life until now. After reading Ocampo’s article, I made some researches and did some additional readings about the controversial Jack the Ripper, I learned that there were many suspects of the true identity of the serial killer. Some even suggested that the killer might be a butcher and was a local to Whitechapel which disqualifies our national hero. When Annie Chapman was killed Rizal was in Paris which again making it impossible for him to be the killer. Even the initial J.R. does not justify Rizal’s connection to the notorious killer.

I am not convinced with the arguments of “Karen”. Is Rizal the only person with medical background during the time of killings? If Rizal’s medical knowledge was a basis then all people with medical backgrounds should also be suspected. Another argument is that the killings ceased when Rizal left London. What if Jack the Ripper had a large brain tumor that caused his death by that time? Or had met a serious accident on his way to his next victim? Who would have known? According to research, no one saw the Ripper’s face so there’s a possibility also that the killer might also be a woman who hates prostitutes.

Hitler was born on 1889 while Rizal only stayed in Vienna, Austria for 5 days in 1887. If the Vienna prostitute was impregnated by Rizal then she must have gave birth by February 1888. Contrary to what is written in the book, Hitler has blue eyes and not dark eyes similar to that of Rizal. Even if Rizal had a one-night stand with a Vienesse prostitute, no one has proven that the woman neither was Hitler’s biological mother nor has been impregnated by Rizal.

This journal entry tackled about the authenticity of the poem “Sa aking mga Kabata”. It was believed by some historians that Rizal was not the author of the said poem. It stated some point of views why an eight-year old Rizal did not really write it. The article included also the copy of the poem presented by Herminigildo Cruz as well as the translation of Nick Joaquin in English language.

Rizal did not write the poem “Sa aking mga Kabata”. Here are the presented arguments: (1) Is it really possible for an eight-year old boy to compose such poem? (2) There’s no original document in Rizal’s hand that shows it was his composition. (3) Letter “k” was not yet part of the Filipino orthography in 1869; and the word “kalayaan” was not common in the 19th century and Rizal admitted that he only encountered it when he was 21 years old.

I grew up knowing Rizal as the Philippines’ national hero. That he was a great man because of his works. In elementary days we were taught by our Sibika at Kultura (equivalent subject now is Araling Panlipunan) teachers that Rizal quoted “ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay daig pa ang mabaho at malansang isda” (this is how my teacher said it in class). It was really a surprise to me knowing that Rizal did not really cited it. The evidences presented were quite convincing. How could a child as young as eight year old compose such poem depicting love of one’s own language? Even if he already knew the alphabet by three, it is somewhat intriguing for a child to create a poem while he’s still on the process of learning to read and to write.

The poem emerged only a decade after Rizal’s death which was in 1906. It was presented in public for the first time by Herminigildo Cruz. If it’s really Rizal’s work when he was eight years old he should have published it while he’s still alive especially if it’s his first poem ever written. I also learned that Rizal suggested the use of “k” instead of “c” and “q” in 1890 after he has read Trinidad Pardo de Tavera’s essay in 1884 about the ancient Baybayin script. This implies that the poem might be written in the late 19th century or early 20th century.

It really doesn’t matter if Rizal wrote the poem or not. Yes, whoever composed it should be given recognition, however, let’s be more focused on the message of the poem rather than its true author. Today we are being colonized by foreign culture and that includes language. I read and heard from the news that Dep Ed has already included the study of Korean language in the curriculum. There’s nothing wrong with learning foreign language. Actually it’s a good thing for us since this might help us to be more globally competitive. Nevertheless, we should not forget our roots and how it helped us to become what we are right now.

The third article talks about the reason why Rizal is the Philippines national hero. Ocampo regarded Rizal as a “conscious hero”, meaning he is very willing to sacrifice his life for the goodness of everyone. The author cited some instances where Rizal showed his psychic abilities as well as the letter that Rizal wanted his fellow Filipinos to read after his death.

Rizal quoted “my dreams have always guided my actions”. The author made this a basis to call him a “conscious hero”. That Rizal had planned his whole life based on the way he had written all his diaries, letters and novels. The next argument is that Rizal could have the chance to live longer (beyond December 30, 1986) if only he didn’t return to Philippines from Hongkong. However, he made the choice to face the trial which he obviously know that will end up to his death. Rizal was even proven calm before his execution through his normal pulse rate being checked by a physician. How could Rizal be such a brave man?!

I’ve read several articles that questioned Rizal as our national hero. Some were even insisting that Bonifacio should be the one. Actually, there are lots of Filipinos in the past that could also fit the requirements to be the national hero. And we do not deny their great contributions on the attainment of our freedom, that’s why we also had this “National Heroes Day” celebration every month of August. The thing is Rizal was different. Like what has been stated earlier, he had the chance to escape death yet he chose to die proudly. This act showed his great love to our country. He even refused to be blindfolded and requested to face his executioners just to show that he’s no traitor. There’s no doubt that Rizal deserve to be called the Philippine national hero. It’s the least thing that we could do as benefactors of his sacrifice for independence.

This journal entry explained why Rizal was not an American-sponsored hero. It gave an explanation that he is indeed chosen by his fellow Filipinos long before the American considered him as such. Ocampo stressed that the man was already a hero even before his death in 1896. He also made mention how Bonifacio along with the other founders of KKK idolized Rizal, that the former even tried to rescue him from exile. The article stated how the Spaniards concluded Rizal’s connection to the revolutionary group.

Some articles claimed that Rizal actually opposed the revolution because he was against a bloody form of fight. However, according to historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Rizal was not against the revolution itself but in the absence of its preparation. He even suggested Bonifacio to seek help from the rich Filipinos to gather sufficient arms to guarantee the revolution’s success. Yet the full preparation failed when one of the wives of the two fighting KKK members betrayed the group which led to the premature launch of the revolution.

The idea of Rizal being an American-sponsored hero came from the fact that it was Governor William Howard Taft and some Filipinos in 1901, who named Rizal as the Philippine national hero, over Aguinaldo, Bonifacio and Mabini. The truth is, it was General Aguinaldo, and not Governor Taft, who first acknowledged Rizal. I learned that the first celebration of “Rizal Day” was held in December 30, 1898 by Aguinaldo’s Decree of December 20, 1898. This made the said date as ‘national day of mourning’ in memory of Rizal and other victims of Spanish cruelness. This only attests that Rizal was indeed chosen by his fellow Filipinos to be a role model. I also read from several readings that there has been no law that proclaims Rizal as our national hero, only R.A. 1425 proposed by Claro M. Recto which mandated the inclusion of the study of Rizal’s life and works in the school curricula.

Whether Rizal was an “amboy” or a “home-made” hero, what is important is that the legacy he left to us Filipinos. Being a hero doesn’t necessarily means to die for one’s country. It is caring of our national identity and supporting our nation to reach its common goal.

discussed about why Americans chose Rizal to be our national hero making others conclude that Rizal was not really a “home-made” hero but an “amboy”.

The mind of a serial killer is something that has fascinated psychologists and medical professionals alike for many decades. The mystery behind what causes these individuals to carry out the crimes is what psychologists seek to discover because if there was a way to predict early on if a child would go on to attempt to murder, we could potentially find a method of psychological therapy or medications to push that child away from that path. Through the process of this paper I will analyze the upbringing and the careers of some of the world’s most infamous serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, the BTK killer, Ted Bundy, and others in order to try to further my knowledge as to what factors, interior and exterior, can cause a person to commit one of the worst crimes humanly possible.

Starting off this report I’d like to cover the mystery that is the English murderer Jack the Ripper. This serial murderer is known to have killed at least five people in the London area in the later months of 1888. The Ripper typically chose prostitutes as his victims, and after murdering them by stabbing them with a sharp object, would go on to mutilate the bodies of these women, leading some to believe that he was a physician or had had some medical training. Nevertheless, there is not much known about the infamous Jack the Ripper as he had supposedly never been caught. All that is known about the Ripper is based off of what he had left behind at the crime scene. What can be discovered from that is that he most likely was a sexual sadist, or deriving sexual pleasure from the pain of others, as well as the fact that due to his choice of victims, he was most likely a disorganized killer, acting on pure impulse instead of carefully planning each murder. This psychological profile has led many people to believe The Ripper’s identity to be David Cohen, a polish man admitted to the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum for homicidal tendencies.

The Bogeyman, werewolves, and vampires were all creatures of myth until May 19th, 1870, when notorious serial killer Albert Fish was born. Even before he was born, Fish was exposed to mental illness, with his uncle, brother, and sister all being diagnosed with various mental illnesses. However, Fish was barely exposed to this as he was abandoned by his parents at a very young age and placed into an orphanage. It was in this orphanage that his sadomasochistic traits began to form, with regular beatings and whippings that Fish discovered he quite enjoyed. Sadomasochism is the psychological disorder where one derives sexual pleasure from pain and humiliation, a characteristic that drove Fish’s behavior. Fish began his reign of terror in 1890, when he began to work as a prostitute and would utilize that job to molest young boys. He began by torturing them, usually with his tool of choice, a wooden paddle with metal nails pierced through it, and would then rape them. Fish would continue to act out his fantasies until he was driven to murder and cannibalize the children. A clearly troubled individual, a baseline for his actions could be derived from his family’s susceptibility to mental illness and the more than traumatic upbringing that he went through. His life and mental stability continued to deteriorate even after he left the orphanage to reconnect with his mother, where he started an intimate relationship with a boy who encouraged him to drink and eat human waste. Fish stopped his murder spree in 1898 when he eventually married and fathered six children. He had a relatively normal life for about 19 years until his wife left him for another man and he reverted back to his sadist ways. His children reported that he would routinely ask them to play ‘games’ with him, these games would include them beating him with his paddle until he would bleed. Fish’s method of murder of kidnapping children and raping them before dismembering and eating their body is a unique one, created in the unique set of events that brought him to murder. His sadistic tendencies could stem from the regular abuse he received as a child, being that he was brutally beaten at the crucial developmental age, forever changing how he perceives pain and the values of human life. Perhaps he misunderstood the sexual pleasure he received through pain as commonplace for all people, giving a sort of understanding to his sadistic methods of torturing his victims. The failure of his marriage would have also contributed to his behavior as he had reportedly shown traits of schizophrenia following his wife leaving him, causing him to revert back to his animalistic behavior. Fish was eventually caught by the police in 1935 following a six year investigation on the disappearance of Grace Budd, Fish’s final victim. Fish attempted to plead insanity, but ultimately was tried as sane and was executed on January 16, 1936 by electrocution.

Due to the incidents in 2014 with the ‘Killer Clowns’ as well as the remake of Stephen King’s ‘It’, many children have an irrational fear of clowns. However, in the late 1970s, this fear was anything but, as ‘The Killer Clown’ John Wayne Gacy was at large, murdering more than 30 people in and around the Chicago area. Gacy was born in 1942 to an abusive family, possibly contributing to his future career as a serial killer. Adding onto the fact that his father would regularly beat the members of his family, Gacy struggled with his sexuality all his life, having to repress his homosexual urges for fear of his father finding out, leading Gacy to sexually assault two young boys in 1968. Gacy’s preferred method of murder was to lure boys in with the promise of work at the construction company he founded, only to sexually assault them and strangle them with rope. To the public eye, Gacy was a friendly man who would throw parties in his backyard that many people would frequent. Gacy also enjoyed dressing up as a clown for children’s entertainment, an unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Gacy would often wear his clown outfit to commit the murders, hence the nickname ‘The Killer Clown’. The use of the costume could signify Gacy’s lost childhood, or the creation of another persona who would commit the murders instead of him himself. Interestingly enough, when he ultimately was caught, Gacy attempted the insanity plea by stating that these murders were committed by a separate personality. This plea did not succeed, however, and Gacy was executed on May 10th, 1994. What we can deduce from the reign of terror left by Gacy, was that his abusive childhood and repressed homosexual tendencies were the main factors in defining his M.O. or method of operation. The strangulation indicates that Gacy felt a personal connection to his victims, as that is widely regarded as a much more intimate signature than, for example, using a firearm. A common theme with some of the most prolific serial killers is that they had a troubled upbringing, with abusive parents leading them to see their victims as manifestations of those parents and methods to take their anger out.

The same could not be said for Dennis Rader, more commonly known as the BTK killer. Rader was born 1945 to a very normal family, making him an enigma for his future career as a serial murderer. Despite the reported accounts that he hung stray animals, there were absolutely no indications that he would turn into a killer. Rader’s first murders took place in 1974, where he murdered 4 members of one family, hanging their 11 year old daughter by a pipe in the basement, and then strangling both parents and their 9 year old son in their respective rooms. Rader then went on to taunt the police by writing a letter and sending it to the police via a public library book. In the letter he wrote that he had no idea where his compulsion to kill had come from, only that it is impossible to stop. It was also in this letter that he first coined his alter ego of the BTK killer, or Bind, Torture, Kill. Rader’s letter was filled with grammatical errors and spelling issues. Rader was eventually caught due to a sample of his DNA found at the crime scene of his first murders matching with a DNA sample taken from his daughter. Analyzing Rader’s method of operation and his obvious obsession with taunting the police, it can be understood that Rader was a sexual sadist, or he derived sexual pleasure from the pain of others, as well as being extremely narcissistic, obsessing over his abilities to avoid capture and reliving his crimes. Although there is no clear indicator as to what caused his descent into murder, it seems understood that Dennis Rader was a seriously damaged individual with enough power to hide that side of him to the rest of the world.

David Berkowitz, also known as Son of Sam, is a very cut and dry type serial killer, killing a total of six people and injuring seven more throughout his spree. Born in 1953, Berkowitz was born to two parents who separated shortly after his birth and put him up for adoption, and although his adoptive family were not abusive, he did not have the best upbringing and was quick to move to criminal behavior such as pyromania and petty larceny. His misfortune did not end there, as his adoptive mother died when Berkowitz was 14, and he lost the relationship with his adoptive father. Perhaps the stressor for Berkowitz was when he found his true mother and she informed him of his father’s death. Berkowitz’s method of operation involved shooting his victims with a.44 caliber Bulldog. All of Berkowitz’s victims were seemingly random, allowing us to consider him a disorganized killer, especially considering the fact that as soon as he would fire shots, Berkowitz would flee the crime scene without making sure that his victims were dead. It seems reasonable to assume that due to his extremely unstable childhood, he manifested into a spree killer, shooting his victims out of anger, with no real motive other than to cause pain.

Deviating a bit off of the path of American serial killers, I will introduce Andrei Chikatilo, or ‘The Red Ripper’, ‘The Rostov Ripper’, or the ‘Butcher of Rostov’. Chikatilo’s reign of horror started in 1978 and ended with his conviction in 1992. Chikatilo has claimed to have murdered around 56 people, however there is only evidence of 52 killings. Chikatilo was born in Yabluchnyk, a small village in the Sumy Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR, in 1936, with a less than ideal childhood. One of the most notable parts of his childhood is the fact that his mother told him repeatedly throughout his childhood that, prior to his birth, he had had an older brother who had been kidnapped and cannibalized by some of his neighbors, traumatizing the child and most likely contributing to his cannibalistic tendencies in his later murders. Chikatilo’s mother may in fact be the main factor in what caused him to be driven towards murder, reportedly beating him, committing adultery, possibly in front of him, and perhaps stealing. This would most certainly interfere with a developing child’s moral compass and definitely did in Chikatilo’s case. Through the multitude of people that fell victim to Chikatilo, he maintained his signature of mutilating his victims’ eyes after he used a knife to murder them. The extensive damage that Chikatilo caused to the eyes was due to a self proclaimed belief that his victims would always maintain the image of his face after death. From a psychoanalytical point of view, it would seem apparent that Chikatilo’s homicidal behavior could be derived from his mother’s terrible influence on her children in mental development, forever damaging their perception of human life. While Chikatilo was not sexually confused in the same manner as was John Wayne Gacy, he was diagnosed with chronic impotence as an adolescent, destroying his confidence and only further wrecking havoc on his already damaged mind. A quick analysis of Chikatilo’s behavior would determine him to be a necro-sadist, as defined by esteemed Soviet psychiatrist Alexandr Bukhanovsky. A necro-sadist is interpreted as someone who gains sexual release from the death and suffering of others, a definition confirmed by Chikatilo himself in captivity. Chikatilo was captured on November 20, 1990, after multiple witnesses caught him attempting to lure a boy into his car in a public park. After a public trial where Chikatilo exhibited all sorts of manic behavior, he was eventually executed via gunshot to the head on February 14, 1994.

With the sheer multitude of movies and documentaries airing about him, it is hard to not know the serial killer known as Ted Bundy. What makes Bundy so fascinating to so many people is the fact that if you thought of a serial killer, he would be the last person you would suspect, as he was very charismatic and quite attractive, he was so charming in fact, that he managed to conceive a child with one of his fans while he was on death row. Those factors all aided him however, into becoming one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Bundy’s childhood was nothing remarkable, despite the fact that it was built upon untruths, with him believing that his mother was his older sister, and his grandparents his parents. Despite that, Bundy had a very seemingly normal childhood. Things turned for the worse for Bundy after he and his devoted girlfriend, Stephanie Brooks, ended their relationship. For Stephanie it was an amicable breakup, but for Bundy it tore him apart. It would make sense for people to consider this his stressor as Bundy’s preferred victim choice were dark haired women around his age, all looking quite similar to his scorned lover, which could be seen as him mirroring his hatred for Stephanie onto these women. Bundy’s M.O. was to subdue the women he attacked with a blunt object, where he would then sexually assault them before he would kill them with blunt force trauma, and in several cases, he would continue to brutalize the bodies postmortem. Despite the similarity in his victims, the level of brutality and carelessness of the attacks prove that Bundy was a disorganized killer, as he was unable to keep himself from harming those that looked like the woman he loved. What is unique about Bundy is the fact that he was so collected throughout his capture, despite the overwhelming evidence, that there are those to this day that still believe his innocence. He even worked as his own attorney at one of his trials, depicting his narcissism and antisocial personality.

Jeffrey Dahmer is perhaps one of the most infamous serial killers that the United States has, with a body count of 17 men and boys. Dahmer did things to these people more monstrous than anyone before him, as he was found in his apartment filled with collected skulls, genitalia, and dismembered limbs and innards of his 17 victims. Dahmer was born in 1960 and while he had a fairly normal childhood, he began to show signs of antisocial personality disorder very early on. Dahmer told police in questioning that his compulsion to kill began at age 14, when he began capturing small animals and dismembering them. Throughout high school, Dahmer developed a heavy drinking problem, which caused him to drop out of college and be discharged from the U.S. Army. Dahmer first killed in 1978, just as he graduated high school. His preferred method was to take men home with him, where he would drug them or get them drunk, then strangle them and sexually assault the body before dismembering it and keeping the skull as a souvenir. Dahmer was given the plea of insanity, as he was clearly a very disturbed individual. “’I carried it too far, that’s for sure’, Dahmer told police in explaining his frustrated search for a totally compliant, zombie type sex slave who would always be there for him. In 60-plus hours of confessing, Dahmer had also explained that his motives were not about the torture, or racism or homosexuality, it was just a compulsion. Dahmer was plagued by so many different mental issues that his mind will be studied by forensic psychologists for many years to come.

Due to that fact that many people have a morbid fascination with the exploits of serial killers, it is not uncommon for them to become deified in modern media, and notorious serial killer Edmund Kemper has appeared in numerous on screen representations. The inspiration behind the ‘Silence of the Lambs’ villain Buffalo Bill was born on December 18, 1948, in Burbank, California. As is commonplace with many serial killers, Kemper had a very abusive childhood, with his alcoholic mother beating him mercilessly and emotionally abusing him to no end, most notably locking Kemper in the pitch black basement alone at night. Due to this abuse, Kemper ran away from home at age 14 and ended up living with his paternal grandparents. Unfortunately for him, his grandmother was apparently just as abusive as his mother, and due to this, combined with the hatred of his mother, he murdered his grandmother and subsequently his grandfather as well, just to see what it would feel like. After five years at the Atascadero State Hospital for the criminally insane, he was placed back into his mothers care. It was then that Kemper was driven by only one thought, to murder his mother to get back at her for the torture he had endured at her hand, however, Kemper did not want to kill her until he had formulated the perfect method of murder. He then went on to murder six other women and would perform necrophilic acts upon their corpses. Necrophiliacs are those that gain sexual pleasure by performing sexual acts on dead people, and Kemper is no exception. After he had had his way with the bodies of the women he murdered, Kemper would decapitate them and take their heads to his apartment where he would later perform sexual actions on them as well. It was after these murders that Kemper killed his mother and her best friend and performed the same sexual acts on his mother’s decapitated head. Kemper then nonchalantly turned himself in to the police, his mission completed, and was charged with eight counts of murder was given a life sentence and is alive today. What has fascinated so many people about Kemper was how story-like his history was. Kemper, gaining inspiration from people like the BTK killer, wanted to receive recognition for his murders, and to aid with that, he regularly socialized with the police who were hunting him, befriending them and making his confession to them all the more chilling. Kemper is known as the ‘Co-ed Killer’ due to most of his victims being female students. It can be inferred that his victim choice was based off of the women who had tortured him as a child. Perhaps keeping his mother alive against his sociopathic tendencies was too overwhelming for him and it would cause him to act out against anyone who reminded him of her, or, taking a more literal approach, he would be using these women as practice, as they would have similar body types and would require a similar method of murder, so he would use them in order to perfect his ‘craft’ for the real target, his mother. Whatever the reasons, Edmund Kemper is an incredibly complicated and incredibly dangerous individual who is fortunately behind bars and isolated from the general public for the rest of his life.

After evaluating each of these serial killers, it is apparent that there are a few connections between them. Poor family life, like in the cases of ‘Killer Clown’ John Wayne Gacy, ‘Son of Sam’ David Berkowitz, and Ted Bundy, contributed to misunderstood values of human compassion, whether it comes from Bundy’s deep attachment issues, or Berkowitz’s deep rooted hatred towards humanity, it resulted in creating a murderer in all of them. What should be noticed after analyzing each of these prolific killers is that not one of them looked like a killer. Dennis Rader was a very well liked family man, John Wayne Gacy threw many large block parties that everyone would go to, Ted Bundy had no issue picking up women even when he was on death row, even Jeffrey Dahmer, as mentally disturbed as he was, was able to take men home with him in order to murder them. Despite what some people may think, the mind of every killer is an anomaly, and whether it is obvious conditions like in the case of Dahmer, or very subtle issues, in the case of Bundy, psychologists need to further review and study the criminal mind in order to discover the reason behind their actions and find methods to prevent it from ever happening again.

Citations and References

1. Andrei Chikatilo. (2019, April 16). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/andrei-chikatilo.
2. ‘I Carried it Too Far, That’s for Sure’. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199205/i-carried-it-too-far-thats-sure
3. David Berkowitz | Son of Sam Killer. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/david-berkowitz/
4. Dennis Rader. (2019, April 16). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/dennis-rader
5. Evaluating Jeffrey Dahmer. (2018, October 09). Retrieved from https://www.forensicpsychologyonline.com/evaluating-jeffrey-dahmer/
6. Jack the Ripper Identified. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201401/jack-the-ripper-identified
7. Jeffrey Dahmer. (2019, April 16). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/jeffrey-dahmer
8. Jenkins, J. P. (2019, March 28). Serial murder. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/serial-murder
9. John Wayne Gacy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/john-wayne-gacy/
10. John Wayne Gacy. (2019, April 16). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/john-wayne-gacy
11. Montaldo, C. (2019, May 24). Biography of Albert Fish, Notorious Child Serial Killer. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/serial-killer-albert-fish-973157
12. Samuel, D. B., & Widiger, T. A. (n.d.). Describing Ted Bundy’s Personality and Working towards DSM-V Serial Murder. (2010, May 21). Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder
13. Ted Bundy Biography: Profile of a Serial Killer. (2018, January 10). Retrieved from https://biographics.org/ted-bundy-biography-profile-serial-killer/
14. The Real Life Horror Tale of the Twisted ‘Co-ed Killer’. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/wicked-deeds/201403/the-real-life-horror-tale-the-twisted-co-ed-killer
15. Wilson, D. (2015, October 22). How psychopaths hide in plain sight. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/how-psychopaths-hide-in-plain-sight-a-psychological-analysis-of-serial-killer-dennis-rader-10067795.html

In the East end of London, White Chapel District, 1888, a string of 5 murders occurred within the span of 3 months. The 5 canonical murders were committed by the same ruthless killer going under the name ‘Jack the Ripper’.

The 5 Canonical Victims

• Mary Ann Nichols (Prostitute) – body was found on August 31st, 3.40am. Nichols with her throat was slashed and she was disemboweled.
• Annie Chapman (Prostitute) – body found on September 8th. Chapmas was found with her throat cut and her womb removed.
• Elizabeth Stride (Prostitute) – body found on September 30th, 1am. Stride was found with her throat cut. Police suspect she has been dead for approximately 30 minutes.
• Catherine Eddowes (Prostitute) – body found on September 30th, 1.45am. (45minutes after finding the body of Elizabeth Stride). Eddowes was found severely mutilated, her uterus and left kidney removed.
• Mary Jane Kelly (Prostitute) – body found November 9th. Kelly was found in her bed. She was disemboweled and virtually skinned down.

Eye Witness Testimonies

• Between 25 and 35;
• Roughly 5’5 to 5’7;
• Stocky with a fair complexion and moustache;
• Seen wearing a dark overcoat;
• ‘Perfectly sane, frighteningly normal and yet capable of extraordinary cruelty’.

FBI Statements

FBI documents on Jack the Ripper have concluded that the victims show no sign of sexual assault and were killed quickly. Documents also conclude that the suspect removed organs (i.e kidney, vagina, nose) on almost all of the victims, indicating that they had some anatomical knowledge. However, Physician Thomas Bond used results he gained from autopsies and crime scene evidence and stated that he believed Jack the Ripper had no medical training or knowledge of anatomy. Bond stated he reached this conclusion after noting that the wounds created by ‘Jack the Ripper’ were not consistent with the training of a medical expert or “even the technical knowledge of a butcher or horse slaughterer”.

Jack the Ripper is also presumed as male because his murders are classified as ‘lust murders’, where the subject attacks the genital areas of his victims. FBI suspect Jack is in the age bracket of 28 to 36 years of age based on the average age of onset for these types of homicides, the high degree of psychopathology exhibited at the scenes and the ability to avoid detection.

‘Jack the Ripper’ Letters

One of the more popular aspects of the Ripper case is the number of letters that police, newspapers and authorities received from anonymous writers, stating to be from the Ripper. On September 24th, the closing day for the inquest into Annie Chapman’s death, an anonymous writer sent a letter to Sir Charles Warren, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Prank letters were common with popularised cases that had received substantial media coverage. However, it was the beginning of hundreds of such letters. The letter had a LONDON. S. E postmark. The letter reads:

“Dear Sir,

I do wish to give myself up I am in misery with nightmare I am the man who committed all these murders in the last six months…I am a horse slaughterer…I have found the woman I wanted that is chapman and I done what I called slaughtered her but if any one comes I will surrender…”

The most infamous of the Ripper’s letters, ‘Dear Boss’, was received by the Central News agency in the City of London on 27th September 1888. It was a boastful letter and included quotes such as: “I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track”; “I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal”; “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”.

Within a day of the receival of the ‘From Hell’ letter, two more women were murdered. Police began to suspect the letters truly are written by The Ripper himself. Jack quotes to “want to get to work right away” just as he did with the double murder. On October 1st, another postcard that was written in a similar handwriting arrived at the Agency. The postcard stated that ‘Boss’ will hear about ‘Saucy Jacky’s’ double event. Sir Charles Warren informed the Home Office that: “At present I think the whole thing a hoax but of course we are bound to try and ascertain the writer in any case”. Over the next 3 weeks, Mr. George Lusk, President of the Mile End Vigilance Committee, received 3 letters to his doorstep claiming to be from the Ripper. The last letter quoted ‘from hell’ and included a package with what the Ripper claimed to be half the kidney he took from one of the women. Lusk’s initial reaction was to dismiss it as just another sick prank. The kidney was taken to Dr Frederick Wiles’s Mile End Road surgery. The kidney was examined and Wiles gave his opinion that it was human and there is a possibility it may have been the Kidney of Catherine Eddowes.

The East end of London in 1888 has the reputation of an area of dirty slums and a hotspot for drunks and criminals. Prostitution at the time was not as organzied as it is today. During the ‘Jack the Ripper era’ women worked independently and usually performed their ‘services’ in dark alleyways or ‘flop’ houses.

Theories

Jack the Ripper Was Aaron Kosminski

Through years of research from ripperologists, policemen and detectives, many have come to a conclusion and firmly believe that Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper. Aaron Kosminski was Jewish resident of Whitechapel at the time. His Jewish background may explain one of the Rippers only clues, a message in chalk reading ‘The Juwes are the men who will be blamed for nothing’ suggesting that he will not be found or blamed. Kosminski also spent some time in an Asylum after the Ripper killed his last victim. This evidence may explain why the murders came to a halt and clearly exhibits that the murders did affect Kosminski and drive him to insanity. Additionally, according to Meville Macnauhten (Assistant Commissioner of the London Police) “he had a great hatred of women, especially of the prostitute class” which demonstrates that Kosminski had a motive to kill his suspects. It is strongly suggested by those who are entranced by the case of Jack the Ripper that Aaron Kosminski is a strong suspect.

Although many ripperologists are strongly drawn to the theory that Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper, there is also strong evidence that suggests that he isn’t. Firstly, According to a book by Russell Edwrads, a shawl purchased at an auction under the impression that it was reported at the murder scene of Catherin Eddowes, contains DNA of Aaron Kosminski. Edwards got help from a molecular biologist who claims he believes the shawl is connected to Catherine Eddowes, he also claims that semen on the scarf is linked to relatives of Kosminski. However, scientists may have made a critical error of nomenclature. The mutation reportedly found on the scarf and in Eddowes’ relative is reportedly incorrect, proving that this statement is wrong and does not support Aarons case. Additionally, throughout the entire period of his confinement, Kosminski was never classed as homicidal, and it is specifically stated in his records, that he was not a danger to others. These pieces of evidence prove that we have no forensic evidence of Kosminski and suggest that he was not a danger to others and in conclusion, conflict with the Kosminski theory.

Jack the Ripper Was Joseph Barnett

Throughout the years, the amount of suspects and lack of motive have stumped detectives working on the Jack the Ripper case. The search for motive has led detectives to explore Joseph Barnett as a suspect. Barnett was a fish porter who lived with the Ripper’s last victim, Mary Kelly, and was believed to be in love with her. In an article Barnett referred to Kelly as his ‘wife’ and disagreed with her life as a prostitute and strived to make money to keep her off the streets. Many theorize that Barnett committed his murders to scare Kelly off the streets, but when she turned back to prostituion to make ends meet, he decided to kill his last victim. This allows us to come to the conclusion that Barnett had the most compelling motive out of all of the cases suspects and explains why the murders allegedly stopped after Mary Kelly was murdered. Aswell as this, the fact that Barnett lived with Kelly proves that he would know how to enter the house unsuspected and would be aware of her schedule and tendencies. These clues have led those who have researched the case to believe that the man Mary Kelly lived, Joseph Barnett, is a strong suspect.

Whilst Joseph Barnett is a strong suspect of the Jack the Ripper case, there is also evidence that points against the suspect. Firstly, Barnett was questioned by the police for over four hours and it was stated that he satisfied the police that he was not involved in Kelly’s murder and he left police custody cleared of any suspicion. This fact demonstrates that although Barnett may be a strong suspect in recent years, the metropolitan police at the time believed that he was not Jack the Ripper. Secondly, Barnett is not shown to have any degree in surgery or anatomy which may suggest he didn’t have enough anatomical knowledge to kill his victims the way he did. These statements are the only pieces of concrete evidence that stands in the way of the Joseph Barnett case.

Closing Statement

Overall, there are over 50 debated suspects of the Whitechapel murders. London Police, Metropolitan police, detectives, forensic scientists, authors and ripperologists have worked on the case for years and are yet to close the case, instead leaving the debate up to millions of ripperologists around the world. Joseph Barnett’s case comes out as the most likely. Firstly, Barnett’s case provides the most compelling motive, being that he lived with Mary Kelly and disagreed with her prostitute work. It is theorized that Barnett murdered prostitutes to scare her off the streets. Furthermore, Barnett lived in many locations in east London with Kelly, allowing him to know her schedule and tendencies and also making him well versed in the area, capable of navigating backstreets. In addition to this piece of evidence, Barnett would be someone local prostitutes knew through Mary Kelly. This would allow Barnett to be easily trusted by prostitutes and lead them into alleyways where he could murder them away from members of the public. Lastly, one newspaper at the time even stated that his friends called him Jack. While many suspects still remain, none have come forward with more of a compelling motive than Barnett’s case. Many of the suspects were simply living in Whitechapel at the time and may have had anatomical knowledge or a level of psychological illness that may have led them to murdering their victims. Aaron Kosminskis case rose to popularity due to said ‘forensic evidence’ from a shawl, which many scientists have stated are not accurate and could have come from thousands who lived in London at the time. Overall, Barnett’s case has the most evidence supporting it and clearly stands out from other suspects being that he lived with Mary Kelly and would have reason to stop murdering after her. It is clear therefore that Joseph Barnett is the most likely suspect of the Jack the Ripper case.