Guide Note

On April 3, 1888, the first in a series of prostitute murders was carried out by an unknown individual nicknamed "Jack the Ripper" in the Whitechapel district of London. The victims were stalked before being killed, making the Ripper case an early example of the "serial killer" phenomenon.

To this date, the true identity of Jack the Ripper has never been found. There were numerous suspects and leads, none of which led to any conclusive identification. The mystery behind the Ripper's identity and possible motives have fueled speculation and fascination ever since.

Fast Facts

1. Active in 1888
2. Identity remains unknown
3. Case closed, unsolved, in 1892
4. Eleven suspects
5. Also known as "Saucy Jacky"

• April 3, 1888: Emma Elizabeth Smith
• August 7, 1888: Martha Tabram
• August 31, 1888: Mary Ann Nichols
• September 8, 1888: Annie Chapman
• September 30, 1888: Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes
• November 9, 1888: Mary Jane Kelly

• William Henry Bury: Bury was a psychopath who strangled his former prostitute wife in a style similar to the Ripper slashings, then stashed her body in a wooden box he repurposed as a living room table.

• William Withey Gull: Gull, a prominent Freemason and court physician to Queen Victoria, is thought to have been part of the "conspiracy" to cover up the indiscretions of Prince Albert Victor by murdering prostitutes in the know. This theory figures into the film and graphic novel From Hell.

• Aaron Kosminski: A hairdresser who had been certified as "insane" and bore a pathological hatred of women, Kosminski was considered a potential subject by police in th eRipper's own time.

• Francis Tumblety: An American scam artist who happened to be in England at the time of the murders, Tumblety was considered a likely suspect during the original Ripper investigation.

Throughout the years the story of Jack the Ripper has spawned numerous television shows, movies, songs and stories, both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the more well-known Jack the Ripper movies are From Hell, Jack the Ripper, The Ripper, Time After Time and Hands of the Ripper.