*WARNING: Harsh gore and violence mentioned. Reader discretion advised*
In 1888, the Whitechapel district of London was brutally terrorized by an arcane shadowy figure who stealthily roamed the foggy dark streets at night, strategically looking for his next unfortunate victim. Jack the Ripper, as the unidentified killer became known, is both a historical enigma and an urban legend that continues to haunt generations over a century later.
Jack the Ripper was known for maliciously mutilating his five victims, who were primarily prostitutes (except for one) working in the East End of London. Before abdominal mutilations, their throats were first meticulously cut open. The careful removal of the victim’s organs leads to speculation that Jack the Ripper must have had a background in anatomical or surgical knowledge. However, these victims, known as the “Canonical Five,” were not his first victims. Emma Elizabeth Smith and Martha Tabram were also rumored to have been carefully murdered by Jack the Ripper; however, it is not certain whether or not they are his first two true victims since Jack the Ripper was never identified.
The first victim of the Canonical Five was Mary Ann Nicholas, who was tragically killed on August 31, 1888, only one hour after she was last seen alive. Her body was covered in deep cuts, slashes, and wounds, and her lower abdomen was partly ripped open. A week later, on September 8, Annie Chapman was also discovered dead in the doorway of a backyard. Similarly to Nicholas, Chapman’s body was also covered in slashes, however, her abdomen was completely cut open and parts of her internal organs were placed on her shoulders. A few weeks later, on September 30, the bodies of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were found, both in the morning but at separate locations. Stride’s body was less mutilated than the others, leading people to believe that this attack may have been interrupted. Contrasting Stride, Eddowes was left in a much more grave state: her throat was severed ear to ear and her abdomen was also cut open, much like Chapman’s. In addition, she also had many other incisions on her body which looked to have been carefully cut by someone who knew exactly what they were doing. Finally, the last of the Canonical Five, Mary Jane Kelley, was found dead a little over a month later on November 9. Kelley suffered the worst mutilations by far. Her throat was severed down to her spine, organs were missing from her abdomen, various parts of her body were placed underneath her, and her heart was missing.
A plethora of theories surrounding the killer have circulated since the killings. Still, none of them have yet to be confirmed as Jack the Ripper. Most theorists believe that the massacre had to have been done by a single perpetrator, due to the nature of these killings and their commonalities. One theory suggests that Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s grandson, could be the killer, however, there is little evidence. Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, and Walter Sickert, known for painting scenes of Jack the Ripper’s killings, have also been highly suspected.
As the case of Jack the Ripper remains unsolved, the story of the mysterious man has evolved into something more like an urban legend. Although his killings did happen, the story of Jack the Ripper has changed countless times throughout history and has distorted into a more mysterious legend rather than a simple cold case. Many followers of the story wish that one day the victims will attain justice and the killer will be identified.