Jack the Ripper was an unknown serial killer who committed crimes in the poor Whitechapel area of London, England, in 1888. Police records and newspapers from that time also referred to the killer as the Whitechapel Murderer and the Leather Apron.
The attacks linked to Jack the Ripper usually targeted women who worked as prostitutes and lived in the slums of London’s East End. These women were often found with their throats cut before severe injuries to their stomach area. In at least three cases, the killer removed internal organs, leading to guesses that the person had knowledge of the human body or surgery. Rumors about the murders grew stronger in September and October 1888, and many letters claiming to be from the killer were sent to newspapers and police.
The name "Jack the Ripper" came from a letter titled the "Dear Boss letter," which was sent to the press by someone who claimed to be the murderer. This letter is widely thought to be a trick created by journalists to make the story more exciting and increase newspaper sales. Another letter, called the "From Hell letter," was sent to a man named George Lusk, who was part of a group trying to help the community. This letter included a preserved human kidney, supposedly taken from one of the victims. Because the murders were so violent and widely reported, many people believed a single serial killer named Jack the Ripper was responsible.
Newspapers covered the crimes extensively, making the killer famous worldwide. A police investigation into eleven brutal murders in Whitechapel and Spitalfields between 1888 and 1891 could not prove all the killings were connected to the 1888 murders. The five victims—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—are known as the "canonical five." Their murders between August 31 and November 9, 1888, are most often linked to Jack the Ripper. The case was never solved, and stories about the crimes have become a mix of real history, myths, and false claims that continue to interest people today.
Background
In the mid-1800s, England saw an increase in Irish immigrants who moved to large cities, including the East End of London. Beginning in 1882, Jewish people fleeing violent attacks in the Russian Empire and other parts of Eastern Europe also arrived in the same area. The Whitechapel parish in the East End became very crowded, with its population growing to about 80,000 people by 1888. Living and working conditions worsened, and many people struggled with poverty. About half of all children born in the East End died before reaching age five. Theft, physical harm, and alcohol use were common, and extreme poverty forced many women to work as prostitutes to survive.
In October 1888, London’s police estimated that there were 62 brothels and 1,200 women working as prostitutes in Whitechapel. Around 8,500 people lived in the 233 common lodging-houses in Whitechapel each night. A basic bed in these lodging-houses cost fourpence (about £2 in today’s money), while sleeping on a rope stretched between beds cost two pence per person.
Economic challenges in Whitechapel were linked to rising social conflicts. Between 1886 and 1889, frequent protests led to police actions and public disturbances, such as the event known as Bloody Sunday in 1887. Issues like antisemitism, crime, prejudice against immigrants, racism, and poverty shaped people’s views that Whitechapel was a place of widespread immorality. These views were reinforced in 1888 when a series of violent and shocking murders linked to “Jack the Ripper” received wide media attention.
Murders
The high number of attacks on women in the East End during this time makes it hard to know how many victims were killed by the same person. Between April 3, 1888, and February 13, 1891, eleven murders were studied by the Metropolitan Police. These cases were called the "Whitechapel murders" in police records. Some people think these murders were done by the same person, but only five of the eleven, known as the "canonical five," are widely believed to be the work of the killer called "Jack the Ripper." Experts often point to specific injuries, such as deep cuts to the throat, serious wounds to the stomach and genital area, the removal of organs, and facial injuries, as signs that the same person committed these crimes. The first two murders in the Whitechapel case, those of Emma Elizabeth Smith and Martha Tabram, are not part of the "canonical five."
Emma Elizabeth Smith was attacked in Osborn Street, Whitechapel, around 1:30 a.m. on April 3, 1888. She was hit in the face with a heavy object, had a cut on her ear, and a blunt object was inserted into her body, causing a serious injury. She later developed a dangerous infection and died the next day at a hospital. Smith said she was attacked by two or three men, one of whom she described as a teenager. This attack was linked to later murders by the press, but most writers believe it was caused by general violence in the East End, not the Ripper.
Martha Tabram was killed on a staircase in George Yard, Whitechapel, on August 7, 1888. She suffered 39 stab wounds to her throat, lungs, heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and abdomen, plus knife wounds to her breasts and genital area. Most of these wounds were made with a blade like a small knife, and many were likely done by someone right-handed. The extreme violence of Tabram’s murder, the lack of a clear reason for the attack, and the timing and location of the crime led police to connect it to the later murders by Jack the Ripper. However, Tabram was not stabbed in the throat or stomach like the later victims, and many experts do not link her death to the Ripper because of this difference.
The "canonical five" victims are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly.
Mary Ann Nichols’ body was found near Buck’s Row (now Durward Street), Whitechapel, around 3:40 a.m. on August 31, 1888. A woman named Emily Holland saw Nichols walking toward Whitechapel Road about an hour before her body was found. Nichols had a deep cut across her throat that completely separated her tissue from her spine. Her genital area was stabbed twice, and her stomach was cut open, causing her intestines to spill out. Other wounds on her stomach were also made with the same knife.
Annie Chapman’s body was discovered near 29 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields, around 6 a.m. on September 8, 1888. Like Nichols, her throat was cut deeply. Her stomach was completely opened, and pieces of her stomach were placed on her shoulders, along with her intestines. An autopsy showed her uterus, bladder, and parts of her vagina were removed.
At the investigation into Chapman’s death, a witness named Elizabeth Long said she saw Chapman with a man wearing a brown deerstalker hat and a dark coat near 29 Hanbury Street at about 5:30 a.m. The man asked Chapman, “Will you?” and she answered, “Yes.”
Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were both killed in the early morning of September 30, 1888. Stride’s body was found in Dutfield’s Yard, Whitechapel, around 1 a.m. She died from a single deep cut across her neck that severed her artery and windpipe. No other injuries were found on her body, leading to uncertainty about whether the Ripper killed her or was interrupted. Witnesses saw Stride with a man near Berner Street on the evening of September 29 and early September 30, but their descriptions of the man varied.
Eddowes’ body was found in Mitre Square, London, about 45 minutes after Stride’s body was discovered. Her throat was cut from ear to ear, and her stomach was opened with a long, jagged wound. Her intestines were placed on her shoulder, and parts of her kidney, uterus, and face were removed. Her nose was cut off, her cheeks and eyelids were slashed, and triangular cuts were made on her cheeks. A piece of her ear was later found in her clothing. The police surgeon said these injuries would have taken at least five minutes to complete.
A man named Joseph Lawende saw a fair-haired man with a shabby appearance walking with a woman near Church Passage, Whitechapel, shortly before Eddowes was killed. His friends could not confirm his description. The murders of Stride and Eddowes became known as the "double event."
A piece of Eddowes’ bloodied apron was found at a tenement in Goulston Street, Whitechapel, at 2:55 a.m. A message written in chalk above the apron read: "The Juwes are The men That Will not be Blamed for nothing." This was called the Goulston Street graffito. The message seemed to blame Jewish people for the murders, but it is unclear if the killer wrote it or if it was unrelated. Police feared the message might cause riots and had it removed before morning.
Mary Jane Kelly’s body was found in her room at 13 Miller’s Court, Spitalfields, at 10:45 a.m. on November 9, 1888. Her face was so badly injured it was unrecognizable. Her throat was cut to her spine, and her body was severely mutilated. The police could not identify her, and her death marked the end of the most famous series of murders attributed to Jack the Ripper.
Investigation
Most of the police records from the City of London Police about their investigation into the Whitechapel murders were destroyed during the Blitz. The remaining files from the Metropolitan Police show how police worked in the Victorian era. Many officers visited homes in Whitechapel to gather information. Evidence was collected and studied. Suspects were found, checked, and either looked into further or ruled out. Modern police work still follows similar steps. Over 2,000 people were questioned, more than 300 were investigated, and 80 were taken into custody. After the murders of Stride and Eddowes, Sir James Fraser, the Commissioner of the City Police, offered a reward of £500 for the capture of the killer.
The investigation was led by the Metropolitan Police Whitechapel (H) Division Criminal Investigation Department (CID), headed by Detective Inspector Edmund Reid. After the murder of Nichols, Detectives Frederick Abberline, Henry Moore, and Walter Andrews were sent from Scotland Yard to help. The City Police joined the case under Detective Inspector James McWilliam after the Eddowes murder, which happened in the City of London. The overall direction of the investigation was affected because Assistant Commissioner Robert Anderson, the new head of the CID, was on leave in Switzerland from September 7 to October 6, during the time when Chapman, Stride, and Eddowes were killed. This led Colonel Sir Charles Warren, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to assign Chief Inspector Donald Swanson to manage the case from Scotland Yard.
People such as butchers, slaughterers, surgeons, and physicians were considered suspects because of the way the victims were hurt. A note from Major Henry Smith, the Acting Commissioner of the City Police, shows that the alibis of local butchers and slaughterers were checked, and they were cleared of suspicion. Inspector Swanson’s report to the Home Office states that 76 butchers and slaughterers were visited, and their employees from the past six months were also examined. Some people, including Queen Victoria, believed the killer might be a butcher or a cattle drover working on boats that traveled between London and mainland Europe. Whitechapel was near the London Docks, where these boats usually arrived on Thursdays or Fridays and left on Saturdays or Sundays. The boats were checked, but the murder dates did not match any single boat’s schedule, and switching crew members between boats was also ruled out.
In September 1888, a group of volunteers in London’s East End formed the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. They patrolled the streets to look for suspicious people, partly because they were upset about the police failing to catch the killer and because some members were worried the murders were harming local businesses. The Committee asked the government to offer a reward for information leading to the killer’s capture, and they offered their own reward of £50, which was worth between £5,900 and £86,000 in 2021 when adjusted for inflation. They also hired private detectives to question witnesses.
At the end of October, Robert Anderson asked police surgeon Thomas Bond to assess the killer’s knowledge of surgery. Bond’s opinion about the “Whitechapel murderer” is the earliest known description of a criminal’s personality. Bond based his assessment on examining the most severely injured victim and reviewing the postmortem notes from the first four murders. He wrote:
All five murders were likely committed by the same person. In the first four cases, the victims’ throats were cut from left to right. In the last case, the cuts were too severe to determine the direction, but blood splatters near the victim’s head were found. In all cases, the victims were likely lying down when killed, and their throats were cut first.
Bond believed the killer did not have scientific or medical knowledge, nor the skills of a butcher or slaughterer. He thought the killer was a lonely person who suffered from periodic violent and sexual urges, with the injuries possibly indicating a condition called satyriasis. He also suggested the killer’s actions might stem from a vengeful or troubled mind, but he doubted religious mania was the cause.
There is no proof the killer had sexual contact with the victims. However, some psychologists have suggested the way the victims were stabbed and left in degrading positions might indicate the killer took pleasure from the attacks. Others argue these ideas are not supported by evidence.
Suspects
The timing of the killings near weekends, public holidays, and close to each other suggests to many that the killer had a regular job and lived nearby. Others believe the killer was a well-educated man from a wealthy background, possibly a doctor or aristocrat who traveled to Whitechapel. These ideas are based on cultural attitudes, such as fear of doctors, distrust of science, or concerns about the rich harming the poor. The term "ripperology" was created in the 1970s to describe the study of the Ripper case to learn more about his identity. The murders have also inspired many fictional stories.
People who lived long after the murders have suggested many suspects, including those mentioned in old documents and famous individuals never considered by the police, such as artist Walter Sickert and author Lewis Carroll. All people alive during the murders are now dead, so modern writers can name suspects without needing proof. In 1894, a police official named Sir Melville Macnaghten listed three suspects, but the evidence against them is weak and not certain.
Finding the killer is difficult because many accounts from the time are unclear or contradictory. There is no confirmed forensic evidence left from the crimes. Scientists have tried to link Aaron Kosminski, a Whitechapel barber, and Walter Sickert to the case using DNA analysis. However, these methods have been criticized. DNA from crime scenes was compared to descendants of Kosminski, but this is considered unreliable because Kosminski had no children. DNA tests on letters claimed to be from the Ripper were not helpful due to contamination. The study linking Kosminski could not be repeated, and the original data was lost. Because of this, the Journal of Forensic Sciences expressed concern about these claims.
Many theories exist about who Jack the Ripper was and what job he had, but no one agrees. Over 100 people have been named as suspects. Although the case remains popular, the true identity of the killer is still unknown.
Letters
During the Whitechapel murders, the police, newspapers, and members of the public received hundreds of letters about the case. Many letters offered advice on catching the killer, but most were either hoaxes or not helpful. Hundreds of letters claimed to be written by the killer, and three are especially well-known: the "Dear Boss" letter, the "Saucy Jacky" postcard, and the "From Hell" letter.
The "Dear Boss" letter was dated 25 September and postmarked 27 September 1888. It was received by the Central News Agency on that day and sent to Scotland Yard on 29 September. At first, it was thought to be a hoax. However, three days after the letter was postmarked, a woman named Eddowes was found with one ear missing. The letter had promised to "clip the ladys (sic) ears off," which drew attention. Eddowes's ear was likely cut accidentally during the attack, and the writer never sent the ears to the police. The name "Jack the Ripper" was first used in this letter and became famous worldwide after it was published. Later letters often copied its tone, with some writers using fake names like "George of the High Rip Gang" and "Jack Sheridan, the Ripper." Some sources say a letter dated 17 September 1888 used the name "Jack the Ripper" first, but most experts believe this letter was added to police records in the 20th century.
The "Saucy Jacky" postcard was postmarked 1 October 1888 and received the same day by the Central News Agency. Its handwriting matched the "Dear Boss" letter, and it referred to the murders on 30 September as a "double event this time." Some argue the postcard was sent before the murders were widely known, making it unlikely the writer had such information. However, it was postmarked more than 24 hours after the killings, by which time details had been reported in newspapers and were common knowledge in Whitechapel.
The "From Hell" letter was received by George Lusk, leader of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, on 16 October 1888. Its handwriting and style were different from the other letters. It included a small box containing half of a human kidney preserved in "spirits of wine" (ethanol). Eddowes's left kidney had been removed by the killer, and the writer claimed he "fried and ate" the missing half. Some believe the kidney belonged to Eddowes, while others think it was a joke. Thomas Openshaw of the London Hospital confirmed it was human and from the left side but could not identify other details. Openshaw later received a letter signed "Jack the Ripper."
Scotland Yard published copies of the "Dear Boss" letter and the postcard on 3 October 1888, hoping someone would recognize the handwriting. Charles Warren, a police official, wrote that he believed the letters were a hoax but said they had to investigate anyway. On 7 October 1888, a journalist named George R. Sims suggested in the newspaper Referee that the letter was written to boost newspaper sales. Later, police officials claimed a journalist named Tom Bullen wrote the letters. In 1913, Chief Inspector John Littlechild wrote to Sims that Bullen was the author. In 1931, a journalist named Fred Best reportedly admitted he and a colleague at The Star wrote the "Jack the Ripper" letters to increase public interest in the case.
Media
The Ripper murders were a significant change in how journalists reported on crime. Jack the Ripper was not the first serial killer, but his case was the first to cause a global media frenzy. The Elementary Education Act of 1880 (which built on an earlier law) required all children, regardless of their social class, to attend school. Because of this, by 1888, more working-class people in England and Wales could read.
Tax changes in the 1850s allowed inexpensive newspapers to be printed and sold to more people. These newspapers grew in popularity during the late Victorian era, with some costing as little as half a penny. Magazines like The Illustrated Police News helped spread information about the Ripper murders to a wide audience. At the height of the investigation, over one million newspaper copies with detailed reports about the Whitechapel murders were sold daily. However, many articles included exaggerated or false details. Some stories suggested the killer was Jewish or from another country, based on local rumors.
In early September, six days after the murder of Mary Ann Nichols, The Manchester Guardian reported: "The police believe they must keep some information secret… Their focus is on a person known as 'Leather Apron.'" Journalists were upset that the police would not share details of their investigation. This led to the publication of unverified reports. Some newspapers described "Leather Apron" in imaginative ways, but other reporters called these descriptions "fanciful." John Pizer, a local Jewish man who made leather goods, was known as "Leather Apron" and was briefly arrested. However, the police said there was no evidence against him, and he was released after confirming his alibi.
After the "Dear Boss" letter was published, the name "Jack the Ripper" replaced "Leather Apron" as the term used by the public and press. The name "Jack" was already used for another famous London figure: "Spring-heeled Jack," who was said to jump over walls to attack victims. Giving killers nicknames became a common practice in the media. Examples include the Axeman of New Orleans, the Boston Strangler, and the Beltway Sniper. Names inspired by Jack the Ripper include the French Ripper, the Düsseldorf Ripper, the Yorkshire Ripper, and others. Sensational media coverage, combined with the fact that no one was ever convicted of the murders, has made it difficult for experts to study the case clearly.
Legacy
The Ripper murders and the poor living conditions of the victims highlighted the bad living situations in the East End of London. This made people angry about the crowded and dirty slums there. Over the next 20 years, the worst slums were removed and torn down. Some streets and buildings still remain today, and tours of the murder sites and other places linked to the case continue to share the story of the Ripper. For many years, the Ten Bells public house on Commercial Street, where at least one victim was known to have visited, was a main stop on these tours.
Soon after the murders, "Jack the Ripper" became a scary figure for children. Early descriptions showed him as a ghostly or monstrous person. In the 1920s and 1930s, films showed him as a man in normal clothes hiding a secret, using lighting and shadows to create a sense of fear. By the 1960s, he was often shown as a rich man in a top hat, representing the powerful class. This made the whole group in power seem like the bad guys, with the Ripper acting as a symbol of unfair treatment by the wealthy. His image borrowed ideas from horror stories, like Dracula’s cloak or Victor Frankenstein’s experiments. Stories about the Ripper mixed with many other types of stories, from Sherlock Holmes to Japanese horror movies.
Jack the Ripper appears in hundreds of books, movies, plays, and other creative works. These include stories that mix real events with fiction, such as fake letters and a made-up diary called The Diary of Jack the Ripper. He is found in novels, poems, comics, games, songs, and TV shows. More than 100 non-fiction books focus only on the Ripper murders, making this case one of the most written about in true crime. In the 1970s, a word called "ripperology" was created to describe the study of the case by both experts and people who are not experts. Magazines like Ripperana, Ripperologist, and Ripper Notes share research about the topic.
In 2006, a poll by BBC History magazine named Jack the Ripper the worst Briton in history. In 2015, a museum about the Ripper opened in east London. It received criticism from the mayor of Tower Hamlets and some protesters. Similar protests happened in 2021 when a second "Jack The Chipper" fish and chip shop opened in Greenwich. Some local people threatened to stop visiting the shop.