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| Suspects |
| Although the true identity of Jack the Ripper will probably never be known, certain things can be guessed. He was probably a white male, of average or below average height. Probably between 20 and 40 years old, with lodgings in the East End. He probably did have medical training or knowledge (which is hotly debated). He might have been a forgeiner. He was most likely right handed (or perhaps ambidextrous?). He probably had a regular job (as the murders all occurred during the weekend), and was not of low class. He was also probably single, permitting him to roam the streets at night. He was also most likely physically or mentally abused as a child (possibly by his mother or another close person of the opposite sex). One problem is that at the time of the Whitechapel killings, any criminal thought or proved capable of homocide is a possible suspect. Here is a list of the most widely accepted suspects. |
| 1) Mr. Montague John Druitt. A doctor who was found in the Thames on December 31st, 1888, which was after the murders ended. He was sexually insane and it is believed that his own family thought him guilty. |
| 2) Aaron Kosminski, a Polish Jew. He had strong homicidal tendencies and a hatred toward women (namely those is the "prostitute class"). He was taken to an insane asylum in 1889. |
| 3) Michael Ostrog. A Russian doctor and convict. He was detained in a lunitic asylum. He whereabouts at the time of the murders is not known. |
| 4) Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward, The Duke of Clarence. The grandson of Queen Victoria. Not known as an ambitious man, nor was he known as being violent. He died of influenza in 1892. Not a very popular suspect. |
| 5) Francis Tumblety. He was described as being uneducated.. He moved to Detroit in 1850 to set up a practice as a physician. In 1887, he moved to Liverpool and had a homosexual relationship with Sir Henry Hall Caine. He was known to despise women (again, especially prostitutes). He moved to New York, then back to England in June of 1888, where he was arrested for homosexual activities and then charged with the Whitechapel murders. He jumped bail and moved back to the US, and earned considerable wealth as a medical quack. He died in St, Louis in 1903. |
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| 6) George Chapman (born Severin Antoniovich Klosowski). Born in Poland. He studied medicine, namely surgery in Warsaw before moving to London were he took a job as a hair dresser's assistant. He later set up a barber shop on Whitechapel High Street and George Yard, very near to the Martha Tabram murder site. He first showed a violent nature when he tried to kill his wife. He married several other times. Each of his wives died mysteriously,. It is suspected that he murdered them, but was only convicted of killing one of them. He was hanged on April 7, 1903. |
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| If you have a favorite suspect or a suspect not listed, please e-mail me. |