What was Jack the Ripper's physical appearance?

Answer 1

Although no one was ever positive it was thought he was about 5"7, had a pale complexion, although this was one of the least certain things because the fumes from factories were so thick you couldn't see your hand sometimes, he had a moustache , wore a knee length black cloak, had a deerstalker hat, gloves, black waistcoat and trousers and underneath he wore a white shirt.

"Jack the Ripper" is best known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the media. The letter is widely believed to have been a hoax, and may have been written by a journalist in a deliberate attempt to heighten interest in the story. Other nicknames used for the killer at the time were "The Whitechapel Murderer" and "Leather Apron".

Attacks ascribed to the Ripper typically involved female prostitutes from the slums whose throats were cut prior to abdominal mutilations. The removal of internal organs from at least three of the victims led to proposals that their killer possessed anatomical or surgical knowledge. Rumours that the murders were connected intensified in September and October 1888, and letters from a writer or writers purporting to be the murderer were received by media outlets and Scotlan Yard. The "From Hell" letter, received by George Lusk of the Whitechapel Vigilance commite, included half of a preserved human kidney, supposedly from one of the victims. Mainly because of the extraordinarily brutal character of the murders, and because of media treatment of the events, the public came increasingly to believe in a single serial killer known as "Jack the Ripper".

Extensive newspaper coverage bestowed widespread and enduring international notoriety of the Ripper. An investigation into a series of brutal killings in Whitechapel up to 1891 was unable to connect all the killings conclusively to the murders of 1888, but the legend of Jack the Ripper solidified. As the murders were never solved, the legends surrounding them became a combination of genuine historical research, folklore. The term "ripperology" was coined to describe the study and analysis of the Ripper cases. There are now over one hundred theories about the Ripper's identity , and the murders have inspired multiple works of friction. "Jack The Ripper" killed people all over the UK.

The killings of "Jack The Ripper" took place within a mile area and involved the districts of Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Aldgate, and the City of London proper. He was also called the Whitechapel Murderer and "Leather Apron."

Answer 2

Unfortuneatly JTR was never caught or identified. The closest we can get are the handful of eye witnesses' descriptions, particularly at the the Eddows crime scene. A man seen with Eddows only minutes before her mutilated body was discovered in Mitre Square almost certainly had to be the Ripper. Due to the gloomy darkness that was typical of London's Victorian-era, gaslit streets, details were non-existant. What can be said is the man in question was taller than the woman, about 3". He wore some sort of hat or cap that may have had a peak. The couple seemed to be conversing in a normal way, nothing to arouse suspicion. Others claim the Ripper was light in coloring, about 5'9" in height, may or may not have had facial hair. The above qualities could apply to at least half the men in London. It should also be noted, in the world of crime detection, eye witness testimony is the least reliable evidence. Our perceptions can deviate greatly from the actual facts, this is fact. So DNA is the best chance to identify the 'Whitechapel fiend' if at all possible. Until then, we can't be sure what JTR looked like.

Answer 3

First, those involved in creating the profiling think the police were looking for the wrong type of person. In 1888, the detectives were expecting Jack the Ripper to seem mentally ill, which may explain why they never caught him. Modern psychological profilers think Jack the Ripper most likely looked and acted perfectly sane. A geographical profiler, who uses locations and details of crimes to try to pinpoint where the killer lived, has determined that Jack the Ripper probably lived in the area of Flower and Dean Street in east London, within 1 square mile (2.6 square km) of each of the killings and within 100 yards (91 meters) of a known residence of each of his victims.

Answer 4

Jack The Ripper was never identified so there is no way to tell exactly what he was like. But his crimes do tell us some specific things about him, a psychological profile. He most likely was a white male, 25 to 30 years old at the onset of his crimes. He was somebody that had an intimate knowledge of the streets and alleys of London's east end. He would have fit in with that invironment as to be invisible in plain sight. He most likely had a job that allowed him the freedom to be out walking the streets very late at night. The mutilations, especially the facial cuts, says he probably had an extreme hatred of women and contempt for law enforcement and probably other 'authority' figures. When a killer destroys a victim's face often they are trying to 'erase' the essence of the person. Our faces are our identities. This killer wanted to dehumanize the victims by cutting the faces beyond recognition.

So although this does not tell us who he was, it can tell us who he was not. Most of the most popular suspects could be illiminated such as Prince Albert, Sir Wm. Gull, the Queen's doctor, James Maybrick, ect.

Answer 5

clothes

Yes, he was probably wearing clothes or he would have been noticed right away. Hollywood likes to depict the Ripper as a well dressed gentleman with a top hat, white gloves and a cape to complete the ensemble. This is probably not based in reality. The east end of London was a busy place. There were immigrants, many of who could not speak a word of english. Just like any big city, London was and is diverse. But usually well dressed gentlemen did not wander the mean streets of London's east end in their best finery. Whomever the Ripper was, he knew the art of blending in. Whether he was or was not a citizen of Whitechapel, he knew the area quite well and he dressed the part. He dressed like the locals and sounded like the locals, but that did not make him a local, but rather, probably spent a lot of hours there walking the streets and alleys.

This is not conjecture. This is knowledge learned from a century of learning about serial killers that came after the Ripper crimes. Serial killers usually blend in and appear 'normal'. If they stood out in any way, they would not be successful finding victims. They walk the walk and talk the talk until it's too late for their victims.

Answer 6

no one knows he was never caught