A Brief History
On September 30, 1888, unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper killed his third and fourth victims, Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes. The incident known as the “double event” is the only such instance of the Ripper committing two murders on the same night.
Digging Deeper
Without any doubt, Jack the Ripper has been for over a hundred years now the world’s most well-known unknown serial killer. The amount of books, graphic novels, and films on the murderer far surpass any other, although his real identify remains a mystery. The number of suspects offered are legion and tickle the fancy of professional and popular historians alike. The reason for such interest almost assuredly stems from the brutal nature of his crimes and the infamous letters with which the alleged killer apparently taunted the press, the police, and the public.
Of all the nights of his reign of terror, the night of September 30, 1888 holds a particularly frightful place in Ripperology, the study of Jack the Ripper. On that dreadful night, the Ripper committed not one, but TWO of his heinous acts upon London’s prostitutes.
His (if the Ripper was indeed a man, as yes, some have suggested it may have actually been a “Jill the Ripper”, but we’ll leave more on that speculation for another day) first victim of the night was “Long Lis” Stride. Of the Ripper’s victims, her murder remains unique, for unlike the other victims, who had severe abdominal injuries in addition to the signature slash across the neck, Strike had no mutilations beyond her slit throat. Because Stride’s murder does share similarities to the pattern of Ripper killings, including date, time, type of site, type of victim and the slit throat, Ripperologists argue that the killer may have been interrupted before he had the opportunity to mutilate the body.
“Kate” Eddowes had her run in with the Ripper less than an hour later. Her murder does not seem to have been interrupted as her body was mutilated in a manner that we suspect would be too disturbing to describe to a general audience.
Suffice it to say, her missing kidney was only part of the butchery committed upon her body. We bring up the kidney, because just over two weeks later on October 15, 1888, a letter sent to a Mr. George Lusk contained part of a kidney and read as follows: “I send you half the Kidne I took from one women prasarved it for you tother piece I fried and ate it was very nise.” (spelling errors are as they appeared in the original version) The letter was marked “From Hell” and served as the inspiration for the same titled graphic novel and film starring Susan Lynch as Liz Stride and Lesley Sharp as Kate Eddowes.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
From Hell (2001) is a well made movie that offers a full blown conspiracy theory as to who may have been the Ripper. For intriguing accounts of other theories that delve deeply into the above discussed double event, I encourage you to read Jack The Ripper: First American Serial Killer
For more information, please see…
Evans, Stewart and Paul Gainey. Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer. Kodansha USA, 1998.
Harrison, Shirley. Jack the Ripper: The American Connection. John Blake, 2003.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="238 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=238">24 Comments
I do think both of these murders were committed by the same person, quite possibly Jack the Ripper. It does make sense to me that maybe the first murder was done quickly and there was not time for the murderer to finish his doing. This could be why it did not fit the pattern or time frame of the other murders. Maybe the murderer committed this to throw people off of his tracks or confuse them. It just seems to me that both murders were done too closely to each other to be someone different.
I also think that both of these murders were committed by Jack the Ripper. The murders both match the normal pattern that this murderer used. They shared the slit throat and also occurred at similar places, dates, times, and to similar victims of Jack the Ripper. I feel like these murders match too well to be a coincidence.
I think that Jack the Ripper committed both of the crimes. Other than
the fact that this was the only instance in which he committed two
murders on the same night and he didn’t mutilate the first body the
murders are almost exactly the same. The cause of death and signature
“throat slash” are both present. It was suggested that maybe he was
interrupted during the first murder and that is why the body wasn’t
mutilated. What if he was only planning on killing one victim that night
but since he didn’t get to do what he felt was “quality work” he felt
the need to strike again and do it the way he felt it should be done.
Since I do not know much
about criminology or serial killers in general, it is difficult for me to make
a statement and back it up on Jack The Ripper. I do not deny the possibility
that the murders are separate, but I think they are connected. The idea that
Jack “was disturbed” seems logical. Past serial killers have
encountered similar situations and it makes them unable to complete their kill.
On the other hand, as a serial killer progresses, his/her kills become more
sophisticated and a pattern emerges. Even the most “random” of
killings will reveal a pattern. For the record, I am not going all Criminal
Minds on this; I am speaking as biologist trying to apply my training
here.
I believe that both of the murders were committed by Jack the Ripper. The fact that both throats were slit is a trademark of Jack the Ripper, and I think that it takes a very insane kind of person to do something like that. I don’t think that the odds are very good that two different people would kill a woman on the same night in the same way within an hour of each other. I agree that he may have been interrupted and that is why the killings are slightly different. I have heard that normally the cuts were clean, like something a doctor would do, so if he was interrupted he may not have had the time to make the cuts as clean as usual. Another possibility would be that he knew the one victim somehow and held anger against her, and that is why her attack was more violent.
Yes, I believe that both victoms were killed by the known Jack the Ripper. After reading this article I looked more into the topic. The stories are very similar. The fact that he had a time, place, and specific way of killing these women indicates that it was more then likely done by the same man. As hard as it is to believe that someone would kill at all, this man killed two different people, in two different situations, in one night. Maybe he got a “high” off killing the one and had the opportunity to take another life the same night and he took advantage of it. More then likely he did not plan to take both lives in the same night.
I think the same person committed both murders, it is possible that they were done just within an hour of each other. It has been done by other murderers, so it is possible to be done by “Jack the Ripper”.
I could see how the two murders could be linked. But I love a good mystery, and so I feel like all sides should be looked at. I wonder about the prevalence of copy cat criminals in the era of “Jack the Ripper”. It could easily be a huge coincidence that a woman happened to have her throat slit within an hour of another victim.
I’m undecided on what I think about these murders. It’s odd that the murderer would break pattern when all the other murders were committed in the same way. On the other hand though, I can see how the first murder may have been interrupted; so the murderer then finished his handiwork on another victim.
I would guess the murders were both committed by the same person, Jack the Ripper. It would make sense that if he got interrupted while committing the first murder he would make the second murder all the more heinous. He was angry he got interrupted and the passion or whatever emotion that fueled his need to kill was raging when he got to the second victim. The butchery and the fact that he mailed the kidney to this person and said he had eaten the other half would attest to that possibility.
I do think that both of the murders described above were done by the same person. The first one was done quick and simple, while the second one was done with more time. In my opinion, the person probably wanted the second murder to stand out and leave the image in the worlds mind. However, I do think that the one person that did both murders switched up the second murder so that it would indeed be harder to track the murderer.
I think that both of the murders that night were in fact done by the same person. I think that possibly the second murder was done with much more effort, because the killer wanted to make a mark. Maybe he did not think that the first kill would stand out and get enough attention, so by killing much with an intent to hurt and then sending the letter with kidney, he thought it would make much more of a mark on society.
I do not think the murders were both committed by Jack the Ripper because their is not enough evidence to convince me otherwise. Perhaps Jack the Ripper had a fan who wanted to create his own signature.
I also think that both of the murders were committed by “Jack the Ripper”. It seems like too much of a coincidence despite the fact that the murder was slightly different. There could have been a number of reasons why the body was not mutilated any further. The fact that almost all of the other variables seem to match up with the rest of the murders should be evidence enough in my opinion.
I believe the same individual murdered both these women. As the article stated, the first murder was believed to be “interrupted” so I believe whoever “jack the ripper” was, didn’t get his full fix and killed again.
I believe that both murders could have been done by the same person. Would have to see the DNA or at least the more about the person actually having been at both areas. KF
I think both of the murders were committed by Jack the Ripper; I
think that he was interrupted while he was murdering Elizabeth Stride and ran away so that he/she would not get caught. Also this is a possible reason as to why Kate Eddowes was murdered so brutal. Jack the Ripper never before sent a body part of another of his victims to anyone. Why just Kate Eddowes? I think it was because he almost got caught with Elizabeth Stride and he got angry and had to kill someone else with the same intensity as the previous murders. By sending the kidney he is showing off a trophy letting the public know he is still out there. SK
I think that both of the murders were committed by Jack the Ripper. The cases had so much in common.
I’m think both murders were done by the same person. It is just crazy to me that it is such a mystery and probably always will be. I find this stuff very interesting but I am also the type of person who always wants to know the ending of a story. So things like this drive me crazy!
I loved reading this page. I believe that these murders were almost definitely committed by the same person. I think trying to find perfect consistency in any serial killings could be difficult. I would imagine that even serial killers are capable of committing spur of the moment crimes in addition to their meticulously planned ones. l I also have read into the “Jill the ripper” theories, and shockingly- I think they could be true.
This post was quite interesting to me. I do not know much about Jack the Ripper, but I believe these two murders were committed by the same person. The first murder may have been rushed, as suggested, making the body not ‘normal’ for Jack the Ripper’s methods.
I have studied the case for 25 years,I beleive more and more there was not single killer,but different people,the name jack the ripper,conned buy the press has history beleiveing it was a single person incorrect and misleading,not the most popular view I realize,it takes the romance( if we may use the term) out of the case,but he correc on
E,believe.whitechapel in 1888 was full of crime,the perfect backdrop and conditions foe murders of this type.These murders were by-products of there enviroment.A romantic notion of 1 killer,but not true,ths theory of many is really the one that fits together.
I believe the murders were committed by the same man or in this case Jack the Ripper. Although the one women was not abused like the the others, I still believe it was done by the same person (mostly because of the throat slash). I think that Ripper definitely could have run out of time or could have been interrupted which caused his unique murder.
I think that it is so interesting that no one has ever been able to identify who Jack the Ripper actually was. I do think that both of these murders were the works of Jack (or Jill). They both imitate his works, unless someone else was trying to make a name for themselves as well.