It is 1888 and nearing winter—normally a
festive season here in Victorian England, with the upcoming Christmas holiday. But this year has been different. Fear and suspicion plague the public, as an
unidentified serial killer terrorizes the streets of London's East End. Since August, there have been a total of four
murders believed to have been committed by this single person; and now, another body
has just been reported—likely, this killer’s fifth victim. The methods used in these killings are unfathomably
brutal, and all of the victims have been women, specifically prostitutes. The details of their injuries are almost too
gruesome to bear. But I am a detective with the Metropolitan
Police's Criminal Investigation Department, and it is my duty to the people of London
to thoroughly analyze the evidence with a sound mind. I wonder: will this fifth murder finally give
us the information we need to solve these crimes? He has become known as “Jack the Ripper,”
a nickname taken from one of the many letters we've received from the supposed-murderer
himself... or, perhaps even, herself. The truth is, we've been left with very few
clues about who this killer is. My investigative techniques and abilities
have been challenged with the unique nature of these crimes—this isn't the first serial
killer we've ever seen, but never before have I encountered killings so random nor so violent. It all began in August, when I investigated
the murder of Mary Ann Nichols. It was notable because of the violence used:
Mary Ann had been left in the middle of an alleyway, her throat cut so deeply she had
almost been decapitated. I attempted to establish a timeline leading
up to the crime. The doctor working with us noted that her
body was warm, so she had just been killed. I interviewed those nearby, but no one had
heard or seen anything during the hour in which she would’ve been attacked. There was no evidence that she had been moved
to this location after her death—no marks or blood along the road—but I considered
the possibility. She was taken by ambulance (a simple handcart)
to a morturary where I could continue my investigation away from the growing crowd. Once there, I discovered she had also been
cut down her abdomen and disembowled. I went at once to fetch the doctor. Unfortunately, the greatest care is not always
taken when it comes to autopsies: before I could return to the mortuary with the doctor
to perform a detailed post-mortem medical examination, two workers had stripped Mary
Ann of all her clothes and washed her body. I wonder what missed opportunities we had
because of that incident. The investigation expanded quickly the following
month, when there were three more murdered prostitutes found around the same area of
Whitechapel. All had their throats slashed, and two had
been mutilated—just like Mary Ann. The City of London Police joined the case
along with several more of our own detectives, and countless volunteer citizens searched
for clues. One of the volunteer investigators even received
a letter, containing part of a kidney—which we believe to be from Catherine Eddowes, the
fourth victim. Prior to this case, I had never spent so much
time looking for relationships across several crimes. Now, it is the first thing I think about:
there are other recent murders of women in London that remain unsolved, but as I go through
the files and notes, I see that they do not share enough similarities with these other
four cases. Of course, in time, there is no telling how
many murders could be linked back to this single terrorist. It’s overwhelmingly frustrating. Forensic science in the late 19th-century
is quite limited. We cannot identify specific fingerprints or
bodily fluids left behind by the perpetrator, as we have no way to properly analyze such
physical evidence. Instead, much of my detective work has been
quite psychological—I try to understand the killer’s motive, look for patterns within
the crime scenes and the many letters we receive, and discern what kind of abilities or resources
someone would need to commit the crime. I interview as many people as I can, including
those near the crime scenes, friends and relatives of the victims, and other prostitutes. Because some victims were disemboweled or
had body parts removed, I’ve specifically interrogated butchers, surgeons, and anyone
with an advanced knowledge of anatomy as a suspect. But so far, all of my suspects have had alibis. It doesn’t help that police morale is at
an all-time low. Prior to the murders, we'd been dealing with
bickering and power struggles between our senior officials. Now, the killer taunts our ineptitude in his
letters. The public is completely gripped by paranoia—xenophobia
is rampant. Headlines and stories sensationalize these
terrible crimes and cover the newsstands. No doubt, the journalists are the only ones
benefiting from these attacks, as newspaper circulation and sales increase. As is police procedure, we avoid working with
or contacting the press. I believe they could put the integrity of
the search at risk by releasing classified information. Now, it appears that Jack the Ripper has struck
again: his fifth victim a woman named Mary Jane Kelly. I arrived at the scene more determined than
ever, I don’t think any of us were prepared for the sight we encountered. Peeking through the window into a bedroom,
I saw a girl so horribly mutilated that she was not recognizable. She had been skinned, body parts had been
hacked apart, organs taken out and butchered, blood was everywhere. Her eyes were still open, staring at us through
the window with a look of astonishment. We had a photographer take pictures of the
crime scene—I don’t believe this has ever been done before by our department, and it
is a big advancement for our investigative process... I wonder how much it matters, as the gruesome
image of that victim is burned into my mind. This was by far the most horrific attack. But again, no new clues have led us anywhere. Will the murders get worse? How can they? How many more will suffer? My fellow detectives have begun to develop
compelling theories around each of their favorite suspects... But I have to remind myself that theorizing
alone will not lead to a conviction nor punishment. That is the difference between the work we
do, and the newspapers. To guarantee a successful conviction, I need
to catch the criminal in the act or be able to extract a confession... and that is a tall
order. I worry that, as the months drag on, we will
never see justice for these victims... and we will only be left with theories about the
mysterious evil that is Jack the Ripper.
