The East End of London was a hellish environment noted for its poverty, crime, alcoholism, and prostitution. On the night of August 31, 1888, Mary Ann Nicholls was found with her throat cut and her body mutilated. The 42 year-old prostitute had taken on one client too many. One week later, 47 year-old Annie Chapman’s corpse was found with similar injuries. She had been disemboweled. It was determined the killer was left-handed and may have carried a small bag similar to a doctor’s. On Sept. 30, Liz Stride’s body was found. And nearby, the body of Kate Eddowes. Eddowes’ left kidney had been removed. On a wall was chalked “The Jewes are not the men to be blamed for nothing.” Unfortunately, the head of police ordered it to be erased. On Nov. 10, the last victim, another prostitute was discovered. Mary Kelly was 25 years-old. Once again, the body was terribly mutilated with organs missing. A bloody shawl was found and taken home by one of the detectives. It stayed in his family for decades. After the Kelly murder, the killings ceased and no one was arrested. The police had three prime suspects: a Russian doctor, a depraved lawyer, and a woman-hating Polish Jew named Kosmanski. There was not enough evidence against any of them. Over the years there were many theories, including Prince Alebrt Victor and Lewis Carroll. In 2014, DNA evidence from the shawl pointed towards Kosmanski as the killer. Kosmanski was a mentally unstable barber who was institutionalized in 1891 for attacking his sister with a knife. He died in the asylum in 1919.
– Strange 359-361
– https://www.history.com/news/has-jack-the-rippers-identity-been-revealed
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