Lesson 8: Jack the Ripper: A Comparison to Contemporary Serial Killers and Course Wrapup
A Psychological Profile of Jack the Ripper
In the 1880's, such behavior as the Ripper may have portrayed was referred to as "moral insanity." In a project called the Ripper Project, modern criminal profiler John E. Douglas used modern techniques to set forth a profile of what Jack the Ripper may have been like.
His profile speculated that the killer was probably a white male of about 28-36 years old. He likely lived or worked in the Whitechapel area. He probably had an absentee father, some physical abnormality that set him apart, and most likely worked as a butcher or some similar job.
He was probably ordinary looking, quiet, maybe a loner who drank at the local pubs. He was not likely to commit suicide, but would stop killing because he was jailed or afraid of being caught. He would consider his crimes justified, that he was ridding the world of human garbage, and feel little remorse.
Many of the suspects in the Ripper case files fit the psychological profile of modern times, though most of the suspects were older than thirty-two, and the descriptions of witnesses stated that the killer appeared to be middle-aged.
Jack the Ripper could have been much like Ted Bundy, a loner who stalked his prey in a similar way. Pat Cornwell's portrayal of Walter Sickert is reminescent of Bundy in many ways, as is the profile of several other Ripper suspects. Like Bundy, Sickert was believed to be charming and a master of disguise and deception.
Similarities can also be seen between the Ripper crimes and those of the Zodiac killer. Though the method of murder is quite different, the letter-writing and the clues sent to the police are uncannily similar to the Ripper case.
What happened to Jack the Ripper? Some believe that he either died or was put into an insane asylum which stopped the crimes. Others believe Jack the Ripper simply moved to another area and continued to kill.
However, serial killers rarely change their method of killing, and no known murders similar to the 1889 murders were repeated in another part of the country. It is not impossible, however, that his random crimes went undetected or that he did tone down the way he killed in an attempt to avoid prosecution.
The intriguing mystery of Jack the Ripper is still alive today in the form of books, movies, and scholarly research. Patricia Cornwell is not by any means the only researcher who has offered a convincing theory as to the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Others include Stephen Knight with his Royal Conspiracy theory, and the Maybrick Diary connection. Others point the finger of guilt at William Bury or Frances Tumblety. Several other researchers are convinced that Joseph Barnett committed the crimes, and the evidence against him is strong.
Suggested Reading: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper, pages 253-279.
For Further Reading: I Have Lived with the Monster: Inside the Minds of the World's Most Notorious Serial Killers, Resler, Robert K. and Tom Shachtman, St. Martin's Press, (reissue) 1998
