1
00:00:02,460 --> 00:00:04,876
WILLIAM SHATNER:
A shadowy killer
stalking women in the night.
2
00:00:05,043 --> 00:00:08,001
Who savagely
mutilated his victims
3
00:00:08,085 --> 00:00:10,251
and left a bloody legacy
4
00:00:10,376 --> 00:00:13,210
that shocked the world.
5
00:00:13,335 --> 00:00:16,793
There have been many serial
killers throughout history.
6
00:00:16,918 --> 00:00:22,001
But perhaps none is more
infamous than Jack the Ripper.
7
00:00:22,085 --> 00:00:24,751
Yet, almost 140 years
after terrorizing
8
00:00:24,876 --> 00:00:28,501
the streets of London,
the mystery still remains...
9
00:00:28,585 --> 00:00:30,668
Who was Jack the Ripper?
10
00:00:30,751 --> 00:00:32,418
How did he evade justice?
11
00:00:32,543 --> 00:00:35,460
And why does
he still fascinate us?
12
00:00:35,585 --> 00:00:39,210
Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
13
00:00:39,335 --> 00:00:41,376
♪ ♪
14
00:00:58,585 --> 00:01:01,210
Over the course
of nine harrowing weeks,
15
00:01:01,335 --> 00:01:03,043
the city was rocked by a series
16
00:01:03,168 --> 00:01:05,085
of horrific murders...
17
00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:08,418
...committed by
an unknown killer.
18
00:01:11,085 --> 00:01:13,460
The scene
of these terrible crimes
19
00:01:13,585 --> 00:01:16,585
was a neighborhood of
London known as Whitechapel.
20
00:01:16,710 --> 00:01:20,043
LYNN PICKNETT:
This one smallish area
at the East End of London,
21
00:01:20,126 --> 00:01:22,543
Whitechapel, was a magnet
22
00:01:22,668 --> 00:01:24,835
for not only
the very poor people,
23
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:26,501
people who had menial jobs,
24
00:01:26,585 --> 00:01:29,376
for example,
but also the actually destitute.
25
00:01:29,460 --> 00:01:31,710
The people
who had reached the very
26
00:01:31,835 --> 00:01:33,543
bottom rung of the ladder.
27
00:01:33,626 --> 00:01:37,251
Who had nothing but the clothes
they stood up in, often.
28
00:01:37,376 --> 00:01:40,251
And, basically, you had
29
00:01:40,376 --> 00:01:44,876
domestic violence,
theft, and murder.
30
00:01:45,001 --> 00:01:46,710
Whitechapel was
an area where you had
31
00:01:46,835 --> 00:01:48,501
a lot of homeless drifters.
32
00:01:48,626 --> 00:01:50,418
You had what were known
as the common lodging houses,
33
00:01:50,543 --> 00:01:53,293
and this is
where the drifters ended up.
34
00:01:53,418 --> 00:01:55,543
It cost fourpence
for a common lodging house.
35
00:01:55,710 --> 00:01:58,710
You paid it to the keeper
of the lodging house,
36
00:01:58,835 --> 00:02:00,751
and then you could get your bed.
37
00:02:00,876 --> 00:02:03,626
PICKNETT:
Fourpence sounds like
a very small amount of money.
38
00:02:03,751 --> 00:02:06,876
But if you had nothing at all,
it was quite something.
39
00:02:08,251 --> 00:02:11,543
Society had very stringent
rules about women earning
40
00:02:11,668 --> 00:02:16,043
or having money, so many women
turned to prostitution
41
00:02:16,126 --> 00:02:20,376
as a way to make
ends meet in those days.
42
00:02:20,501 --> 00:02:23,543
Because there was literally
nothing else for them to do.
43
00:02:23,668 --> 00:02:28,376
MARK SAFARIK: If you look at
Whitechapel in the late 1800s,
44
00:02:28,501 --> 00:02:32,668
you have women
who would not normally engage
45
00:02:32,751 --> 00:02:34,418
in prostitution
46
00:02:34,585 --> 00:02:37,793
sometimes hawking
their bodies to make
47
00:02:37,918 --> 00:02:41,626
any kind of money just to get,
perhaps, a bed for the night.
48
00:02:42,543 --> 00:02:45,085
So these would be
high-risk victims.
49
00:02:45,210 --> 00:02:47,668
Under the cover of darkness,
going with people
50
00:02:47,751 --> 00:02:49,335
they don't know
51
00:02:49,418 --> 00:02:53,460
into dark remote areas
of alleyways
52
00:02:53,585 --> 00:02:56,168
becomes
highly dangerous for them...
53
00:02:57,251 --> 00:02:59,501
...very low risk
for the offender.
54
00:02:59,585 --> 00:03:01,960
It's a deadly combination
for these women.
55
00:03:03,626 --> 00:03:05,585
SHATNER:
In the early morning hours
56
00:03:05,710 --> 00:03:07,710
of August 31, 1888,
57
00:03:07,835 --> 00:03:11,085
two delivery men were walking
to work in Whitechapel,
58
00:03:11,210 --> 00:03:14,335
when they made
a gruesome discovery.
59
00:03:14,418 --> 00:03:18,626
They found the body of
43-year-old Mary Ann Nichols
60
00:03:18,751 --> 00:03:22,585
lying dead
on the bloody pavement.
61
00:03:24,751 --> 00:03:28,418
SETH KOVEN:
Mary Ann Nichols had
been married, had children.
62
00:03:28,543 --> 00:03:32,793
But her marriage had
fallen apart through alcoholism.
63
00:03:32,918 --> 00:03:37,376
By the early 1880s,
she had turned to sex work
64
00:03:37,501 --> 00:03:39,668
in order to earn her living.
65
00:03:39,751 --> 00:03:43,251
When Mary Ann Nichols'
body was found,
66
00:03:43,376 --> 00:03:45,751
um, at first, it looked like...
67
00:03:45,876 --> 00:03:47,543
a simple murder.
68
00:03:47,668 --> 00:03:50,626
Her skirts were up as though
she was committing
69
00:03:50,751 --> 00:03:53,460
an act of prostitution
at the time she was killed.
70
00:03:53,585 --> 00:03:57,668
That's not particularly
unusual for London in its day.
71
00:03:57,793 --> 00:04:00,918
However,
when the body made its way
72
00:04:01,043 --> 00:04:05,251
to the coroner, and further
investigation was carried out,
73
00:04:05,376 --> 00:04:10,001
they found that this was
a murder and a mutilation.
74
00:04:10,085 --> 00:04:12,210
And that raised some questions.
75
00:04:12,376 --> 00:04:14,710
SHATNER:
Just eight days
76
00:04:14,793 --> 00:04:16,835
after the murder
of Mary Ann Nichols,
77
00:04:16,918 --> 00:04:19,710
on September 8, 1888,
78
00:04:19,793 --> 00:04:22,376
the body of another woman,
Annie Chapman,
79
00:04:22,501 --> 00:04:25,210
was found lying in the courtyard
80
00:04:25,293 --> 00:04:27,626
of a Whitechapel tenement.
81
00:04:27,751 --> 00:04:30,168
ADAM WOOD: Annie Chapman had
previously been married to, uh,
82
00:04:30,251 --> 00:04:32,585
a man named John Chapman,
but they separated
83
00:04:32,751 --> 00:04:35,043
and then eventually
she found that he had died.
84
00:04:35,168 --> 00:04:38,376
She had tried
selling items and taking
85
00:04:38,501 --> 00:04:40,626
in crochet work, that sort
of thing, to support herself,
86
00:04:40,751 --> 00:04:43,376
but eventually she became
more and more reliant
87
00:04:43,543 --> 00:04:48,168
on casual prostitution to get
her money for a nightly bed.
88
00:04:48,251 --> 00:04:51,876
DONNELLY: When Annie
Chapman's body was found,
89
00:04:52,001 --> 00:04:54,376
there was no doubt
90
00:04:54,501 --> 00:04:57,043
that a horrible
mutilation had taken place.
91
00:04:57,168 --> 00:05:00,501
And now it made police
92
00:05:00,585 --> 00:05:03,085
begin to wonder
whether these two
93
00:05:03,210 --> 00:05:06,835
horrible acts, one week apart,
in the same part of the city,
94
00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,376
could well have been done
by the same twisted individual.
95
00:05:11,668 --> 00:05:14,293
NATE HENDLEY:
This is a killer who hated women
96
00:05:14,418 --> 00:05:16,710
and wanted to do
maximum damage to them.
97
00:05:16,793 --> 00:05:20,835
So it immediately gives off this
sort of this cinematic image
98
00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,210
of this sinister character
in a black coat
99
00:05:23,293 --> 00:05:25,043
going through the London fog,
100
00:05:25,210 --> 00:05:27,376
walking on cobblestones
at night.
101
00:05:27,501 --> 00:05:29,960
SHATNER:
The notion that a predator
102
00:05:30,085 --> 00:05:33,251
was targeting sex workers
in the Whitechapel district
103
00:05:33,376 --> 00:05:36,626
set off a frenzy
in the London newspapers.
104
00:05:36,751 --> 00:05:40,251
DONNELLY:
There were 158 daily newspapers
105
00:05:40,376 --> 00:05:43,335
in London, and they were all in
106
00:05:43,418 --> 00:05:45,585
competition for sales.
107
00:05:46,710 --> 00:05:50,835
So when the press got ahold
of this case of murderers,
108
00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,751
it was exactly what
they needed for the new
109
00:05:54,876 --> 00:05:57,210
readership that
they were trying to get.
110
00:05:57,335 --> 00:05:58,668
You have to remember,
111
00:05:58,751 --> 00:06:00,460
at the time
these murders were taking place,
112
00:06:00,585 --> 00:06:02,251
Sherlock Holmes mysteries were
113
00:06:02,376 --> 00:06:04,251
the bestselling thing
on the planet.
114
00:06:04,376 --> 00:06:08,376
And everybody wanted
to sink their teeth
115
00:06:08,501 --> 00:06:10,876
into a nice, juicy mystery.
116
00:06:12,335 --> 00:06:16,501
LYNNE McNEILL:
Unfortunately, in the late
1800s, we see a real effort
117
00:06:16,585 --> 00:06:19,668
from the media to let
a cult of personality form.
118
00:06:20,751 --> 00:06:23,585
And as much as we abhor
violence and murder and killing,
119
00:06:23,710 --> 00:06:26,751
there are some ways
in which the serial killer
120
00:06:26,876 --> 00:06:30,626
becomes this sort of folk hero
of psychological deviance
121
00:06:30,751 --> 00:06:34,710
that terrifies and intrigues us.
122
00:06:34,793 --> 00:06:38,210
And so it's a delicate balance
to make sure we're not
123
00:06:38,293 --> 00:06:43,085
glorifying something that
really shouldn't be glorified.
124
00:06:44,418 --> 00:06:47,543
WOOD: The media drove
the horrific nature
125
00:06:47,626 --> 00:06:50,460
of the crimes
in a sensationalist way.
126
00:06:50,585 --> 00:06:53,460
Whitechapel was obviously
in depths of degradation
127
00:06:53,585 --> 00:06:56,585
and-and poverty,
and yet, it was literally
128
00:06:56,710 --> 00:06:59,668
two streets away from the, uh,
the Bank of England, which was
129
00:06:59,751 --> 00:07:02,335
headquarters of the empire
at that time.
130
00:07:02,460 --> 00:07:05,335
And so that become,
very quickly,
131
00:07:05,418 --> 00:07:08,543
a national issue
and a national concern.
132
00:07:09,751 --> 00:07:11,835
SHATNER: In the aftermath
of the two brutal murders,
133
00:07:11,918 --> 00:07:15,710
the London police were unable
to identify a prime suspect.
134
00:07:15,793 --> 00:07:18,543
As a result,
they chose to cast a wide net
135
00:07:18,710 --> 00:07:20,835
in their search for the killer.
136
00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,418
More than 300 people were
placed under investigation,
137
00:07:25,543 --> 00:07:28,585
and 80 of them were
brought in for questioning.
138
00:07:30,251 --> 00:07:32,543
WOOD: Chief inspector
Donald Swanson, who was head
139
00:07:32,668 --> 00:07:35,376
of the investigation from
Scotland Yard, wrote a report
140
00:07:35,501 --> 00:07:37,960
at that time saying that
potential suspects range
141
00:07:38,085 --> 00:07:40,710
from the highest in the land,
Queen Victoria's grandson,
142
00:07:40,835 --> 00:07:44,085
um, right down to East End
butchers and slaughtermen.
143
00:07:45,751 --> 00:07:47,501
There was no shortage
of candidates.
144
00:07:47,585 --> 00:07:50,460
There were all sorts of people,
145
00:07:50,585 --> 00:07:52,501
from Sir William Gull,
146
00:07:52,626 --> 00:07:54,210
Queen Victoria's physician,
147
00:07:54,376 --> 00:07:56,835
to her grandson,
Prince Albert Victor,
148
00:07:56,918 --> 00:07:58,876
or somebody acting
on his behalf.
149
00:07:59,043 --> 00:08:02,585
Even Joseph Merrick,
the Elephant Man.
150
00:08:02,710 --> 00:08:05,876
Largely on the grounds that
he lived at the London Hospital,
151
00:08:06,001 --> 00:08:07,501
which was
quite near Whitechapel.
152
00:08:07,585 --> 00:08:10,210
So there are vast numbers
153
00:08:10,335 --> 00:08:12,251
of candidates being put forward.
154
00:08:12,418 --> 00:08:15,751
Some laughable,
some quite plausible.
155
00:08:16,918 --> 00:08:19,126
SHATNER: As the police scrambled
to identify the man
156
00:08:19,251 --> 00:08:22,543
who murdered Mary Ann Nichols
and Annie Chapman,
157
00:08:22,626 --> 00:08:26,960
the vulnerable residents
of Whitechapel braced themselves
158
00:08:27,085 --> 00:08:30,001
for more attacks
by the unnamed killer.
159
00:08:31,293 --> 00:08:33,543
KOVEN:
On the streets and corners
160
00:08:33,710 --> 00:08:36,585
of Whitechapel,
the reaction to the murders
161
00:08:36,710 --> 00:08:40,210
changed drastically with the
discovery of the second victim.
162
00:08:40,293 --> 00:08:42,876
And it led to the creation
163
00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,126
of watch groups patrolling
the streets of East London.
164
00:08:48,335 --> 00:08:52,376
Poor women were on high alert,
vigilante groups formed
165
00:08:52,501 --> 00:08:56,668
in order to find out
who this murderer was.
166
00:08:59,585 --> 00:09:01,793
Over the years, there have been
countless theories
167
00:09:01,918 --> 00:09:05,001
as to who committed
the Whitechapel murders.
168
00:09:05,126 --> 00:09:08,168
Yet so far, the answer
has remained elusive.
169
00:09:08,293 --> 00:09:11,376
But many researchers
believe an important clue
170
00:09:11,501 --> 00:09:15,376
can be found by examining
a mysterious letter
171
00:09:15,460 --> 00:09:17,543
that may have been written
172
00:09:17,710 --> 00:09:20,085
by Jack the Ripper himself.
173
00:09:28,085 --> 00:09:30,543
SHATNER: Three weeks after
newspaper headlines announce
174
00:09:30,668 --> 00:09:33,043
the brutal murder of
Jack the Ripper's second victim,
175
00:09:33,168 --> 00:09:36,460
Annie Chapman, the city
remains gripped by fear.
176
00:09:36,585 --> 00:09:39,210
As police investigators
frantically
177
00:09:39,335 --> 00:09:40,876
round up possible suspects,
178
00:09:41,001 --> 00:09:43,335
a mysterious letter arrives
179
00:09:43,418 --> 00:09:45,918
at London's Central News Agency
180
00:09:46,043 --> 00:09:49,001
that appears to be
from the killer himself.
181
00:09:49,126 --> 00:09:52,960
It is written in red ink,
riddled with spelling errors
182
00:09:53,085 --> 00:09:54,751
and, strangely,
183
00:09:54,876 --> 00:09:58,835
begins
with the words "Dear Boss."
184
00:09:58,918 --> 00:10:01,210
The Dear Boss letter
was addressed to the "boss,"
185
00:10:01,293 --> 00:10:04,043
Central News Office City
uh, uh, or London City.
186
00:10:04,210 --> 00:10:06,126
And it read...
187
00:10:21,835 --> 00:10:24,751
And it really became a big
news story because of that line.
188
00:10:26,418 --> 00:10:29,168
SHATNER: The Dear Boss letter
concluded with the words,
189
00:10:29,293 --> 00:10:32,085
"Yours truly,
190
00:10:32,251 --> 00:10:34,043
Jack the Ripper."
191
00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:37,668
The Boss letter
is interesting because
192
00:10:37,751 --> 00:10:41,251
it is the first letter
apparently having been written
193
00:10:41,376 --> 00:10:44,168
by Jack the Ripper,
where he gives himself a name.
194
00:10:44,251 --> 00:10:47,960
Communicating with the public is
not an unknown
195
00:10:48,085 --> 00:10:50,543
phenomenon with serial killers,
196
00:10:50,668 --> 00:10:54,460
because it makes them
feel superior.
197
00:10:54,585 --> 00:10:56,376
It's sort of
this narcissistic view
198
00:10:56,460 --> 00:10:59,210
of them being so much smarter
than law enforcement.
199
00:11:00,376 --> 00:11:03,293
"I can do what I want and you
are not gonna identify me."
200
00:11:04,543 --> 00:11:07,251
SHATNER: The Central News Agency
handed the Dear Boss letter
201
00:11:07,376 --> 00:11:08,876
over to police investigators,
202
00:11:09,001 --> 00:11:12,210
who decided not
to release it to the public,
203
00:11:12,293 --> 00:11:15,960
for fear of inciting even
more panic throughout London.
204
00:11:17,168 --> 00:11:21,085
But then, two days after
the letter had been received,
205
00:11:21,210 --> 00:11:25,335
on September 29,
the Ripper struck again.
206
00:11:26,418 --> 00:11:27,543
And this time,
207
00:11:27,626 --> 00:11:29,543
he killed two women
208
00:11:29,668 --> 00:11:31,710
in a single night.
209
00:11:32,626 --> 00:11:35,210
On the night
of 29 of September 1888,
210
00:11:35,335 --> 00:11:38,001
two women were murdered
in the same night
211
00:11:38,085 --> 00:11:40,960
within an hour of each other,
less than a mile apart.
212
00:11:42,168 --> 00:11:45,876
Elizabeth Stride was murdered
in a yard on Berners Street.
213
00:11:46,001 --> 00:11:47,876
She was found lying
on the ground
214
00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,168
with her throat cut,
but no mutilations.
215
00:11:50,293 --> 00:11:53,210
And then half a mile away,
within the hour,
216
00:11:53,293 --> 00:11:56,043
Catherine Eddowes was
murdered in Mitre Square.
217
00:11:56,210 --> 00:11:59,460
Her throat was cut
and she terribly mutilated.
218
00:11:59,585 --> 00:12:02,210
And the feeling is
that the Ripper was
219
00:12:02,335 --> 00:12:04,043
interrupted in the killing
220
00:12:04,168 --> 00:12:06,751
of Elizabeth Stride,
so he fled the scene,
221
00:12:06,876 --> 00:12:08,751
but his lust for blood
wasn't sated,
222
00:12:08,876 --> 00:12:10,460
so he sought another victim,
223
00:12:10,585 --> 00:12:14,418
found Catherine Eddowes and,
and killed her in Mitre Square.
224
00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,376
SHATNER:
After Jack the Ripper claimed
his third and fourth victims,
225
00:12:18,460 --> 00:12:22,460
the police had no choice but
to publish the Dear Boss letter,
226
00:12:22,585 --> 00:12:23,960
in the desperate hope that
227
00:12:24,085 --> 00:12:26,543
the public could
help them find the killer.
228
00:12:26,710 --> 00:12:30,835
But, unfortunately, the letter
did little to solve the case.
229
00:12:30,918 --> 00:12:34,001
Instead,
it caused the fear across
230
00:12:34,085 --> 00:12:37,210
London to actually increase,
and ensured
231
00:12:37,293 --> 00:12:40,251
that Jack the Ripper's
infamous name
232
00:12:40,376 --> 00:12:43,418
would go down in history.
233
00:12:45,001 --> 00:12:47,168
KOVEN: Part of what made
that letter horrifying
234
00:12:47,251 --> 00:12:50,376
is that it was understood
to have been written
235
00:12:50,460 --> 00:12:52,876
and mailed before
the murders were committed,
236
00:12:53,001 --> 00:12:55,043
anticipating them.
237
00:12:55,126 --> 00:12:58,668
When the murders occurred,
it thus, for many,
238
00:12:58,751 --> 00:13:01,918
confirmed that
the Ripper manipulated the media
239
00:13:02,043 --> 00:13:05,376
in order to gain attention
for his gruesome crimes.
240
00:13:05,543 --> 00:13:09,793
SHATNER: But, curiously,
not everyone is convinced
241
00:13:09,918 --> 00:13:12,251
that Jack the Ripper was
the real author
242
00:13:12,376 --> 00:13:14,460
of the Dear Boss letter.
243
00:13:15,668 --> 00:13:17,251
In fact,
some believe that the letter
244
00:13:17,376 --> 00:13:20,376
was actually
an invention of the media.
245
00:13:20,501 --> 00:13:22,751
There was a very famous
journalist at the time
246
00:13:22,918 --> 00:13:25,210
called George Sims,
and he used to write a column
247
00:13:25,293 --> 00:13:27,793
for a Sunday newspaper
called The Referee.
248
00:13:28,918 --> 00:13:31,043
It was called
the Mustard and Cress column.
249
00:13:31,126 --> 00:13:32,960
And George Sims
actually wrote in the column
250
00:13:33,085 --> 00:13:35,793
the following week
that the Dear Boss letter
251
00:13:35,918 --> 00:13:38,585
was written by an enterprising
London journalist.
252
00:13:38,710 --> 00:13:41,960
And effectively, his argument
is, when that letter was sent,
253
00:13:42,085 --> 00:13:45,001
the hysteria in the media
and the general fear
254
00:13:45,085 --> 00:13:48,293
of the Whitechapel murderer,
had started to die down.
255
00:13:48,418 --> 00:13:52,626
And there is a theory
that a newspaperman thought,
256
00:13:52,751 --> 00:13:54,043
"We need to get more sales."
257
00:13:54,168 --> 00:13:56,335
"So what better way
to get sales?
258
00:13:56,460 --> 00:13:58,918
We'll get
a letter from the killer."
259
00:14:00,251 --> 00:14:04,376
SAFARIK:
The Boss letter was released
by the police to the public.
260
00:14:04,501 --> 00:14:07,918
Now, they were hoping
that somebody might recognize
261
00:14:08,043 --> 00:14:11,085
the writing style or the,
or the handwriting itself.
262
00:14:11,251 --> 00:14:15,585
But all it did was really
complicate the investigation.
263
00:14:15,751 --> 00:14:18,918
Because then you had hundreds
264
00:14:19,043 --> 00:14:21,085
of people writing in,
in the same
265
00:14:21,210 --> 00:14:25,668
style as Jack the Ripper,
claiming to be Jack the Ripper,
266
00:14:25,793 --> 00:14:28,835
claiming to know
who Jack the Ripper was.
267
00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,210
WOOD: The Dear Boss letter
encouraged readers
268
00:14:31,335 --> 00:14:34,460
and people out there
to send in their own letters
269
00:14:34,585 --> 00:14:38,376
signed Jack the Ripper,
most certainly from hoaxers,
270
00:14:38,501 --> 00:14:42,085
people just looking
to waste police time.
271
00:14:42,210 --> 00:14:44,876
And every single letter,
no matter how ridiculous
272
00:14:45,001 --> 00:14:46,293
it-it seemed at face value,
273
00:14:46,418 --> 00:14:49,876
had to be looked into
by the police.
274
00:14:53,001 --> 00:14:54,793
SHATNER: Most of the letters
sent to the police
275
00:14:54,918 --> 00:14:56,710
were dismissed as hoaxes.
276
00:14:56,835 --> 00:14:59,751
But some experts believe that,
despite the skepticism,
277
00:14:59,876 --> 00:15:02,918
the Dear Boss letter was,
in fact,
278
00:15:03,085 --> 00:15:06,293
written by
Jack the Ripper himself.
279
00:15:07,543 --> 00:15:10,043
And as evidence, they point
to a passage in the letter
280
00:15:10,126 --> 00:15:12,085
detailing a trophy
281
00:15:12,251 --> 00:15:14,543
he would take
from his next victim.
282
00:15:14,710 --> 00:15:17,710
The Dear Boss letter read,
"Next time I operate I shall
283
00:15:17,835 --> 00:15:21,126
clip the lady's ears off,
and send it to the police."
284
00:15:21,251 --> 00:15:23,543
And consequently,
within 24 hours,
285
00:15:23,668 --> 00:15:26,876
the police now found the
horrifically mutilated body
286
00:15:27,001 --> 00:15:29,751
of Catherine Eddowes
and the killer
287
00:15:29,876 --> 00:15:32,335
cut the earlobes as well.
288
00:15:33,585 --> 00:15:36,501
SHATNER: Do Catherine Eddowes'
nicked earlobes prove
289
00:15:36,626 --> 00:15:39,543
that Jack the Ripper wrote
the infamous Dear Boss letter?
290
00:15:39,668 --> 00:15:43,251
More than 130 years
after the letter was sent,
291
00:15:43,418 --> 00:15:46,043
there's likely
no way to be certain.
292
00:15:46,126 --> 00:15:49,585
Yet modern
forensic experts studying
293
00:15:49,710 --> 00:15:52,418
the Dear Boss letter
have used it to help develop
294
00:15:52,543 --> 00:15:55,835
a criminal profile
of Jack the Ripper.
295
00:15:55,918 --> 00:15:59,835
And it paints
an extraordinarily dark picture
296
00:15:59,918 --> 00:16:01,543
of the shadowy killer.
297
00:16:01,668 --> 00:16:04,001
We know that there were almost
298
00:16:04,126 --> 00:16:06,126
no sightings of Jack the Ripper.
299
00:16:06,251 --> 00:16:10,710
And even in
the sightings that existed,
300
00:16:10,793 --> 00:16:13,710
the descriptions are very vague.
301
00:16:13,835 --> 00:16:17,043
So you're left with behavior.
302
00:16:17,210 --> 00:16:21,543
He's organized,
and he's engaged in planning.
303
00:16:21,626 --> 00:16:24,376
That requires
a slightly older individual.
304
00:16:25,585 --> 00:16:29,710
This is a guy who probably
prefers to be by himself.
305
00:16:29,835 --> 00:16:33,668
So his job would probably entail
306
00:16:33,751 --> 00:16:36,585
a job that-- where he could
work by himself, isolated.
307
00:16:36,710 --> 00:16:38,751
Could be a hospital worker.
308
00:16:38,876 --> 00:16:41,501
Could work
in maybe a butcher's shop.
309
00:16:41,626 --> 00:16:44,543
Or work
as a mortician's assistant.
310
00:16:44,626 --> 00:16:47,168
I think he lives in
the Whitechapel area,
311
00:16:47,293 --> 00:16:51,418
because he's very familiar
with the routines of the police.
312
00:16:51,543 --> 00:16:54,793
And that's why
he's a successful killer.
313
00:16:55,918 --> 00:16:58,710
Did Jack the Ripper
remain unidentified
314
00:16:58,793 --> 00:17:02,876
because he was clever enough
to outsmart investigators?
315
00:17:03,001 --> 00:17:05,376
Perhaps.
316
00:17:05,501 --> 00:17:08,835
But some researchers support
a different theory.
317
00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,543
They claim that
the police never caught
318
00:17:11,626 --> 00:17:14,626
Jack the Ripper because
there was a conspiracy
319
00:17:14,751 --> 00:17:17,251
to conceal his identity.
320
00:17:24,251 --> 00:17:27,126
SHATNER: As the city gathers
for its annual
321
00:17:27,251 --> 00:17:29,418
Lord Mayor's Day celebration,
322
00:17:29,543 --> 00:17:33,043
the caretaker of a tenement
in the Whitechapel district
323
00:17:33,168 --> 00:17:35,001
peers through
an apartment window
324
00:17:35,085 --> 00:17:37,918
and makes a gruesome discovery.
325
00:17:38,043 --> 00:17:40,293
He finds
the savagely mutilated body
326
00:17:40,418 --> 00:17:42,710
of Jack the Ripper's
fifth victim...
327
00:17:43,710 --> 00:17:47,085
...25-year-old sex worker
Mary Jane Kelly.
328
00:17:48,251 --> 00:17:49,626
WOOD:
When he looked through,
329
00:17:49,751 --> 00:17:52,168
he found an absolutely
horrific spectacle.
330
00:17:52,251 --> 00:17:54,876
He saw a massive pile of
bloody flesh lying on the bed,
331
00:17:55,001 --> 00:17:56,585
on the bedside table,
332
00:17:56,710 --> 00:17:59,293
almost unrecognizable
from Mary Kelly.
333
00:18:00,251 --> 00:18:01,918
PICKNETT:
The murder of Mary Jane Kelly,
334
00:18:02,043 --> 00:18:04,543
the last known Ripper victim,
335
00:18:04,626 --> 00:18:08,501
was different for some reasons
from the others.
336
00:18:08,585 --> 00:18:12,085
One is that Mary was
the only full-time prostitute
337
00:18:12,210 --> 00:18:14,960
among the canonical victims.
338
00:18:15,085 --> 00:18:17,251
The other is that
it happened indoors.
339
00:18:17,376 --> 00:18:19,335
She rented her own place.
340
00:18:19,418 --> 00:18:21,376
Although she was
incredibly behind with the rent.
341
00:18:21,460 --> 00:18:23,293
29 shillings, that was a lot.
342
00:18:23,418 --> 00:18:25,585
She was seen with a man,
actually,
343
00:18:25,710 --> 00:18:27,251
shortly before
344
00:18:27,376 --> 00:18:29,126
she just disappeared
forever into the house.
345
00:18:29,251 --> 00:18:31,960
And this man came
and tapped her on the shoulder
346
00:18:32,085 --> 00:18:34,793
and said something, and they
both laughed and walked off.
347
00:18:35,585 --> 00:18:38,793
And she obviously
invited the man
348
00:18:38,918 --> 00:18:40,793
into her room.
349
00:18:41,835 --> 00:18:45,126
But, sadly, there were
no details about the man.
350
00:18:46,460 --> 00:18:49,335
SHATNER:
The murder of Mary Jane Kelly
marked the first time
351
00:18:49,418 --> 00:18:53,293
that the London police took
photographs of a crime scene.
352
00:18:54,876 --> 00:18:56,335
It was such a horrific attack,
353
00:18:56,418 --> 00:18:57,626
that there was
a new determination
354
00:18:57,751 --> 00:18:59,168
to catch Jack the Ripper
355
00:18:59,293 --> 00:19:01,668
before he struck again.
356
00:19:03,251 --> 00:19:05,710
The city was in an uproar.
357
00:19:05,793 --> 00:19:08,835
They were calling
the police incompetent,
358
00:19:08,918 --> 00:19:12,001
that they
couldn't catch this guy.
359
00:19:12,085 --> 00:19:14,876
I think one of the reasons
360
00:19:15,001 --> 00:19:18,876
that they took photographs
actually at the scene
361
00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:20,460
is that they recognized
362
00:19:20,585 --> 00:19:24,126
there's some dynamic here
we need to capture.
363
00:19:24,251 --> 00:19:26,668
They were under
a lot of pressure
364
00:19:26,751 --> 00:19:29,043
to solve these cases,
365
00:19:29,126 --> 00:19:30,876
identify this individual.
366
00:19:33,543 --> 00:19:36,585
I think anything
that would help them to do that,
367
00:19:36,710 --> 00:19:39,335
um, was gonna be
in their best interest.
368
00:19:40,418 --> 00:19:42,376
SHATNER: The use
of crime scene photography
369
00:19:42,460 --> 00:19:44,460
in Mary Kelly's
murder investigation
370
00:19:44,585 --> 00:19:46,918
was an invaluable tool
for detectives
371
00:19:47,043 --> 00:19:49,876
trying to identify
Jack the Ripper.
372
00:19:51,335 --> 00:19:52,835
But why weren't pictures taken
373
00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,501
at the scene
of the previous four murders?
374
00:19:56,293 --> 00:19:59,626
Well, according to one theory,
375
00:19:59,751 --> 00:20:02,460
it could have been due
to a conspiracy
376
00:20:02,585 --> 00:20:04,668
to conceal the Ripper's identity
377
00:20:04,751 --> 00:20:08,376
because he was
potentially a member
378
00:20:08,501 --> 00:20:10,501
of a powerful secret society
379
00:20:10,585 --> 00:20:13,835
known as... the Freemasons.
380
00:20:13,918 --> 00:20:16,460
CHRIS RULI: Freemasonry has
its origins in England.
381
00:20:16,585 --> 00:20:18,585
It's a secret society based on
382
00:20:18,710 --> 00:20:21,501
the Enlightenment values of
the liberal arts and sciences.
383
00:20:23,251 --> 00:20:24,835
Individuals who are Masons,
they're not just
384
00:20:24,918 --> 00:20:28,460
this small group of guys who
are sort of on the sidelines.
385
00:20:28,585 --> 00:20:30,835
There are prominent individuals.
386
00:20:30,918 --> 00:20:33,710
Freemasonry was rampant
387
00:20:33,793 --> 00:20:36,335
through the establishment
of Victorian England.
388
00:20:36,418 --> 00:20:39,043
There were Freemasons
absolutely everywhere.
389
00:20:39,126 --> 00:20:41,418
Through the royal family,
390
00:20:41,585 --> 00:20:43,751
through the government,
391
00:20:43,876 --> 00:20:45,710
through the aristocracy,
392
00:20:45,793 --> 00:20:49,543
through the church,
through local councils,
393
00:20:49,626 --> 00:20:51,668
and in the police, of course.
394
00:20:51,751 --> 00:20:54,293
If Jack the Ripper had been
a Freemason,
395
00:20:54,418 --> 00:20:56,335
in particular, if
he had been a member
396
00:20:56,418 --> 00:20:58,001
of an influential lodge,
397
00:20:58,085 --> 00:21:00,543
it's more than likely
he would have been protected.
398
00:21:00,626 --> 00:21:04,126
SHATNER: But what evidence
is there to suggest that
399
00:21:04,251 --> 00:21:06,585
Jack the Ripper was a Freemason?
400
00:21:07,668 --> 00:21:10,376
Some researchers point
to a curious message
401
00:21:10,543 --> 00:21:12,585
left near by the murder scene
of Jack the Ripper's
402
00:21:12,751 --> 00:21:15,751
fourth victim,
Catherine Eddowes.
403
00:21:15,876 --> 00:21:18,043
PICKNETT:
When the police were called
404
00:21:18,126 --> 00:21:21,043
to the horrendous discovery
405
00:21:21,126 --> 00:21:22,585
of Catherine Eddowes' body,
406
00:21:22,710 --> 00:21:25,876
according to the description
in the police records,
407
00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,543
on the wall nearby
somebody had written,
408
00:21:28,668 --> 00:21:31,585
"The Juwes are the men that
will not be blamed for nothing."
409
00:21:31,710 --> 00:21:35,668
But Jews are spelt J-U-W-E-S.
410
00:21:35,751 --> 00:21:40,043
The spelling
kind of summoned to mind
411
00:21:40,126 --> 00:21:42,376
Jubela, Jubelum, and Jubelo,
412
00:21:42,460 --> 00:21:47,001
who were three legendary
assassins in Masonic law.
413
00:21:48,001 --> 00:21:50,626
McMAHON:
According to Masonic ritual,
414
00:21:50,751 --> 00:21:53,543
these three men--
Jubelo, Jubela, Jubelum--
415
00:21:53,626 --> 00:21:56,293
killed the chief architect
416
00:21:56,418 --> 00:21:58,918
of King Solomon's Temple
in Jerusalem
417
00:21:59,085 --> 00:22:01,168
3,000 years ago
418
00:22:01,251 --> 00:22:03,210
because
of the city's wickedness.
419
00:22:03,335 --> 00:22:06,585
And their murder
of the chief architect
420
00:22:06,710 --> 00:22:09,210
is re-enacted in Masonic rituals
421
00:22:09,335 --> 00:22:12,043
as part
of the Master Mason ritual.
422
00:22:12,126 --> 00:22:15,710
And so the spelling of "Juwes"
was the thing that really
423
00:22:15,793 --> 00:22:19,585
struck the police
as a deliberate misspelling
424
00:22:19,710 --> 00:22:23,793
that's meant to mean something
central to Masonic belief.
425
00:22:24,835 --> 00:22:27,001
SHATNER: Could
Jack the Ripper have scrawled
426
00:22:27,085 --> 00:22:29,710
the graffiti message
to let other Freemasons know
427
00:22:29,876 --> 00:22:33,251
that he was a member
of their secret society?
428
00:22:33,418 --> 00:22:35,585
It may sound far-fetched,
429
00:22:35,710 --> 00:22:38,501
but, incredibly, the actions
430
00:22:38,585 --> 00:22:40,460
of the lead investigator
in the case
431
00:22:40,585 --> 00:22:43,668
suggest that
this theory could be true.
432
00:22:45,626 --> 00:22:47,710
McMAHON: During the course
of the police investigation,
433
00:22:47,793 --> 00:22:50,418
Charles Warren,
the London police chief,
434
00:22:50,543 --> 00:22:53,251
took the controversial
and rather odd decision
435
00:22:53,376 --> 00:22:55,460
to wipe the graffiti
off the wall.
436
00:22:55,585 --> 00:22:57,085
Now why did he do that?
437
00:22:58,168 --> 00:23:00,668
Maybe one of the reasons
is that Charles Warren,
438
00:23:00,751 --> 00:23:03,543
as a Freemason,
saw this on the wall,
439
00:23:03,626 --> 00:23:05,835
and thought, "Oh, no, no way
440
00:23:05,918 --> 00:23:08,043
"am I having these murders
in the East End
441
00:23:08,126 --> 00:23:09,918
connected to Freemasonry."
442
00:23:10,043 --> 00:23:11,710
And so he wiped that off.
443
00:23:11,793 --> 00:23:13,626
JONES:
There's a lot of people who say
444
00:23:13,751 --> 00:23:15,335
the connection between Jack
the Ripper and the Masons was
445
00:23:15,418 --> 00:23:17,585
that the Masons
orchestrated the murder
446
00:23:17,710 --> 00:23:20,001
of the prostitutes
who were blackmailing a member
447
00:23:20,085 --> 00:23:23,376
of the royal family,
Prince Albert Edward Victor,
448
00:23:23,501 --> 00:23:25,293
who's Queen Victoria's grandson,
449
00:23:25,418 --> 00:23:27,960
the heir presumptive
to the throne of England.
450
00:23:29,293 --> 00:23:32,501
In a nutshell, the theory is
that Prince Albert Edward Victor
451
00:23:32,585 --> 00:23:34,918
did frequent brothels,
452
00:23:35,043 --> 00:23:38,335
and he'd had a child by a girl
named Annie Elizabeth Crook.
453
00:23:38,418 --> 00:23:41,001
And she told a particular group
454
00:23:41,085 --> 00:23:43,543
of prostitutes her secret.
455
00:23:43,626 --> 00:23:45,835
And they then set about
blackmailing the royal family.
456
00:23:46,793 --> 00:23:49,876
KOVEN: The speculation
seems far-fetched,
457
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,001
but the Jack The Ripper
murderer unfolds
458
00:23:53,085 --> 00:23:56,168
during a mania
for what is called "slumming."
459
00:23:56,251 --> 00:23:59,626
When wealthy, elite people
went to the precincts
460
00:23:59,751 --> 00:24:03,001
of the poor on a night out
to enjoy themselves.
461
00:24:03,085 --> 00:24:06,876
At dens of inequity,
sites of prostitution,
462
00:24:07,001 --> 00:24:10,876
and East London was famous
for the dangerous
463
00:24:11,001 --> 00:24:15,251
proximity of both wealth
and sexual exploitation.
464
00:24:16,710 --> 00:24:19,210
JONES: According to the royal
family conspiracy theory,
465
00:24:19,335 --> 00:24:22,335
the Freemasons were then brought
in to murder the prostitutes,
466
00:24:22,418 --> 00:24:24,210
who were blackmailing
the royal family.
467
00:24:24,335 --> 00:24:28,710
Consequently, that's why police
were made to erase the graffiti,
468
00:24:28,835 --> 00:24:31,626
to take away any suspicion
from the Masons.
469
00:24:33,751 --> 00:24:37,085
Is it possible that
the case of Jack the Ripper
470
00:24:37,210 --> 00:24:40,710
remains unsolved
because there was a conspiracy
471
00:24:40,835 --> 00:24:43,210
to protect his identity?
472
00:24:43,293 --> 00:24:45,085
Perhaps.
473
00:24:45,210 --> 00:24:47,668
But there are some who argue
that the killer was never
474
00:24:47,751 --> 00:24:50,543
found in England
because he was actually...
475
00:24:50,668 --> 00:24:53,043
an American.
476
00:25:01,543 --> 00:25:05,376
SHATNER:
Two months before the horrific
Whitechapel killing spree began,
477
00:25:05,501 --> 00:25:08,335
an American named
Francis Tumblety arrived
478
00:25:08,460 --> 00:25:12,043
in the city, although this was
not his first trip to London.
479
00:25:12,210 --> 00:25:14,751
For more than a decade,
Tumblety had sold a number
480
00:25:14,876 --> 00:25:18,501
of medical remedies in both
the United States and England,
481
00:25:18,626 --> 00:25:21,210
and had also claimed
to be a doctor
482
00:25:21,293 --> 00:25:25,043
and treated numerous patients,
in spite of the fact
483
00:25:25,168 --> 00:25:27,460
that he was not
a licensed physician
484
00:25:27,585 --> 00:25:31,210
and had no formal
medical training.
485
00:25:31,335 --> 00:25:33,460
And there are those who
believe that this dishonest,
486
00:25:33,585 --> 00:25:36,251
self-proclaimed doctor was,
487
00:25:36,418 --> 00:25:38,585
in fact...
488
00:25:38,710 --> 00:25:41,126
Jack the Ripper.
489
00:25:42,835 --> 00:25:44,918
PICKNETT:
Francis Tumblety was an American
490
00:25:45,043 --> 00:25:47,668
so-called "Indian herb doctor."
491
00:25:47,793 --> 00:25:51,043
In other words,
he basically was a quack
492
00:25:51,210 --> 00:25:53,210
who went around selling
493
00:25:53,335 --> 00:25:54,710
alleged remedies, cure-alls,
494
00:25:54,876 --> 00:25:56,710
uh, preying on the gullible.
495
00:25:56,876 --> 00:25:59,126
And he was over in London
496
00:25:59,251 --> 00:26:02,543
during the time
of the Ripper murders.
497
00:26:02,626 --> 00:26:04,668
DONNELLY:
Tumblety was horribly
498
00:26:04,793 --> 00:26:06,543
misogynistic,
'cause it seems that
499
00:26:06,710 --> 00:26:09,918
early in his life,
he had, uh, married young.
500
00:26:10,043 --> 00:26:12,710
Found out later that the woman
he married was a prostitute
501
00:26:12,876 --> 00:26:15,835
and had continued prostitution
after they were married.
502
00:26:16,835 --> 00:26:19,710
And so he would often espouse
503
00:26:19,835 --> 00:26:22,543
hatred toward all of womankind,
504
00:26:22,668 --> 00:26:24,876
and especially prostitutes.
505
00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,626
He was
a-an unpleasant character.
506
00:26:27,751 --> 00:26:31,168
He used to host dinners,
at which his great
507
00:26:31,251 --> 00:26:34,085
party trick was
to pass around anatomical
508
00:26:34,251 --> 00:26:36,418
specimens in glass jars--
509
00:26:36,543 --> 00:26:38,668
of female body parts,
510
00:26:38,793 --> 00:26:41,168
including uteruses.
511
00:26:41,251 --> 00:26:44,668
And Tumblety's name
has been connected
512
00:26:44,793 --> 00:26:46,960
with the whole Ripper murders
513
00:26:47,085 --> 00:26:49,668
because he was
a larger-than-life
514
00:26:49,793 --> 00:26:51,793
unsavory character.
515
00:26:53,085 --> 00:26:55,710
SHATNER: As London was shaken by
the first four Ripper murders,
516
00:26:55,876 --> 00:26:58,543
investigators began
to suspect that
517
00:26:58,710 --> 00:27:02,043
Francis Tumblety could be
the killer.
518
00:27:03,585 --> 00:27:06,876
DONNELLY:
Several of the medical examiners
who looked at the mutilated
519
00:27:07,043 --> 00:27:11,043
bodies of the victims did
comment that the killer
520
00:27:11,168 --> 00:27:14,876
seemed to possess some
rudimentary medical knowledge.
521
00:27:15,001 --> 00:27:17,668
And we know
that Tumblety was known
522
00:27:17,751 --> 00:27:21,085
in the States to have
performed at least, uh, one
523
00:27:21,210 --> 00:27:24,626
abortion that went,
uh, fatally wrong.
524
00:27:24,751 --> 00:27:27,460
And was wanted by the police in
525
00:27:27,585 --> 00:27:29,335
both the U.S. and Canada
526
00:27:29,418 --> 00:27:32,335
for passing himself off
as a fake doctor.
527
00:27:33,543 --> 00:27:35,751
McMAHON: There is no doubt
that the London police
528
00:27:35,918 --> 00:27:38,668
viewed Francis Tumblety
as a key suspect.
529
00:27:38,751 --> 00:27:42,043
They looked at his
attitude towards women.
530
00:27:42,210 --> 00:27:45,335
They looked at his desire
to be taken seriously
531
00:27:45,460 --> 00:27:49,043
as a surgeon and his odd
collection of uteruses,
532
00:27:49,126 --> 00:27:52,960
and they believed that Tumblety
could have been Jack the Ripper.
533
00:27:53,918 --> 00:27:56,876
SHATNER: According
to London police records,
534
00:27:57,001 --> 00:27:59,376
Tumblety was questioned
about the Ripper murders.
535
00:27:59,501 --> 00:28:03,460
But he was ultimately released
for lack of evidence.
536
00:28:03,585 --> 00:28:07,876
Then, shortly after the Ripper's
fifth and final victim,
537
00:28:08,043 --> 00:28:10,710
Mary Kelly, was murdered,
538
00:28:10,793 --> 00:28:13,210
Tumblety left London
and returned
539
00:28:13,335 --> 00:28:14,835
to New York City.
540
00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,210
Some historians believe
that the timing
541
00:28:17,376 --> 00:28:19,876
of these events is
no coincidence.
542
00:28:20,001 --> 00:28:23,751
When Tumblety first arrives,
um, in London,
543
00:28:23,876 --> 00:28:26,793
right after he gets there,
the Ripper murders begin.
544
00:28:27,710 --> 00:28:30,001
And right after he leaves,
they stop.
545
00:28:30,126 --> 00:28:33,251
While we don't know exactly
546
00:28:33,376 --> 00:28:37,335
where Tumblety was
or exactly what he was doing,
547
00:28:37,418 --> 00:28:39,710
there was a woman
who ran a lodging house
548
00:28:39,835 --> 00:28:42,043
at 22 Batty Street.
549
00:28:42,126 --> 00:28:44,543
And that is about
a ten-minute walk
550
00:28:44,626 --> 00:28:46,585
from each of the crime scenes.
551
00:28:46,710 --> 00:28:49,376
She had a lodger and...
552
00:28:49,460 --> 00:28:52,793
she referred to him
as an American doctor.
553
00:28:52,918 --> 00:28:56,835
There were rumors that
she had found a bloody shirt
554
00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,168
uh, after this lodger had
returned late at night,
555
00:29:00,251 --> 00:29:03,501
covered in gore.
556
00:29:03,585 --> 00:29:05,876
And then the lodger took up
new residence
557
00:29:06,001 --> 00:29:08,085
at the Charing Cross Hotel.
558
00:29:08,210 --> 00:29:11,251
The day after
the last Ripper murder,
559
00:29:11,376 --> 00:29:14,335
the lodger
from the Charing Cross Hotel
560
00:29:14,418 --> 00:29:16,501
disappeared
without paying his bill.
561
00:29:16,626 --> 00:29:20,376
But left behind
a small black doctor's bag.
562
00:29:20,501 --> 00:29:22,126
Once it was turned over
to the police
563
00:29:22,251 --> 00:29:25,210
and the contents were examined,
inside they found
564
00:29:25,335 --> 00:29:27,918
some herbal medicines,
some clothing,
565
00:29:28,043 --> 00:29:29,876
little bit of jewelry,
566
00:29:30,001 --> 00:29:32,710
and, um, some pornography.
567
00:29:32,835 --> 00:29:35,835
Which Tumblety is known
to have sold.
568
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,210
Now it's hard to know
for certain because this is just
569
00:29:39,335 --> 00:29:41,710
a theory, but based
on the timeline
570
00:29:41,835 --> 00:29:44,210
and the nature
of this individual,
571
00:29:44,335 --> 00:29:46,710
it is quite possible
that he could have been
572
00:29:46,835 --> 00:29:49,043
involved in the Ripper murders.
573
00:29:49,168 --> 00:29:52,043
SHATNER: The London police
may have had trouble proving
574
00:29:52,126 --> 00:29:55,043
that Francis Tumblety--
the so-called American doctor--
575
00:29:55,210 --> 00:29:57,376
could have been Jack the Ripper.
576
00:29:57,501 --> 00:29:59,376
But upon his return
to the United States,
577
00:29:59,501 --> 00:30:02,585
the press had no such trouble
convicting him
578
00:30:02,710 --> 00:30:04,960
in the court of public opinion.
579
00:30:05,085 --> 00:30:08,043
And many people came
to believe that Tumblety
580
00:30:08,168 --> 00:30:11,043
was the real Ripper.
581
00:30:14,210 --> 00:30:16,210
STEWART EVANS: There's
an interview with Tumblety
582
00:30:16,335 --> 00:30:21,376
that appeared in newspaper
reports on 29 of January 1889,
583
00:30:21,501 --> 00:30:24,335
the year after the murders,
when he's actually interviewed
584
00:30:24,460 --> 00:30:26,876
by a reporter who puts it to him
that he's Jack the Ripper.
585
00:30:27,043 --> 00:30:29,876
And his replies are
very, very interesting.
586
00:30:30,043 --> 00:30:33,335
He claimed the only reason
the stupid English police
587
00:30:33,418 --> 00:30:35,960
arrested him is because
he's American.
588
00:30:36,085 --> 00:30:39,543
And in his own words,
the killer wore a slouch hat,
589
00:30:39,626 --> 00:30:43,710
according to descriptions, and
he said, "I wore a slouch hat."
590
00:30:43,835 --> 00:30:46,043
And so there's an accumulation
of what one might call
591
00:30:46,168 --> 00:30:49,501
circumstantial evidence
with regard to-to Tumblety.
592
00:30:51,210 --> 00:30:52,918
SHATNER: Is it possible
that Francis Tumblety
593
00:30:53,085 --> 00:30:54,710
was Jack the Ripper?
594
00:30:54,835 --> 00:30:58,335
Many researchers believe
the evidence is compelling.
595
00:30:58,460 --> 00:31:02,418
And as proof,
they point to a curious object
596
00:31:02,585 --> 00:31:05,626
that was in Tumblety's
possession when he died.
597
00:31:06,918 --> 00:31:11,168
When Tumblety died in 1903,
he was in hospital run by nuns
598
00:31:11,293 --> 00:31:14,751
in St. Louis, and certain things
599
00:31:14,918 --> 00:31:17,251
were found on his person,
which included
600
00:31:17,376 --> 00:31:20,876
a plain brass ring,
almost like a curtain ring.
601
00:31:21,001 --> 00:31:23,793
And the only Ripper victim
602
00:31:23,918 --> 00:31:25,626
who actually lost anything
603
00:31:25,751 --> 00:31:28,918
of a substantial nature
was Annie Chapman.
604
00:31:29,085 --> 00:31:31,418
And she'd had such a ring,
a plain brass ring,
605
00:31:31,585 --> 00:31:33,668
stolen off her finger
by the killer.
606
00:31:33,793 --> 00:31:37,710
So with regard to Tumblety
actually being Jack the Ripper,
607
00:31:37,835 --> 00:31:42,418
for a lot of people now, he's
the favorite Ripper suspect.
608
00:31:43,668 --> 00:31:47,460
Was the most notorious serial
killer in English history
609
00:31:47,585 --> 00:31:50,876
actually the American
doctor Francis Tumblety?
610
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,626
It's certainly a theory
worth considering.
611
00:31:53,751 --> 00:31:56,835
But many researchers believe
the best way to solve
612
00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,293
the mystery of Jack the Ripper's
identity
613
00:31:59,418 --> 00:32:03,335
is to utilize something that
19th-century investigators
614
00:32:03,460 --> 00:32:06,335
couldn't even begin to fathom:
615
00:32:06,460 --> 00:32:08,043
DNA evidence.
616
00:32:14,668 --> 00:32:18,585
SHATNER: At Lacy Scott
and Knight Auction Centre,
617
00:32:18,710 --> 00:32:23,876
a 19th-century silk shawl
sells for $6,500.
618
00:32:24,001 --> 00:32:28,085
An extraordinary amount for
such a seemingly ordinary item.
619
00:32:28,210 --> 00:32:31,210
But this is not
a typical garment,
620
00:32:31,335 --> 00:32:34,210
because in 1888 it was found
621
00:32:34,293 --> 00:32:36,918
on the body of Jack the Ripper's
fourth victim,
622
00:32:37,043 --> 00:32:39,251
Catherine Eddowes.
623
00:32:39,418 --> 00:32:42,460
And it may be stained
with the blood
624
00:32:42,585 --> 00:32:44,585
of the Ripper himself.
625
00:32:47,293 --> 00:32:49,335
SAFARIK:
The shawl was reported
626
00:32:49,460 --> 00:32:52,835
to have been collected by
a Metropolitan Police Officer
627
00:32:52,918 --> 00:32:55,168
who took it from the scene.
628
00:32:56,293 --> 00:32:59,168
It's reported to have been
handed down among
629
00:32:59,293 --> 00:33:02,335
many generations
of different people.
630
00:33:02,460 --> 00:33:05,043
And it was bought
by an individual who wanted
631
00:33:05,210 --> 00:33:08,543
to conduct mitochondrial
DNA tests on the shawl.
632
00:33:08,668 --> 00:33:13,668
And his goal was to identify
Jack the Ripper
633
00:33:13,793 --> 00:33:15,751
with forensic evidence.
634
00:33:17,251 --> 00:33:19,418
SHATNER:
More than a century after Jack
the Ripper's unsolved murders,
635
00:33:19,585 --> 00:33:22,335
could modern forensic science
636
00:33:22,418 --> 00:33:24,168
finally identify the killer?
637
00:33:24,293 --> 00:33:26,876
According to many researchers,
638
00:33:27,001 --> 00:33:29,626
it's a distinct possibility.
639
00:33:30,710 --> 00:33:35,210
It's amazing now
with DNA analysis that crimes
640
00:33:35,335 --> 00:33:38,918
that are sometimes
decades old can be solved.
641
00:33:40,085 --> 00:33:41,751
We've recently had
a number of cold cases
642
00:33:41,876 --> 00:33:44,751
that have been solved
through DNA evidence.
643
00:33:44,918 --> 00:33:49,251
Often for cases going
back 20 years, 30 years.
644
00:33:49,376 --> 00:33:53,668
It's an incredible tool in
crime solving if done properly.
645
00:33:53,793 --> 00:33:56,251
GRANDE:
There's this idea that
the Jack the Ripper case
646
00:33:56,418 --> 00:33:59,335
is unsolvable because
647
00:33:59,460 --> 00:34:02,126
a lot of the evidence from
that time has been destroyed.
648
00:34:02,251 --> 00:34:05,460
But there was blood
and semen on the shawl
649
00:34:05,585 --> 00:34:09,668
that was ostensibly worn
by Catherine Eddowes.
650
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,668
So new DNA testing techniques
651
00:34:13,751 --> 00:34:15,918
could allow
a sample to be tested
652
00:34:16,043 --> 00:34:17,668
to identify Jack the Ripper.
653
00:34:17,751 --> 00:34:19,960
SHATNER:
In 2020, a paper published
654
00:34:20,085 --> 00:34:22,043
in the Journal
of Forensic Sciences
655
00:34:22,168 --> 00:34:24,376
announced that experts
were able to analyze
656
00:34:24,501 --> 00:34:26,876
the blood found on the shawl.
657
00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,543
They determined that the DNA
was a close genetic match
658
00:34:30,710 --> 00:34:34,043
to the descendants
of a man named Aaron Kosminski.
659
00:34:34,210 --> 00:34:36,085
And, incredibly,
660
00:34:36,210 --> 00:34:38,543
it turns out that Kosminski
661
00:34:38,626 --> 00:34:40,043
was one of the top suspects
662
00:34:40,210 --> 00:34:42,251
in the Ripper case.
663
00:34:42,418 --> 00:34:44,085
GRANDE: Many people have
a favorite suspect
664
00:34:44,210 --> 00:34:45,501
in the Jack the Ripper case.
665
00:34:45,585 --> 00:34:47,376
And there's a lot
of people that believe
666
00:34:47,543 --> 00:34:49,876
that Aaron Kosminski was
Jack the Ripper.
667
00:34:50,001 --> 00:34:52,876
If we look at the evidence
connecting Aaron Kosminski
668
00:34:53,001 --> 00:34:56,085
to the crime, we see
that he lived in the area.
669
00:34:56,210 --> 00:34:59,501
He was young,
he was almost in the age range
670
00:34:59,585 --> 00:35:01,876
for the profile
of serial killer at age 23.
671
00:35:02,001 --> 00:35:05,626
PICKNETT: Kosminski was
a Polish Jew, an immigrant.
672
00:35:05,751 --> 00:35:08,001
He was a barber.
673
00:35:08,085 --> 00:35:10,085
But in those days,
674
00:35:10,210 --> 00:35:14,168
if you're a barber
you also were a surgeon.
675
00:35:14,251 --> 00:35:18,168
I mean, doing dentistry
and bits of surgery.
676
00:35:18,251 --> 00:35:20,835
So he would have the knives.
677
00:35:20,918 --> 00:35:22,543
He would know about anatomy.
678
00:35:22,626 --> 00:35:25,751
Which sounds
so absolutely spot-on
679
00:35:25,918 --> 00:35:29,543
to prove this person was
actually Jack the Ripper.
680
00:35:29,626 --> 00:35:33,001
But, sadly,
he had been called in
681
00:35:33,126 --> 00:35:35,210
as a suspect by the police
682
00:35:35,335 --> 00:35:36,876
but let go.
683
00:35:37,043 --> 00:35:39,501
JONES: Kosminski appears to have
been the prime suspect
684
00:35:39,626 --> 00:35:42,210
for Scotland Yard detectives.
Dr. Robert Anderson,
685
00:35:42,293 --> 00:35:44,043
who was
the assistant commissioner
686
00:35:44,168 --> 00:35:46,460
and the head of the criminal
investigation department,
687
00:35:46,585 --> 00:35:48,293
he does say in his memoirs
688
00:35:48,418 --> 00:35:49,585
that they knew
who Jack the Ripper was
689
00:35:49,751 --> 00:35:51,418
and he was
a low-born Polish Jew,
690
00:35:51,585 --> 00:35:52,918
living in the heart of the area.
691
00:35:53,085 --> 00:35:55,626
A copy of his memoirs
went to Chief Inspector Swanson,
692
00:35:55,751 --> 00:35:58,543
who was the detective
who had the job of assessing all
693
00:35:58,668 --> 00:36:00,751
the information that's been
brought in on the case.
694
00:36:00,876 --> 00:36:03,501
And his copy
of Anderson's memoirs,
695
00:36:03,626 --> 00:36:06,835
in the margin, Swanson scrawls
the name Kosminski.
696
00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,376
SHATNER: Is it possible
that the DNA collected
697
00:36:11,543 --> 00:36:14,210
from Catherine Eddowes'
bloody shawl proves that
698
00:36:14,376 --> 00:36:16,876
Aaron Kosminski was
Jack the Ripper?
699
00:36:17,001 --> 00:36:19,168
Perhaps.
700
00:36:19,251 --> 00:36:22,293
But not everyone agrees
with that theory.
701
00:36:22,418 --> 00:36:24,543
SAFARIK:
There's a lot of debate
702
00:36:24,668 --> 00:36:27,918
on either side of this argument
703
00:36:28,043 --> 00:36:32,626
about the strength
or validity of this shawl.
704
00:36:32,751 --> 00:36:36,085
And it is probably
the last piece
705
00:36:36,251 --> 00:36:38,210
of potential forensic evidence
706
00:36:38,376 --> 00:36:40,543
that really exists in this case.
707
00:36:40,626 --> 00:36:44,876
Eddowes barely had
any money at all.
708
00:36:46,418 --> 00:36:48,835
Did that shawl
actually belong to her?
709
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:52,585
There's lots of debate
about whether it did or didn't.
710
00:36:52,751 --> 00:36:56,126
There's debate about
what is actually on the shawl?
711
00:36:56,251 --> 00:36:58,085
Is it blood?
712
00:36:58,210 --> 00:37:00,585
Is it other types
of body fluids?
713
00:37:00,710 --> 00:37:04,043
HENDLEY: You have to keep
in mind storage, for one thing.
714
00:37:04,168 --> 00:37:07,085
This shawl has been stored
somewhere for over a century.
715
00:37:07,251 --> 00:37:09,251
Also, you have to keep in mind
716
00:37:09,418 --> 00:37:11,835
that just because this suspect's
717
00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:14,543
DNA is on the shawl,
maybe he visited
718
00:37:14,626 --> 00:37:18,293
this prostitute, so it's
an interesting puzzle piece
719
00:37:18,418 --> 00:37:22,335
but until there's more
further evidence,
720
00:37:22,460 --> 00:37:25,418
I would still
be a little skeptical
721
00:37:25,585 --> 00:37:28,501
whether the mystery
has been solved.
722
00:37:29,585 --> 00:37:32,710
Was Aaron Kosminski
really Jack the Ripper,
723
00:37:32,835 --> 00:37:35,585
as the DNA evidence suggests?
724
00:37:35,751 --> 00:37:38,418
It's a compelling theory,
but one that's hard
725
00:37:38,543 --> 00:37:40,710
to prove since
the killer is long dead.
726
00:37:40,793 --> 00:37:45,376
What is it about London's
most famous unsolved crime
727
00:37:45,501 --> 00:37:49,335
that continues to keep
the memory of Jack the Ripper
728
00:37:49,418 --> 00:37:52,626
still very much alive?
729
00:37:58,085 --> 00:37:59,876
SHATNER: Every day, hundreds
of people eagerly participate
730
00:38:00,001 --> 00:38:01,793
in what are known as
731
00:38:01,918 --> 00:38:04,835
-Jack the Ripper walking tours.
-(indistinct chatter)
732
00:38:05,751 --> 00:38:07,710
For a small fee,
tourists can view
733
00:38:07,876 --> 00:38:09,460
the sites of all
the Ripper murders
734
00:38:09,585 --> 00:38:11,960
to learn
some of the history about
735
00:38:12,085 --> 00:38:13,585
the notorious killings
736
00:38:13,710 --> 00:38:16,418
and their
mysterious perpetrator.
737
00:38:17,501 --> 00:38:19,710
The tours are so popular
that they are offered
738
00:38:19,835 --> 00:38:23,835
seven days a week by at least
ten different companies.
739
00:38:24,668 --> 00:38:27,626
But why is the public still so
740
00:38:27,751 --> 00:38:31,043
fixated on the case
of Jack the Ripper,
741
00:38:31,210 --> 00:38:34,543
almost 140 years
after he terrorized London?
742
00:38:36,876 --> 00:38:39,751
PICKNETT: The Jack the Ripper
killings happened in 1888.
743
00:38:39,918 --> 00:38:42,376
And we're well
into the 21st century,
744
00:38:42,543 --> 00:38:45,376
and it still grabs us,
it still fascinates us.
745
00:38:45,501 --> 00:38:47,168
And it's just actually
escalating, if anything.
746
00:38:47,251 --> 00:38:50,168
We sit there, and we think
this is a great puzzle
747
00:38:50,293 --> 00:38:52,543
to be solved and somehow,
748
00:38:52,626 --> 00:38:54,668
we don't think
about the hideous,
749
00:38:54,793 --> 00:38:58,001
sordid reality
that real women died.
750
00:39:00,043 --> 00:39:03,126
KOVEN: The Ripper case remains
so gripping and fascinating,
751
00:39:03,251 --> 00:39:07,876
first and foremost,
because it's an unsolved case.
752
00:39:08,001 --> 00:39:11,293
But perhaps a real tragedy
about our ongoing fascination
753
00:39:11,418 --> 00:39:14,876
with this case is not just
that it's an unsolved case,
754
00:39:15,043 --> 00:39:18,710
but that it is a crime of sexual
violence against poor women.
755
00:39:19,876 --> 00:39:23,751
Sadly, the Ripper story is
a kind of renewable resource
756
00:39:23,876 --> 00:39:28,168
of dark fears about poverty,
757
00:39:28,251 --> 00:39:33,376
about unloosed female sexuality,
and about male power.
758
00:39:33,501 --> 00:39:37,460
The Ripper played
on those anxieties,
759
00:39:37,585 --> 00:39:40,585
and that remains an object
760
00:39:40,751 --> 00:39:44,918
of extraordinary fascination
for people today.
761
00:39:46,043 --> 00:39:49,793
McNEILL: Serial killers
from the past are safe,
762
00:39:49,918 --> 00:39:52,501
are fascinating, and they're
not gonna come get us.
763
00:39:52,626 --> 00:39:55,210
Here we have
a series of killings,
764
00:39:55,335 --> 00:39:56,668
there was a definite pattern.
765
00:39:56,751 --> 00:39:59,751
The type of women
who were being murdered,
766
00:39:59,918 --> 00:40:02,210
the way they were murdered,
lends itself
767
00:40:02,293 --> 00:40:05,376
to that desire to say,
"This is too purposeful.
768
00:40:05,460 --> 00:40:09,043
I have to be able to make it
make sense in some way."
769
00:40:09,168 --> 00:40:12,585
And that drive to make
sense of one of the most
770
00:40:12,710 --> 00:40:16,168
insensible things we have,
the wanton and willful
771
00:40:16,293 --> 00:40:18,710
murderer of other people,
772
00:40:18,835 --> 00:40:22,251
is a really
strong drive that we have.
773
00:40:24,043 --> 00:40:25,751
SHATNER: The enduring
worldwide fascination
774
00:40:25,876 --> 00:40:27,710
with Jack the Ripper
is undeniable.
775
00:40:27,835 --> 00:40:29,751
But ironically,
776
00:40:29,918 --> 00:40:31,501
some researchers suggest that,
777
00:40:31,585 --> 00:40:33,376
despite his notoriety,
778
00:40:33,543 --> 00:40:35,960
it's possible
that Jack the Ripper
779
00:40:36,085 --> 00:40:38,960
never existed
in the first place.
780
00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,543
DONNELLY: Jack the Ripper
is often referred to
781
00:40:42,626 --> 00:40:44,668
as the first serial killer.
782
00:40:44,793 --> 00:40:48,085
But the fact
that the Ripper was never caught
783
00:40:48,251 --> 00:40:51,126
or identified could be
because the police were
784
00:40:51,251 --> 00:40:53,293
trying to prove
that many of these victims were
785
00:40:53,418 --> 00:40:55,210
the work of a single individual.
786
00:40:56,335 --> 00:40:57,960
SAFARIK: We had a lot
of eyewitness testimony
787
00:40:58,085 --> 00:41:00,876
about Jack Ripper,
but most of it
788
00:41:01,043 --> 00:41:03,168
was poor.
789
00:41:03,251 --> 00:41:07,710
Most of it was seen in
darkness from great distances.
790
00:41:07,835 --> 00:41:10,668
None of the eyewitness
testimony ever
791
00:41:10,793 --> 00:41:13,043
identified
a particular individual.
792
00:41:13,168 --> 00:41:15,460
So if you don't have
witnesses and you don't have
793
00:41:15,585 --> 00:41:18,751
a confession and you really
don't have any evidence
794
00:41:18,876 --> 00:41:22,251
that supports
any particular individual
795
00:41:22,376 --> 00:41:24,626
130 years later,
796
00:41:24,751 --> 00:41:27,501
I don't know
that it's absolutely clear
797
00:41:27,585 --> 00:41:31,126
that Jack the Ripper
was just one person.
798
00:41:31,251 --> 00:41:34,335
He could have been
a lot of people.
799
00:41:35,585 --> 00:41:38,168
Was Jack the Ripper
a deranged serial killer
800
00:41:38,251 --> 00:41:39,668
who terrorized London?
801
00:41:39,751 --> 00:41:41,626
Or were the grisly
murders carried out
802
00:41:41,751 --> 00:41:44,418
by a number of different people?
803
00:41:44,585 --> 00:41:46,585
Perhaps one day,
modern forensics,
804
00:41:46,710 --> 00:41:48,918
or some long-lost
piece of evidence,
805
00:41:49,043 --> 00:41:51,626
will reveal the truth,
but until then,
806
00:41:51,751 --> 00:41:54,710
the mystery of Jack the Ripper
807
00:41:54,835 --> 00:41:57,585
will remain unsolved and...
808
00:41:57,710 --> 00:42:00,168
unexplained.
809
00:42:00,251 --> 00:42:02,668
CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
A+E NETWORKS