Identity of Infamous Killer

Although Jack the Ripper was a murder in London, there aren't people who don't know his name. This infamous murderer killed at least five London female prostitutes in 1888. Everyone knows his name, but no one really knows for sure who Jack really is.  Despite never being captured, everyone knows that Jack the Ripper has the assumed identity as a man. But, have you ever considered the fact that his identity, should really be her identity? Jack the Ripper was never captured because they were only looking for male suspects. There has been extensive research on the possibility that Jack the Ripper might actually be Jill the Ripper. In this video, I'm going to persuade the idea that Jack the Ripper was a woman, by telling you about the midwife theory, the DNA evidence, and Lizzie Williams.

Before we delve into Jack being a woman, let's start with a refresher on just exactly what the infamous killer did.  

Who is Jack the Ripper?

According to Biography.com,  In London's East End in the autumn of 1888, the bodies of five prostitutes were found between the days of August 7th and September 10th. All of the murders took place in the WhiteChapel District.  The bodies of these female prostitutes were unusually brutal. They were mutilated beyond anything the London police had ever seen before. It was clear that the killer had knowledge on anatomy, as several internal organs were skillfully taken out, while other sections were butchered mercilessly  (approx time- 1:38) 

So, just what exactly what the police assume that this new serial killer on the loose was a man?

In an online biography about Jack the Ripper, it is revealed that the London Police Service, known as the Scotland Yard, received several letters from the killer. These letters contained taunts about the gruesome activities and hinted at murders that were to come. Signed at the bottom of these letters, were Jack the Ripper'. Some believe that the letters are fakes, while some experts speculate that others are real.  A man named George Lusk, who was head of the vigilance committee in Whitechapel, received a small parcel.  Inside was half a human kidney and a letter from someone claiming to be Jack the Ripper. This letter is the one that is believed to be me the most legitimate.  The part that leads many people to believe this letter is genuine is that the kidney did in fact belong to one of the victims.  Either way, the moniker, Jack the Ripper' is the one that was most popular and stuck. 

Because the moniker Jack was so widely accepted, it should come as no surprise that the police only entertained male suspects. This is where the police went wrong.

One of the major indications to Jack being a woman is the midwife theory.  In 1888, pregnant women had midwives come to aid in their birthing process. Due to the time period, it was not uncommon to see a midwife walking around covered in blood. This is an excellent way for the killer to move around without raising suspicion. A midwife would also have some knowledge on anatomy and would also have the tools necessary to commit the gruesome murders. Some speculate the female prostitutes could have sought out the midwife to get a doctor to perform an abortion, and this is how she is able to lure them to their death. It is important to know that none of the victims were ever sexually assaulted, and that three of the five women had their wombs completely removed. Some of the women had their belongings taken, such as their clothing. It makes a lot more sense for a woman to take another woman's clothes, as she could actually use them.

If the midwife theory isn't enough to convince you, maybe DNA evidence will?

Independent posted an article about a  professor of molecular and forensic diagnostics, known as Dr Findlay revealed that he had developed a profiling technique that could extract DNA from a single cell or strand of hair up to 160 years old.

Dr Findlay made the journey London to obtain the evidence that is currently stored at the National Archive. The evidence was kept by Scotland Yard until about 1961. It comprised of the numerous letters sent to the police during the time of the murders. As I said before, some people believe that most of the letters are fake, but almost everyone believes that some of them are real.

Dr Findlay took swabs from various types of evidence. He swabbed the back of stamps and from the gum used to seal envelopes, and possible bloodstains. He returned to his lab and began focusing on the collected swabs from the one believed most likely to be from the actual killer. The doctor extracted the DNA and then took the information to create a profile. Based on this information that he gathered  he said, "it's possible the Ripper could be female".

While this evidence is compelling, it is understandable why people are hesitant to accept Jack as Jill.   Why would a midwife want to kill prostitutes? What motive would she have? This is probably the biggest hole in the midwife theory. No one has any proof of reason on why a midwife would want to kill and mutilate all these women. There really aren't any probable suspects who were also midwives, but the theory is still one that has caused many suspicions to rise and many believe it to be true.

Why after all this time have they been unable to identify this infamous killer?

I believe it's because they keep looking for the wrong gendered suspect.

Jack the Ripper is actually a woman known as Lizzie Williams.

Lizzie Williams was married to Sir John Williams, who  ran the abortion clinics in White Chapel, the area where all of the murders took place. Tragically, Lizzie was unable to get pregnant, and was deemed infertile. It was soon after that she discovered that her husband was having an affair with a woman named Mary Kelly.  For those of you who might not know this, Mary Kelly is one of the five victims of Jack the Ripper. John Williams was one of the prime suspects, but no one looked to his wife, Lizzie. There is a book centered around this theory, and it states that Lizzie murdered these women out of grief of her own infertility. This is why three of the victims also had their wombs removed.   It is also important to note that the final victim was Mary Kelly, and that her clothes were taken from her body, and a eye witness saw someone leaving the area wearing Kelly's clothing. It would only seem appropriate for a mad Lizzie to murder the woman who had slept with her husband and to wear her clothes in some sadistic way.

Jack the Ripper remains unknown because no one will consider the possibility of Jack being a woman. All it takes is a little more research, and the identity of this killer could be discovered. I think that Jack the Ripper is a woman, specifically, Lizzie Williams. She had the knowledge, she the tools, she had the motive  and she was never even a suspect.

We might never know the true identity of this infamous killer, but why not at least consider the thought of Jill the Ripper.  

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