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Jack The Ripper Compare And Contrast

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Jack the Ripper is a figure that has mystified people for a hundred years. One of the first known serial killers, he killed prostitutes in England from August to November in 1888. Most serial killers have signatures often indicative of their specific psychology and the Ripper case is no exception to that. Oftentimes, Jack the Ripper murdered opportunistically, watching for victims with similar situations to each other.
“The first murder, of Mary Ann Nicholls, took place on 31 August. Annie Chapman was killed on 8 September. Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were murdered 30 September and Mary Jane Kelly on 9 November.” (BBC, n.d) The Whitechapel murders had some distinct similarities among them. For example, the victims were all prostitutes. …show more content…

The idea of weekend slaughter is itself strange: prostitutes walked the streets of Whitechapel every night, but there were more potential witness around on weekends.” (Rubinstein, n.d.) The murderer started off with an initial blitz style attack. He then proceeded to lay the victim down, their left side against the wall. Further attacks took place on the right side of the victim’s body. They appeared to have been strangled and then their throats slit. “In one case blood was found on the fence some fourteen inches or so from the ground…” (Casebook, n.d.) “This method also prevented the killer from being unduly blood stained.” (Casebook, n.d.) After death, the killer then mutilated and often violated the victims. During the mutilations, Jack the Ripper often took trophies. Psychologically, “The taking of a “trophy” is a common practice by modern sexual serial killers.” (Casebook, n.d.) However, the Ripper case was strange as the Ripper did not damage any of the other organs while removing the kidney from the front rather than from the side where it is usually taken. (Casebook, n.d.) The killer’s clean removal of organs led many to believe that he had medical

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