Jack the Ripper Victims: Were There More than Five?

When someone mentions the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, your heart automatically goes out to his five victims. Jack the Ripper is said to have murdered five prostitutes during the year 1888 in the East End of London. However, his identity has remained a mystery from the autumn of terror right up to this very date – even more so as we approach Halloween!

Since his infamous murder mystery hasn’t been solved, despite several investigations, could it be possible that the number of Jack the Ripper victims is incorrect?  During the period when Ripper was spreading fear amongst the Whitechapel residents, 11 murders took place in the East End of London between 1888 – 1891. This number was recorded in the Whitechapel Murder Files, the very same file that holds records of the Ripper murders.

Who Was Jack the Ripper’s First Victim?

It is a widely accepted fact that Mary Nicholas, a 43-year-old prostitute was the first victim to fall prey to Ripper’s brutal killings and mutilation. However, some reports suggest otherwise.

According to the Whitechapel Murder Files, there were several attacks on women during early 1888. These could possibly be the early works of Jack the Ripper.  The reports from these murder files indicate two murders that took place before the murder of Mary Nicholas in 1888.

Reports also suggest another four murders took place after the killing of Ripper’s recorded last victim, Mary Jane Kelly in November 1888, shortly after Halloween.

Martha Turner, a Ripper Victim?

The murder of Martha Turner could possibly be the first act carried out by Ripper. Her name features second on the murder list in the Whitechapel Murder File. She was murdered in the early hours of August 7, 1888. However, this is still debatable as some believe she was, indeed, his victim. It is argued that the killer targeted her throat and abdomen, just the way Ripper did.

The official list of Ripper’s murders followed this one, hinting further at the possibility that Ripper could certainly have been the killer of Martha – although, there are still a few who argue her injuries weren’t as gruesome as the other Jack the Ripper victims.

Following the murder of Martha, the Ripper began leaving his mark around the streets of Whitechapel. He brutally killed and mutilated five prostitutes in the year 1888.

Mary Ann Nicholas, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly were the five recognised victims of Jack the Ripper.

Was Elizabeth Stride Really a Ripper Victim?

However, the murder of Elizabeth Stride raises questions; whether stride was a Ripper victim is still arguable. On the night she was murdered, people claimed to have seen her with a man and her body was found in a dark alley. The doubtfulness on her being a victim arises since she wasn’t mutilated like Ripper’s other victims.

Therefore, despite it being an accepted fact that the Ripper had five victims, the number could still differ. Jack the Ripper has remained an unexplained mystery for centuries and the more you dig into the facts, the more you will unearth.

Take the Jack the Ripper Tour this Halloween to get a better understanding of the mystery that remains and feel closer than ever to this great mystery. Who knows what you might discover?