Jack the Ripper: Why So Notorious?

The digital world that we live in is a 24/7 business, and with new sources hitting us from all angles about what is going on in the world, it is easy to think that there are more serial killers out there than ever before. While this is not necessarily true, we look to see why the name ‘Jack the Ripper’ and the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ are bandied about with such notoriety, to this very day.

Ripperology

It may have been over a century ago that he terrorised the East End of London, but Jack the Ripper successfully evaded suspicion, let alone capture, and created such a public frenzy that even now, people are intently studying and theorising over who the infamous killer could be. Whilst the media were equally as frenetic about the Yorkshire Ripper, the extent of the original Ripper crimes was so that he immediately became legend. It certainly added another level of notoriety in that he was never caught. Between the Police and Ripperologists, the list of potential suspects totals over one hundred people. But who is Jack the Ripper? It’s hard to escape the conspiracies, but it’s hard to say if we will ever discover the truth.

The Yorkshire Namesake

Fast forward almost a hundred years and another killer is at large, this time terrifying the county of Yorkshire. Whilst Jack was short, sharp and intense – killing five prostitutes in the space of four months, The Yorkshire Ripper killed 13  and injured many more over the course of five years. Similarly to Jack, the Yorkshire Ripper mainly preyed on prostitutes. However, a handful of his victims, including a 16-year-old girl, were most certainly not ladies of the night.

Despite being interviewed nine times during the Yorkshire Ripper’s reign of terror, Peter Sutcliffe was not arrested relating to the murders until 1981, and he confessed two days later. Currently serving full term for 20 life sentences, Peter Sutcliffe remains one of the most infamous serial killers of our time.

Infamous

Peter may well have devastated Yorkshire with his killing spree but some might say that the Ripper is more notorious because of the mystery surrounding his identity. With four primary Jack the Ripper  suspects and so many more others in the firing line in the decades that have since passed, and never enough evidence to convict a single one of them, Jack the Ripper is undoubtedly the one that got away with murder.

The Jack the Ripper tour takes place daily and offers the curious among us a chance to visit those hallowed streets where the Ripper once reigned.