Why People Remember the Ripper

It’s hard to remember someone if you don’t have a face to go along with the name. With that being said, the cult following and the immense interest in Jack the Ripper is nothing short of astounding. To this day, people are intrigued, captivated and even disgusted with Jack the Ripper for their own reasons. Today’s post will look at some of the reasons why people remember Jack The Ripper even though throughout the entirety of his (or her) murder spree (and to this very day) has remained an elusive figure.

The Terror

The late 1800s was a particularly difficult time for Whitechapel residents. Not only did they have to contend with the tough economic prospects of the country and the world, they also had to bear the brunt of the terror that the Ripper instilled. By the time the Ripper had slayed his five victims, fear had a new name. The message was clear. No one was save. Anyone could become the victim. And that created a panic among the already tense public.

He Provoked Law Enforcement

The frustrating part of the whole Ripper Saga was that the local law enforcement was unable to do anything to even instil a false hope of security among the public. The Ripper was methodical in his or her approach towards his victims. He ventured mostly at night and picked his victims in the late hours of the early A.Ms so as to less a stir in the surrounding. Not many criminals would leave behind traces of evidence for detectives to follow up. The Ripper did precisely that on at least a couple of occasions; one of them being purely intentional. There was an apron that was discovered on the crime scene belonging to Catherine Eddowes, one of the victims. And then the infamous writing on the wall on Goulston Street that was erased afterwards. It was a provocation from the Ripper and the local law enforcement despite the added police on the ground could not respond in kind.

He Remains Elusive To This Day

People like to believe in happy endings; the righteous winning and the wicked suffering. The Ripper Saga is more than 125 years old now and the case to this day remains unsolved. He was never caught nor punished for his crime however whoever the Ripper was, he or she eventually met their death over the course of time. That left many people frustrated and completely unsatisfied. But it also made him famous.

The Conspiracy Theories

Because the Ripper was never caught, it spawned dozens of conspiracy theories; some with substance; most completely ridiculous. There was even a royal connection involved with alleged that someone from the royal family committed those murders. These theories made for good gossip and nice headlines but it did little to offer any sort of clarity for the case or clear up any confusion. The theories surface even to this day but something conclusive is yet to come up.

These are some of the reasons why the Ripper still lives on. Hundreds of thousands of people take the Jack the Ripper tour all year long to walk the same streets as him and his victims. Until the identity of the Ripper is solved, the saga will go on and the case will continue to remain open; shrouded with mystery and confusion.