Who is Jack the Ripper?

Jack the Ripper is the name given to the unidentified serial killer who was murdered several working girls in the impoverished areas of Whitechapel, London in 1888. The actual name ‘Jack the Ripper' came about by a letter sent written by someone who claimed to be the murderer. This letter was believed to have been a hoax and possibly sent by a journalist trying to heighten interest in the story. He also had some other nicknames which were "The Whitechapel Murderer" and "Leather Apron".

So who is this famous killer? Some of the suspects from the time were never proven to be the killer still to this day. In those days there was no forensic evidence to go on so the only way to catch a killer was to catch him in the act. More than 100 suspects have been proposed over the years. Some of the names that materialised around the time are Aaron Kosmiski , Michael Ostrog and John Pier to name just a few. Montague John Druitt was one suspect who committed suicide by drowning in 1888. An Inspector at the time Federick Abberline dismissed Druitt as a suspect ad the only evidence against him was the coincidental timing of his suicide which was not long after a murder.

Years passed and still the rippers real identity was unknown. With advancing technique such as forensic techniques which are used today many investigators and historians have tried to uncover his identity. Mei Trow who is an author and historian claimed to have discovered the real identity of Jack the Ripper. Mei also believes the famous Whitchapel murderer was also responsible for killing two more other women.

Mei Trow used modern forensic techniques, including psychological and geographical profiling over two years of intensive research. In conclusion Mei identified Robert Mann as the killer. Robert Mann was a morgue attendant from a deprived background. Mei's findings went on to become a Discovery Channel documentary called Jack the Ripper: Killer Revealed. Professor Laurence Alison who is a Forensic Psychologist at Liverpool University featured in the documentary said: "In terms of psychological profiling, Robert Mann is the one of the most credible suspects from recent years and the closest we may ever get to a plausible psychological explanation for these most infamous of Victorian murders."Mei Trow is just the latest in a long line of theories about who Jack the Ripper was.