Case 6 pt. 2

I apologize for my absence. I have had personal issues going on, as well as a wedding and move. The holidays were also hectic. I can't promise that there will be another post next week, but I will be back as soon as I can. Stay tuned for updates.
Stay curious,
Dahlia

Jack the Ripper

The “Canonical Five”

While it is speculated that Jack is responsible for other victims, the only confirmed victims are a group of five women known as the “Canonical Five”.  This group includes the women Mary Ann Nichols , Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Below I will tell biographical information, provide photos (both pre- and post-mortem), and tell of how they met their end. Discretion is strongly advised.  Some pictures may be disturbing to some. Continue at your own risk.

Victim # 1

Mary Ann Nichols

                Mary Ann was born in 1845. There isn’t a great deal known about Mary Ann, other than that she was married at one point and had 5 children. It is supposed that she had a drinking problem, which she supported with a life of prostitution. On the night of August 31, 1888, Mary Ann left the bar to return to the boarding house that she was staying in, but she did not have enough money to spend the night, so she returned to the streets to find a “John” for the night. At 4 a.m. the next morning, Mary Ann’s body was found in Buck’s Row. She was partially undressed, with a slit throat and abdomen. She was 43 years old.

Victim # 2

Annie Chapman

                Annie Chapman’s life was not always as squalid as it was at the time of her death. She was once married to a man of decent means. With this man, she birthed two children; one who dies in infancy, and another who was disabled. Upon her separation from her husband, she moved to White Chapel, where she worked as a prostitute to supplement the income that came from her alimony payments. When her husband died and the money stopped, Annie spiraled out of control, only adding to the alcohol problem that she’d had for years. On the night of September 8, 1888, Annie was out drinking and trying to make money to spend another night at the boarding house, when she was attacked and ultimately killed and mutilated. She was found in the doorway of a private home the next morning. She had her throat slit. She was disemboweled, and her uterus and bladder were removed. Her intestines were on the ground beside her. Her cause of death was asphyxiation. She was mutilated post-mortem.

Victim # 3

Elizabeth Stride

                Born in Sweden, Elizabeth immigrated to London in 1866. She was a prostitute before she was married. There isn’t a lot known about Elizabeth, possibly because of her being an immigrant, and not a London native. What is known is that on the night of her death, she was seen kissing a man. This man was never identified. She was found on September 30, 1888, with a slit throat. She was not mutilated like the other victims, which suggests that the attack may have been interrupted.

Victim # 4

Catherine Eddowes

                Unlike Jack’s other victims, Catherine was never married. She did, however, live with a man for 20 years, starting at the age of 21. She had three children with this man. While it is claimed that Catherine was an alcoholic, many claim that she was not a prostitute. On the night of her death, she was arrested for public intoxication, but she was released a few hours before her death. A witness claims to have seen Catherine with a man that night. Her body was found completely mutilated. Her throat was slit, her eyelids and much facial skin was removed,, her kidneys were removed, and her intestines were cut open.

Victim # 5

Mary Jane Kelly

                The beautiful Mary Jane was an Irish native who had transplanted herself into London society, where she was a successful prostitute in a high-end brothel. She moved in with her partner and quickly became an alcoholic. It was this partner who returned home to find Mary Jane dead on their bed. Mary Jane was by far the most mutilated of all the victims. Her breasts were removed, arms mutilated, face destroyed beyond recognition, cut from her throat to thighs, and her organs were removed.

References:
all-that-is-interesting.com