There are varying degrees concerning the authenticity of this package and letter (Barbee 2006). Nonetheless, officials did know that this particular victim had Bright's disease, which changes the way that the kidneys look (Barbee 2006). The piece of the kidney that was sent is consistent with someone with this particular disease (Barbee 2006).
As it relates more specifically to evidence related to this crime, a great deal of the evidence has been damaged or misplaced (Barbee 2006). According to the author during this particular time in history police did not have the ability to test DNA and as such the only way this killer or any criminal could be caught was in the act of the crime or as a result of a confession (Barbee 2006). As it relates to Jack the Ripper there is still a great deal of mystery surrounding who the killer was and to complicate matters the crimes were investigated by two different police forces (Barbee 2006). The Scotland Yard police force was responsible for investigating all of the murders that occurred in the boroughs while the crimes that occurred in center of London was performed by a separate police force (Barbee 2006). The Eddowes murder was committed in the city of London (Barbee 2006). The author reports that for the most part the two forces worked together to solve the murders, however there is some evidence that suggest that the senior official of each force did not get along (Barbee 2006).
Whatever the case may have been as it relates to how the police forces worked together most experts do not place blame on either police force as it relates to their inability to solve these cases (Barbee 2006). The author contends that the investigations conducted by Scotland Yard were only inclusive of taking statements from some individuals and performing autopsies (Barbee 2006). This led to allegations that the police force was not competent and the department was criticized for not offering a reward in the case (Barbee 2006).
On the other hand many have asserted that the City of London police conducted a better investigation (Barbee 2006).. This is because this police force created drawings of the crime scene and they also took many photographs Eddowes. Eddowes was the only woman murdered to have her photograph taken at the crime scene (Barbee 2006).
The author also explains that there were some disagreements between the two police departments as it related to some writing that was found on Goulston Street on the night of September 30th when the two women were killed. The author explains that on this night piece of Eddowes' apron, which the Ripper used to wipe off his knife, was found by a constable near a doorway that had a chalked message over the door. This message, "The Juwes are the men That Will not be blamed for nothing," may have been written by the Ripper and the City police officers wanted to photograph it. Warren felt that leaving it until it was light enough to be photographed might cause riots against the Jews living in Whitechapel whom the bigoted English residents already believed were responsible for the murders. Warren did not even compromise by willing to erase or cover up the word "Juwes" only (Barbee 2006)."
All of the aforementioned evidence is sketchy at best. There seems to be very little consensus concerning what the evidence tells us about the killer; although the most concrete aspect of the evidence seems to be the package with the half eaten kidney. It seems that this package and letter had to have come from the killer or someone that was close to the killer. In any case there is still not a consensus or just who this individual was. The next section of this discussion will focus on the various suspects that have been named in association with these murders.
IV. Who was "Jack the Ripper": The Suspects
The ideas behind who "Jack the Ripper" could have been have abounded for many years. A book entitled Public Reactions to Jack the Ripper shares some insight into what local citizens were feeling at the time that the crimes were committed (Ryder 2006). The book contains letters to many of the editors of newspapers that existed at the time of the murders. In many cases the public suggested to police who the killer might be (Ryder 2006). The public also suggested that the police were not handling the investigation properly and as such there was a delay in finding the killer (Ryder 2006). In addition, some of the letters contained in the book confront some of the social conditions...
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