The identity of Jack the Ripper has mystified so many for so long that there’s now a term, “ripperology”, that refers to the study of the unsolved cases. While police and media received many letters claiming to be from the killer, several were believed to be genuine due to details about the murders that weren’t made public. The nickname “Jack the Ripper” came from a letter sent to London’s Central News Agency on 27 September, 1888. The perpetrator cut his victims’ throats before mutilating their abdomens with such skill that police were led to believe he was a surgeon or someone with deep knowledge of human anatomy.
Jack the Ripper, UK Credit: The Illustrated London NewsĪrguably the world’s most famous person who got away with murder, Jack the Ripper killed 5 sex workers - Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly - in the Whitechapel area of London between August 31 and November 9, 1888. Remember that by definition a serial killer is someone who murders at least 3 people over the space of at least a month with significant time between the kills. But, disturbingly, there are hundreds of other serial killer murders that have never been solved, meaning the culprits either lived out the rest of their days having got away with terrible crimes - or, even creepier, are still out there somewhere just LIVING THEIR LIVES.Īs a co-host of PEDESTRIAN.TV‘s unsolved mysteries podcast All Aussie Mystery Hour, I’m especially interested in all things true crime, so I rounded up a few of the world’s worst offenders, currently only known by their zesty nicknames.