Updated date:

Jack The Ripper In America. Did Jack The Ripper Visit The United States?

Where did Jack The Ripper Go When He Stopped Killing In London? Did he come to America And Continue His Crimes In New York City



Jack The Ripper In America

The Ripper In America

Once Jack The Ripper stopped killing in London what happened to him? Where did he go and why did the murders in London stop?The answer to those questions may be very simple indeed. Jack the Ripper may have come to New York City where he continued his horrific murders. And the then New York police may have known but covered up the fact to prevent mass panic.

Did Jack The Ripper Come To New York And Commit Brutal Murders There In 1891

On the morning of April 24th 1891 a woman's body was discovered in a cheap hotel in New York City. The then Chief Inspector of the New York City Thomas Byrnes had said many times in the newspapers that if Jack the Ripper ever showed up in New York he would be caught in just a few days. The woman's body that was found on that April morning had been murdered in a most vicious manner. Her stomach had been cut open and her intestines were thrown around over the bed. And most shocking of all was the fact that some of her female organs were gone. Scrawled on the wall was a message in blood written to Chief Inspector Byrnes. It said " Okay catch me Boss " New York City went into a panic and the newspapers reported that Jack the Ripper had arrived in America.The murdered woman had been a prostitute and she had been seen going to her motel room with a male client at about 10.30 the night before she was found murdered the next morning. People remembered the prostitute was drunk and giggling and the man with her as silent and grim. It was reported the man carried a case much like doctors of the time carried.

Almost at once the New York newspapers had a great time at the expense of Inspector Byrnes pointing out that Byrnes had said he could catch the Ripper in a day or two if he ever made the mistake of showing up in New York City. And though the details of the murdered woman on that April morning were never disclosed to anyone other than that note written in blood on the wall it leaked out quickly that there were many similarities between the woman's murder in New York City and the London White-chapel murders known to have been committed by Jack the Ripper.

Inspectors From Scotland Yard Came To New York City

It is a historical fact that members of London's Scotland Yard came to New York City at least twice in 1891 to examine evidence and a letter the New York Police had to see if they could connect the murders in New York City to the Jack The Ripper murders in London. So they must have thought it was quite possible that Jack The Ripper had traveled to New York City and committed murders in New York City.

Three More Murders In Eleven Days

Over the course of the next eleven days three more brutal murders took place in New York City all with in a few miles of the first murder that took place on April 24th 1891. In all three cases prostitutes were attacked and ripped apart in a brutal fashion. And in all three cases female body parts were cut out of the bodies and taken away. But then the murders stopped. Why? There have been rumors for many years that New York's Chief Police Inspector received a package with a bloody body part in it and a taunting letter saying that Jack the Ripper was moving on to another city because he now knew that Inspector Byrnes was incapable of catching him. Inspector Byrnes denied this ever happened but some police and newspaper sources at the time said that yes it had happened and that it haunted Byrnes the rest of his days and that Brynes was never quite the same again.

In October of 1893 a New York newspaper received a letter supposedly from Jack the Ripper and in it were details of the murder of Carrie Brown the prostitute who was murdered on April 24th 1891 in New York City. It is said the letter contained details that only the person who committed the crimes would have known. In the letter it stated that Inspector Byrnes wasn't able to catch anyone much less Jack The Ripper. If this letter was truly from Jack The Ripper it is the last known correspondence from him. That letter is still in the possession of the New York Police. A Police Inspector from London's Scotland Yard came to New York City and examined that letter and said to him the letter appeared to be in the same hand writing as the letters received by London's Scotland Yard Police.

So what do you think about the New York Murders. Do you believe it was the work of Jack The Ripper. Do you believe that Jack the Ripper came to New York where he committed at least four brutal murders in the spring of 1891. And what happened to Jack the Ripper if he did commit those four murders in 1891. Why did he stop. Where did he go. Its quite possible he simply moved on to another city where he continued to kill. But if so he took no credit for his crimes. Post your comments below and let me know what you think.

Post Your Jack The Ripper In New York City Comments Below.

Jack The Ripper's London Victims

Jack The Ripper's London Victims

Was Carrie Brown Killed In New York City A Victim Of Jack The Ripper


The Real Face Of Jack The Ripper , James Kelly

Is the man setting down in this photo the infamous Jack the Ripper. If so his real name is James Kelly. This photo was in with papers I purchased in 1991 at a London Street Market. There was a note identifying the man as James Kelly and Wife.


Jack The Ripper Revealed At Last

One Hundred Twenty Five Years after the Ripper Murders we may now know the true identity of Jack the Ripper. And not only do we know his name which is James Kelly but we may also now know that he came to America and killed Carrie Brown in 1891 on Manhattans lower east side. And as he traveled around America he may have killed women not only in New York City but also Georgia and Texas.

Medical Examiners who have examined the crime scene photos from the White Chapel Murders in London and the crime scene photos from the American killings say that the same person committed all the murders. James Kelly escaped from a London Insane Asylum with a homemade metal key and when he returned to that same Insane Asylum 40 years later he wrote a detailed confession telling of his travels in America. James Kelly has long been a suspect in the White Chapel Murders and now it is believed he also killed many women almost all prostitutes while he was in America.

And so we now know who Jack the Ripper was and what a horrific serial killer he really was. James Kelly in fact killed the wife in the photo above with him and he was in the insane asylum for killing her when he made the homemade key and escaped. And he killed his wife who we know he killed in much the same way as Jack The Ripper killed. He cut out her insides and threw them around the room. The horrible way he killed his wife is what sent him to the insane asylum.

How Did James Kelly Kill His Wife

In 1991 I purchased the documents where I got the story of James Kelly killing his wife in a brutal matter as described instead of just cutting her throat as is widely reported as being the story. Supposedly the documents I purchased at a London Street Market were the property of a police officer during the time of Jack the Ripper. It was told to me that the journal I purchased was the policeman's private notes about the Ripper murders.

It is a well known fact that at the time of the murder of his wife that murders were often cleaned up as far as to details to keep the more brutal details out of the London Press. It is said that this was done on orders of the Police Superintendent Thomas Arnold. It is a historical fact that the message written on an alley wall was quickly washed away on Arnold's orders and we will never truly know what that message said. Why was it washed away so quickly? What did it reveal? What did Arnold cover up by having the message quickly washed away?

The picture above of James Kelly and wife was in the papers but I do not know if the woman in the photo was the wife he killed. In the papers I purchased written on the back of that photo it said , " James Kelly and Wife ".

Post your comments below about Jack The Ripper In America. What do you think? Post your comments now. Negative Or Derogatory Comments Will Not Be Approved.

Joey on October 12, 2019:

Jack the ripper is NOT James Kelly the real Jack the ripper is George Hutchinson he is the only man who fits in every way.

Jimsar on February 01, 2018:

what do ya mean

sol on November 08, 2017:

that couldn't be a picture of Kelly and his wife. He killed her when he was 23yrs and she was only 21yrs. that pic shows two middle aged people

Craig on September 13, 2017:

Jack the ripper had 5 victims however Mary Kelly was not the fifth and final victim as widely claimed. She fell victim to Joe Barnett whom she took up with.

Although her murder was made to seem as though jack was to blame. She was considerably younger than the others, face was covered with the bed sheet whilst the mutilation to her feactures took place. Took place in the room ect, ect.....

Martha Tibet was jacks first and like her the following 4 victims were not random acts but targets. The motive was there knowledge either realised or not as to the importance and great need in removing any possibility of it becoming spoken.

It will remain unanswered. As written " it will be known that i gave birth to the twentieth century. " jack the ripper.

Thomas R. Huteson Portland OR on May 16, 2017:

I believe it was James Kelly. His family has been killing ever since. I know some Kelly's and i believe they are killers. I have always believed "Jack the Ripper" came to the US and that's why they never caught him in the UK. There are tons of serial killers in the US. I estimate there are at least 500 (maybe alot more) serial killers operating right now thru out the US. Keep your eye out for them, there all around us. Keep your self armed at all times.

Js on March 22, 2017:

They had hand written notes from the suspect and Jack the Ripper himself...but didn't compare the handwriting. Morons

Sesqac on December 06, 2016:

Do you have any more details about the other three prostitutes you say were killed in New York after Carrie Brown? What about the "Danish Farmhand" whom they say had the key to the room?

James Kelly on February 04, 2016:

I just watched a TV documentary about James Kelly being Jack the Ripper. The detective who did the investigation proved several things: 1) that James Kelly came to New York on a ship at the right time to commit those murders, 2) That he also travelled to the other cities in the US where similar murders were committed, and 3) That he absolutely fits the profile in every way. The evidence was very compelling, which is somewhat disturbing to me because my name is also James Kelly and I look a lot like the photograph they showed on the documentary. I was never overly fascinated by the Jack the Ripper crimes until now, but I think I want to research my ancestry a little bit, and will definitely keep an eye on this theory. Not sure how I would feel about being descended from a serial killer.

Cindy H on March 20, 2015:

I knew we find out who it real was. I just knew he made it to America. Who knows how many women he killed after that. I got the feeling it was James Kelly. He just looked like the killer to me and that and I got the feeling there was more to his wife's murder.

bukkwaz on November 20, 2014:

jack the ripper was George Hutchinson if you do your home work and not just watch documentaries you will see that he fits in every way and when he left London the murders stopped nobody knows where he went but it's a fact he knew the two women that had there face destroyed,its fact that he lived across from the ten bells,its fact that he was seen by mary kellys home one hour before she was killed,its fact he did not go to marys inquest but made a statement three days later after he read that he had been seen outside her home,its fact he knew the area,its fact he is the one who gave the world what he said jack looked like,its fact that he fit what others say jack looked like,its fact that he knew mary so well on the night she was murdered she asked to barrow money from him,its fact that the police were looking for a big insane monster not a normal man,its fact that the street mary lived on was said to be the most dangerous street in all London but that George Hutchinson said that the man he saw had a gold watch hanging out of his coat pocket at 1:00 a.m.there are a lot more facts that point to George Hutchinson as jack the ripper but I will leave it to you to see for yourself.

Christopher Brown on December 08, 2013:

I've got another theory for you:

Jack the Ripper is not James Kelly, but an unknown assassin that never did exist in the 'real' world of society. I believe that at the time, political maneuverings were becoming more common as the people; seeing America's example; chose democracy over their previous monarchy.

In fact, in 1888 and 1889 there is a by-election for the house of commons. But, even without by-elections, there were still elected officials who were doing great things for the country. The point of this becomes clearer when we look at our own politics and look at our own leaders to see that it is an unspoken rule of office for each man to have affairs.

From that point, each prostitute's murder becomes a cover-up to keep her from blabbing about her affairs with an influential man in office. Perhaps this man eventually became Prime Minister. The fact is, though, he wouldn't have done the clean-up work himself and he probably didn't even know about it, though he could probably suspect after it all hit the news.

Each country has a security team much the same as our CIA and such a security teams job is to find detailed information about all parts of a politicians life for any discrepencies that may get in their way of doing great things. This becomes a part of their job when they have interests they are wishing to push across the floor and find a good candidate that has the highest potential to do so. These men would be responsible for the hiring of an assassin, though possibly not directly.

The whole point there becomes a point of anonymity so that the act A. does not come around on their politician of choice, and B. does not come back around on them.

The fact that the killings in London were so publicized and Jack the Ripper lauded as the biggest serial killer in history, while only killing 5 women becomes a key note to this investigation. Yes, we can see that the time period may have been pretty free of crime and that London itself may have been undergoing peace; but then we look at big cities in our time and see all the crime that goes on there and see that this becomes impossible. Gossip plays into it and since the killer was never found, that can be attributed to his notoriety as well; but the sheer fact that the newspapers of that time ran with the story of a killer of prostitutes and gave it that much attention almost surely reeks of political interference and deflection from other events going on. And with London going through a time of poverty and famine, I doubt they would pay too much attention to a man who killed prostitutes, for it could easily be surmised that he did so to keep his coins in his pocket.

Add to that the fact that the crime scenes were not adequately scoured by London's best and that the killer, for being considered insane, never caught... it becomes a bigger mystery. If this James Kelly was having noticeable signs of mental instability, why is he only now being linked to the crime as Jack the Ripper? They did not have the tools we have today for fingerprints; if they could have found someone to blame the killings on that fit the bill, they wouldn't have cared if the evidence was there or not.

James Kelly became identified later on when citizens found information and linked it together, which means it was something that was over-looked or they didn't think they could prove it at the time, though with the later written confession on the walls of his cell, which could have been planted there, it becomes clear that either he or someone else wished him to be named for those killings. Perhaps, after so many years in an asylum and having the guards and other inmates heckle him about it and ask him if he was Jack the Ripper, he might have come to believe that he was.

I do believe Jack the Ripper did go to America after hitting up London. An assassin is ever in demand once his skills have been proven and I'm sure there were quite a few women that politicians at the time felt the need to silence in one way or the other. In fact, throughout history, we have seen the prevalence of such acts in many other people that were far more famous, such as John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln; both of whom discovered secrets about their own government that they planned to divulge to the American public; secrets that the government did not want known. Plans to enslave every man, woman and child. And, if they are willing to kill such men as them for their plans, why would they not kill women they had affairs with and call them prostitutes in the process? Best yet, they probably never even knew but counted it as a blessing on them that it happened and that loose ends were tied up.

I believe that Jack found it harder to get away with his killings in America, due to the youthful vigor of the new country forcing them to rise above the standards of London at the time and I believe he moved on further west to finally make his final home somewhere North of California, where he could sit on the money he made from his assassinations and enjoy some peace and quiet; after all, Lewis and Clark had just trail-blazed that way earlier in the century and they had good settlements set up over that way. The last true wild west of their time. Where else could a man rest his feet, sure in his safety from the civilized world while still being able to indulge his killing nature?

For, I believe Jack to be a very intelligent man. The fact that these killings are so brutally elegant, from the slashings to how easily he slipped away without detection. It showed him to be a simple man at the same time as being able to think complex. I would imagine he read very intellectual books in his free time and could debate philosophically with the best of them. I'm sure he had rich tastes, but prefered simplicity and anyone observing him would think they had found a simpleton who lacked the taste to have expensive things; though he did have his fair few treasures that were expensive.

I believe this because of how he so flamboyantly showed himself to the world and then vanished. He had no need for recognition or any desire to be seen by people; and yet he performed his work as an art so that when it was viewed, people may see what they choose to see. They may either see the deranged slicings of a deranged killer, or they could see the intelligence that went into the efficiency of making people think it was simply that.

For, if it WERE simply that, then as I have said, they would have certainly found the culprit; especially back in those ages when people were far more afraid of mental instability in others.

jeff wwaddell on March 15, 2013:

Why just one ripper could have been two people James Kelly and Robert Mann another new suspect could have done it together. Both men are verry intreging.

jack the ripper on January 28, 2013:

this article makes me kind of scared and ill

Jack on April 09, 2012:

You're getting warm...

teresa on February 09, 2012:

i have just read about james kelly but i dont understand why would he just kill prostitutes because it seems the jack the ripper an yorkshier ripper have the same mined set towords women but peter sutcliffe killed normal girls as well. so im thinking that maby jack the ripper killed more in london but the police did not connect the killing because they where not prostitutes. it happened in the yorkshier ripper hunt the victims that did not be attacked or killed the same way did not apper as a victim of peter sutcliffe.

Nic on January 05, 2012:

Did ripper ever go to Chicago?

nikita on December 09, 2011:

it is james kelly see he killed his wife and got put in jail that day and than his boss came fawred new evdins that kelly was not in his right staet of mind so in stead he got send to the mintol asilime tow mons

Pinhead on November 02, 2011:

Why has there not been a movie made of the new york murders, would be great

S @ BBCAmerica on October 25, 2011:

Hi –

I work for BBC America, the U.S. cable television channel. I came across your website and wanted to reach out, because BBC America is premiering a new series, WHITECHAPEL, on WED OCT 26 that I think would be interesting to you & your readers.

WHITECHAPEL is set in modern-day East London where a copycat killer is terrorizing London – and it'll take everything these police officers have to keep history from repeating. The force is faced with the brutal and bloody history of their streets, from echoes of the 19th century & Jack the Ripper to the infamous 1960s crime twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray. Can these officers "solve the unsolvable and catch the most famous serial killer that ever lived"?

WHITECHAPEL is from the producers of the Emmy Award-winning Downton Abbey and starring Rupert Penry-Jones (MI-5, Cambridge Spies), Phil Davis (Sherlock, Bleak House) and Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen, Viva Blackpool).

Don’t miss WHITECHAPEL every Wednesday at 10/9c starting Oct 26 only on BBC America. Can’t find BBC America on your cable dial? Use the Channel Finder in the top-navigation bar on bbcamerica.com.


• Watch the extended trailer now: http://bbca.me/WhitechapelTrail

• Get an exclusive look Inside the Making Of… WHITECHAPEL: http://bbca.me/MakingWhitechapel

• Watch a special advance sneak peek of the series premiere: http://bbca.me/WhitechapelPeek


TheBean on October 10, 2011:

I never believed that the killings of Jack the Ripper just stopped. Serial killers can't stop. Once they start killing over and over it becomes exciting to them and they need the rush of killing to feel alive. Ted Bundy is a perfect example of this. I am not so sure that the cases in New York are linked. Very similar yes, but there are minor differences in the killers signature. I believe that the New York murders were nothing but copycat crimes. There were more murders with the same signature that turned up in London in the 1890s. London didn't link the muders to the Ripper because the bodies were mutalated to the point they didn't believe it was him. I however believe it was. If you look at the patterns of most serial killers they gradually get more and more violent and extreme with the killings they make (they do this because the old way isn't doing it for them as well as it once did to reach that same rush or high). As far as who it could have been. That I believe we may never know without a doubt.

Mary from CPRS IL on October 03, 2011:

I am currently working on the H.H. Holmes/JTR theory and all I can say to you guys is, read the book "Bloodstains" by Jeff Mudgett great-great grandson of H.H. Holmes, you can get the book via www.bloodstainsthebook.com then email me with your thoughts at MaryW@CentralPRS.com will be interesting to read what you think......Mary

Skar on September 24, 2011:

I read the Monstrumologist, and it hints that he was in New England for a while, and he used many names, like John Kearns, Richard Cory, and John J.J. Schmidt of Whitechapel.

I figured it was a bit odd.

Ryan on September 17, 2011:

Maybe someone helped him he could have been a she how do we know that is James Kelly it might not be him. In a way Jack the ripper is amazing man how he did what he did no one could do what he could do how. I think he killed himself because someone new where he was and it was coming to the end thanks to the offiers who tried to get him one day we will know much more :)

jason on September 15, 2011:

Wasn't there a murder in new york that was interuppeted by the victims son who went for help that led to an arrest?

Chase on September 01, 2011:

Jack the Ripper may be dead,but people could have taken his spot,and especially around New Orleans I would be careful because thats a place I would expect things like this to go down.

Doc on July 28, 2011:

The FBI has done retrospective analysis of the data. Including, breaking down the location of each crime and via a complex weighting of each street in the area. The street most apt to be JTR's home, was set upon and police went house to house. They did not generate a suspect, but the saturation of police on the street where Jack lived, might well enough sent him packing. "Time to go visit uncle Bob."

I'm a forensic, behavioral expert and I'd bet the ranch he did not simply stop killing. Its anyones guess, where he took his next victim.

Emmali on July 14, 2011:

I have one question, who is the fifth girl in the red box? Mary Kelly didn't have a "live" picture of herself and when the police found her corpse she had no face left...

ManMadeMonster on June 25, 2011:

I am pretty positive it was James Kelly before i had seen all the extra evidence on James Kelly in my opinion it was Francis Tumbelty but after I saw the evidence i say "Hell I was wrong yup it was James Kelly indeed" I also have my own way of psychoanalyzing people....Now we take a mentally unstable man...his wife gives him syphalyis... which eats your at you and makes you crazy...smart though maybe like a savant he did escape with his own homeade key so retarded smart and in his mind drove even more crazy by the disease as a gift given to him by whores his fiancé created the true monster and to him he was the penicillin of the day....syphalys kills millions "every action = equal and oposite reaction" kills by loving = loving the kills......If society cant handle or put up with "The nature of the beast" then quit feeding the beast as long as society is full of holier than though hipocrits, whores, racists, foundling uncles, bad parents, etc.... there will be people like jack for in their heads they are not doing so wrong, they are writing wrongs ... ohh sweet revenge ... beware of the guy that is becoming a cop because of jack the ripper seems to be a way to draw attention away a good cover for his possible later activities lol... cops are killers too "Once there was a boy shot 10 times in the back ... cops say worst case of suicide they ever saw"" :p

carls81 on June 24, 2011:

very interesting, as a criminal psychology student and aspiring criminal profiler i find the evidence pretty compelling. would love to see the police reports and crime scene photos.

kevin on June 20, 2011:

Why would a killer use the same knife for rest of his life???

gerry1966 on June 18, 2011:

why take his kill kit to america. his signature didn't change here and neither did his m.o. for that matter.

nbkz con 2k11 on June 16, 2011:

if jack the ripper went to new york then how did he get his bag with his kinfe through and why change his MO

this is it on May 23, 2011:

this is a interesting topic and i am doing it for english hope to find some good info for it

gerry1966 on May 21, 2011:

As far as the profile goes, the DSM4TR would give Kelly an axis 1 diagnosis of DD (delusional disorder). Axis 2 ASPD (antisocial personality disorder). And if all accounts are correct, possibly an axis 3 of a physical disorder of some sort. Whether real or delusional.

Kelly had thought his wife had given him some sort of venereal disease. He tried to cure himself from this without a doctor because of the stigma behind having one.

Then he transferred his paranoia to all women. When he argued with his wife, her mother intervened and he stabbed his wife in the neck.

Remember, until the late 70s people with ASPD were put in mental hospitals.

He was committed in 1883, was a model patient, sounds familiar, until his escape in early 1888. He was receiving money through an inheritance in Scotland and traveled from London to Glasgow for many years in between.

After 1888 the police in London stopped looking for him even though they had been.

All of the London murders had the same signature as he. In America, for years wherever he went there were murders that had the same signature.

M.O. changes. Signature does not.

gerry1966 on May 21, 2011:

He's always looked good to me for the killings. He has the right profile and signature.

bukkwaz on April 04, 2011:

First of all any person who thinks jack is great or cool is sick!Nobody should treat another humen like that. On to my suspect george hutchison if you look at him and his statement to police and the news,he stands out like a moth to a flame.Do your research people!

YourNameHere on February 28, 2011:

That's wicked! I simply love this article!

It may make me sound murderous but I look up to Jack the Ripper! He was so graceful at not being caught and so sly when he came to the states. Simply worth adoring!

Thank you for posting this. (:

fatcat on February 25, 2011:

What about George Chapman, aka Seweryn Klowoski? He is the one Inspector Abberline suspected as being Jack the Ripper. The man was convicted of poisoning three of his wives and was executed in London. He did live in Whitechapel during the time of the Ripper murders, and again in New York City when the Ripper murders occurred there. One of his wives also reported having seen a knife similar to the one Jack used to murder his victims in Chapman's possession. Chapman did work as a barber, but did have training as a surgeon in Poland before emigrating to England.

Danniel James Fernandez on February 11, 2011:

they have no evidence if Jose Rizal is really Jack the Ripper..............

electricsky from North Georgia on February 09, 2011:

Back then the police departments didn't have our forensic expertise but it would be interesting if they could go back and do their investigation knowing then what we know now; they could use dna to find the real "jack the ripper".

I have heard many theories and many suspects have been blamed? James Kelly though is a new suspect never heard of before.

kay lovecraft on January 30, 2011:

ms murder, i agree. hh holmes (herman mudgett) is JtR.

lacymacy on January 30, 2011:

If he killed his wife why an insane asyllum why not death row? If he killed all of those women why expose the information?Why not just kill all of the women in the world?You know get people to do the dirty work with him.WHAT A SICKO!!!!!!!!

Cate on January 20, 2011:

very intriguing and I almost lean to it being James Kelly, but think of the Juwes, of the way the british have always protected any disorder within the royal family. Masonic Juews, King Solomon, the three to kill - Juwes.

Odd thing for a killer who only dreams of murdering whores dont you think. What does he care for the current politics of the day, the growing immigrant population - the whores were not of that ancestory, surely a poorly visible one liner on a dim-lit wall to such a cool, calculating man would be of little presure to help rid the country of the immigration populase.

The murders ending with Mary Kelly. A trail laid bare by the government - to wherelse other than the new country, a couple of 'copycat' murders to complete the task and then silence.

I watch just about every program on this topic, why, who knows, I am not going to find anything new no matter how much I watch, but live in hope.

queen victoria and her hench men of the freemason underworld know more than they should be allowed to keep to themselves and have more to answer for than is led to believe in these murders. what happened to the 'so many years' law when information has to be made public on request.


Trevor Livesey on January 18, 2011:

I think Carl fagenbaun is jack the ripper he was a merchant seaman traveling from Germany to London staying in whitechaple at the time of murders then traveling to new York where he murdered and mutilated a prostitute there . He was then caught buy the police and sentenced to death at sing sing prison

lj on January 15, 2011:

Surely if Jack The Ripper did go to America then surely there would be records of him leaving.

For example, wouldn't there be any boat boarding passes?

Not jack on January 10, 2011:

jack the ripper in us

Dreamcatcher on January 04, 2011:

I wonder if we will ever know the answer of the famous question of "who done it"? although I still lean towards the suspect that was a member of parliament...

Sydney on January 01, 2011:

I have always been interested in the Jack the Ripper Case. Thanks for giving me more information about this cold case, and also I have heard a theory that Jack the Ripper was a doctor, because when a doctor died all the killings from this case had stopped. So to get this whole "Jack the Ripper was a Doctor" idea was real...He was a doctor wasn't he? I'm sorry for my weirdness in questions. >_

ms murder on December 31, 2010:

h. h. holmes easily mistaken for james kelly compare all their pics guys---holmes arrived in london as the murders began..kelly was in broadmoor at the time of the murders....holmes left london after the murders...i think holmes met kelly and decided to use him as a scapegoat after noticing the resemblance...i think holmes practiced alot both in london and the u.s. before he set up trade in his castle by then it was second nature to him and he the more he killed, the more desirable it became until it was his sole motivation in life- the money scams were just a way of allowing him to continue unabated his obsession....

Spike Dawg on December 19, 2010:

The evidence presented in this show is very compelling. One or two coincidences can be explained away. There is overwhelming evidence that James Kelly was the Ripper.

What is mysterious to me is that despite this mountain of "proof" people refuse to let go of other theories. I guess that's okay...more fun than fact. I close the book on Jack the Ripper now. I choose to believe that James Kelly was the Ripper. Next case!

ELRIC on December 18, 2010:

i agree,the evidence is very strong.i would also like to see the same investigator do cases on zodiac,boston strangler,as well as one case named the town that dreaded sundown;two of theses were never solved,and the boston strangler was supposely pinned on a guy(A.D.)to get the cased solved in a hurry

Jeff Duff from Southwest Wisconsin on November 25, 2010:

Very interesting hub and well-written, too!

Coincidentally, I am reading the Paul H. Feldman book, "Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter", in which Feldman points the accusing finger at James Maybrick. Feldman's evidence is mostly coincidental, but he also trots out both Sir Melville Macnaughten of Scotland Yard and Oscar Wilde the writer as believing that Jack the Ripper was James Maybrick. Of course, Macnaughten has more credibility as an investigator, but this also shows you how very circumstantial Feldman's case is against James Maybrick.

Frankly, if we don't someday discover some stupendous (and unlikely) piece of convincing evidence as to who JTR really is, I believe our great-grandchildren will be debating (and writing) about the identity of Jack.

Jack the Ripper is like the 'Devil's improved version' of the New York Times crossword puzzle: endlessly fascinating but unltimately unsolvable.

-- Jeff Duff

P.S. to CrazyHorsesGhost - As the popularity of this hub demonstrates - and what the above slew of interesting comments demonstrates - is that you might want to keep a close eye out for the latest writings and theories of Ripperologists! I can project a whole series of very popular hubs based on 'Naughty Jack' on the latest theories about him. Just a suggestion ...

Scott on November 22, 2010:

I like him better than any other suspect I have read about, but the case against him is entirely circumstantial, there is no physical evidence.

bh the only DNA I have ever heard of involving Jack was some Mitochondrial DNA found on a letter that may or may not have been sent by Jack, who may or may not have licked the envelope.

bh on November 22, 2010:

If there is any DNA available from the crime scenes in London, a DNA sample could be matched against current living Y-DNA submitted to genealogy surname sites (eg. Family Tree DNA), rather than trying to match to typical crime file DNA. If there are living male descendants of Jack The Ripper in the DNA study, a 67 Marker Y-DNA (high-resolution genealogy test) would likely match a surname in the Genealogy study to the murder scene, by cross-referencing the determined surname to the surnames of families living in the Whitechapel area at the time (c.1888). Avoiding legalities, the old DNA could simply be submitted to any Genealogy study as a Y-DNA Participant.

mark on November 21, 2010:

jack the ripper was a bad cerial, but there was one guy who killed over 218 people, a doctor harold shipman.

Nick4761 on November 20, 2010:

The show on Discovery Channel by this name was really excellent. It really leaves no doubt that James Kelly was the killer.

J.M. on November 05, 2010:

H.H. Holmes, aka Herman Mudgett, sold skeletons to London medical schools the summer of 1888. All someone needs do is research Cunard's passenger lists and ask Scotland Yard.

SadWingsOfAFairy on November 04, 2010:

I find thus truly fascinating because Jack the Ripper is my my fav serial killer and the thought of him being here in New York really makes me happy.He may have killed women but it may have save other women because they would have been scared 2 be outside late at night including they had what was coming 2 them teaches them a lesson that what they r doing can kill them.

I am not a crazy person a matter in fact im perfectly sane who has a kind heart but can be cold at times

Y 09\18 on October 30, 2010:

i like your theory about jack the ripper it makes lots of sense. i was trying to do some research myself on him and now have some questions on what you have said above.

now considering his last murder was suposedly in november of 1888, then the first murder of new york was in april of 1891 then it makes you wonder what happpened in these three year gap. what was the fastest travel of the 1800 and how long would it take to get from london, whitchapel to america, new york??

another question refering to jack being in an asylum. i figure if jack had been insane i should have looked for the number of insane asylums in whitchaple, if this insane asylme (you mentioned with James Kelly) had been found on whitchaple road, it is possible that he had been waching Nicholes (jacks first victim) on a daily bases as she walked to a bar called the frying pan pub! i find this makes a lot of sense since Nicholes mention she kept spending her money every time she went for a drink!!! im happy how much this makes sense. so what asylme did james go to??

finally one question id still like to ask is if Jack the ripper had used a knife is it possible he stole them from the asylm???? then he may already have some knowledge of how to use the knives, and the certain parts of the body, from being in the asylme. but what occupation did James have?? was he poor? rich? smart?? id like to know if any one has any ideas.

also reffering to james. if he did go to an asylum it explains why nichols was killed at 3:40 in the morning. James (if he was jack the ripper) may have picked a time where all the nurses and doctors were asleep, and a time that Nichols would go to the bar....im guessing he may have gotten out of the asylum that morning and followed Nichol.

now if james really was this decisive, i would wonder why he decided to move from white chaple to new york also why did he only kill 4 women in the time of about 11 days?? it doesn't make sense how he took his time in whitchaple and just went on a killing spree in new york. also refering to the writing on the wall doesn't make sense either.... why hasn' he done something like this before?? maybe he was experimenting? Also why would he just stop killing and send the police a letter years later??

anyway i loved the information. its incredible how you found this and related it to jack the ripper in whitechaple. It makes a lot of sense how james could be jack the ripper. sorry for all the questions!

MRW1960 on August 25, 2010:

I believe that Kelley was JTR. Too much in common. Too bad they can't match the letters in England to the newspapers and his handwriting when he went back to Broadmoor Asylum. Would be a closed case.

Experience New York on August 22, 2010:

Jack the ripper is the most controversial killer in the history, his fame will outlive Oswald, Charles Manson and pretty much everyone one else. If I recall correctly, he is the first killer who teased the detectives with letters and yet remained undiscovered. Taking this into account, the murders in US could have been copycats, who knows.

aqua on August 14, 2010:

i love jack the ripper!!

Buzzbee from The County of the Winkies in Oz on August 11, 2010:

The interest in Jack will probably still be around hundreds of years from now...partly because, I believe, the Victorian atmosphere in which the crimes were committed will never be duplicated again in history, so it will always be unique.

louie on August 10, 2010:

i think jack the ripper was Francis tumblety or Thomas Cutbush , they both had anatomical knowledge and were both suspected of being in the same area that the prostitutes were killed, My theory is that they both committed these murders together , and mislead the police into thinking it was one man

Uhh on July 31, 2010:

This is crazy!! I think it is also cool how you were able to get pictures too, i am very fascinated by this stuff, thankyou for putting it up!!

Tienne from EARTH on July 19, 2010:

As an upholsterer, Kelly had spent a lot of time restuffing couches. As a habit, he would cut an X on the upholstery and punch through it in order to grab at the stuffing inside and replace it with the least damage to the fabric.

Martin on July 06, 2010:

James kelly supposedly wrote a description of his travels in America when he returned to the asylum. Have they ever tried to match that handwriting with the "Jack the Ripper" letters written during his killing days in White Chapel?

Jeff on July 02, 2010:

Although the James Kelly thoery makes sense I really don't think the real Jack the ripper would confess who he is. He taunts police and relishes the fact they don't know who he is and the fact they can't catch him

Baltoro on June 23, 2010:

While I agree the James Kelly would fit for JTR in many ways I just have to question his ability to remove organs from the women so quickly. While he would have been good with a knife, could he have cut open Annie Chapman and removed her uterus and upper portion of the vagina in a matter of minutes? At least if the timeline described by witnesses of that crime were accurate.

Other than this lingering question I do think James Kelly fits very well as JTR.

Does anyone know how public the "Boss" letters were made? Were they published?

Christopher Kelly on June 22, 2010:

I just watched the tv show about this (on Monday 6/21/10) and it is the single most intrigueing theory about the case in my mind its basically solved. Everything Imean EVERYTHING made sense backed up with facts. I dont remember what channel or the exact title of the show I was wondering if anyone knew if and when it would be on again and what channel so I can DVR it or if theres a way I can get a copy to own. If anyone knows please leave a post on this site. thanks

GEEKEDbrain on June 20, 2010:

i dont think the whole " hes from new york" theories are right at all. He killed london prostitutes in the streets which he knew cuz he lived there and paid for sex in. and when he was in New York he brought the prostitutes to Hotel Rooms, so he didn't know NY streets at all, he had to get a room to do the killing, cmon guys think

brittanygolightly from Cloud Nine on June 18, 2010:

I'm reading Patricia Cornwell's "Jack the Ripper: Case Closed" right now, in which she alleges Jack the Ripper to be a man named Walter Sickert. He lived in White Chapel during the time of the murders. According to Cornwell, he was somewhat enigmatic and reclusive. He was an art student studying under an acclaimed artist of the time named James Whistler, and much of Sickert's art depicted nude females either lifeless or about to be so... Cornwell's evidence is pretty compelling, except that he lived in England the entirety of his life, so, the New York murders could not have been committed by him, therefore if those murders were indeed JTR, that absolves Sickert. What about the idea of a copycat? Is that even possible for the 19th century? News of the slayings must have traveled to America somehow? I don't know. I've always been oddly intrigued with JTR... Not sure what that says about me haha but whatev.

Kiersten on June 10, 2010:

I have read your other article, Jill the Ripper, and I completely agree on the theory that Jack the Ripper was actually a demented midwife. Midwifes could have blood on their clothes without anyone stopping them because they would think the midwife got the blood on them because of their trade. No one would suspect a woman anyway. And because everyone was looking four a man, a woman could go around the city freely. As for the Jack the Ripper in America, it would explain why he/she disappeared from London. And if it wasn't a woman, I think it would be Francis Tumblety, because I've heard such gruesome stories about him killing woman and taking out their body parts, and arranging them according to social class. How terrifying! Anyway, I would really like to learn more about this case, so if you post anymore, please put links in the comments!

sanny on May 23, 2010:

i think tumbley was jack the ripper.the police wouldn't have chased himallover the country for a gross indecency charge,it had to be something far more serious.

Bugs Moran on May 19, 2010:

For years I have felt Francis Tumblety was the number 1 candidate for being Jack the Ripper. I had known that Tumblety had fled London for New York when he discovered he was a suspect. He died a few years after he returned in a madmouse. I read the book about James Kelly when it came it and he quickly became my number 2 suspect. Like Tumlety, Kelly suddenly disappeared from London. In his confession, Kelly stated he had moved all over the United States. According to Norton, the cold case investigator, Kelly admitted to being in cities when bloody murders occurred there. I think Kelly is a good suspect indeed, but we shouldn't fill-in the emply blanks with speculations. I also believe that our own English cousins have always been able to shove-off their failings by blaming it on the Irish, Americans and Irish-Americans.

Feydune on May 17, 2010:

This may be a stupid point but it is also coincidental that this guy's name is James. Very similar to Jack Thats all

Gary S Wells on May 17, 2010:

On a TV show it was proven that James Kelly traveled to New York from Rotterdam, Holland, on the ocean liner Zaandam and arrived in New York on October 7, 1990. This is plenty of time for him to committ the murders in April 1991. James Kelly was an upolsterer and skilled at using very sharp long kives. Similar murders to the "Jack the Ripper" murders, also occurred when he was in New York, NY., Atlanta, GA., New Orleans, LA., Galveston, TX., Los Angeles, CA., and San Fransico, CA. This is too much coincidence, James Kelly was Jack the Ripper.

andypanda on May 16, 2010:

Though we will never no for certain the case against James Kelly seems good. It is frightening to think that JTR came to America. I also like the idea of looking into other counties for possible murders in that 40 years. Amazing that we just cannot let this case go.

mikepage on May 13, 2010:

Has anyone checked any killings that may fit jack the rippers in other countrys?Maybe mexico,south america.Someone who kills like that would not stop.He had 40 yes to commit more before going back to the insane asylum. 0

Vanaspatti on April 30, 2010:

Caught the documentary too and then it was on again this afternoon. I have never heard of Frances Tumblety but sounds interesting. James Kelly also sounds like a good possibility. Either way It makes sense that the Ripper would come to America. New York was a big city like London. There were thousands of immigrants coming in each day. Think about it if he went to Europe the route would be France. A few English may go to France each day and their logs would be much more acurate. If say 300 a day come in and all of a sudden bodies start popping up it is much less chaotic to try and see who came from London recently. In New York you are talking so many that the records were probably inaccurate and even if they were could the police really chase thousands of leads? Also, Scotland Yard raided Kelly's residence, this shows that the Ripper was not untouchable in London even if he was not Kelly. The Ripper had to know that his time was running out. The more he was on the prowl the more people saw him, even if they didn't realize who they saw. Towards the end of the Whitechapel murders people were really starting to pay attention to who was out and about. When you are the Ripper and you walk down the street and every conversation you overhear is about you and your crimes it has to have an effect. It wouldn't be hard at all to make the choice to leave. As for dropping off the grid after New York. Well, I guess you eventually know that you either keep killing anonomously the rest of your life or you keep trying to make sure everyone knows it's you and the murders are linked. But as long as you are in the limelight you gotta feel the net closing in. They say most killers want to be caught but Jack and the Zodiac are different animals huh? It must take a lot of self control.

john on April 30, 2010:

ive never been much into seeing past events or anything. im not a "jack the ripper" freak, never did any research or anything, buti dont think any of the suspects are jack. i also think that jack didn't go to new york, jack was FROM new york,visiting abroad. when law enforcement started getting to close, he RETURNED HOME to new york and continued

LC on April 22, 2010:

I don't think Kelly is the most likely suspect. You should look more into a Frances Tumblety. Tumblety was known to collect the uteruses of women and arrange them by social class. He was previously married to a woman who turned out to be a whore. He publicly denounced women. It is possible he was the Batty Street Lodger also. He was charged on suspicion of the Whitechapel murders, but escaped and fled to New York. Around the same time, Scotland Yard sent an inspector to New York in search of the Ripper. Though who they were tracking was never revealed. Tumblety's name remains absent from most original suspect lists, as it was "kept secret" supposedly in order to prevent the loss of the primary suspect.

scott on April 15, 2010:

jack the ripper is why i am going to be a cop

chris palmer on March 28, 2010:

i would enertain any comments on the final years of said james kelly was he ever convicted of any crime s ????? or did he just die of olde age ???? such great mysteries deserve some answers dont you agree ?????????????? chris at worldrover1111@gmail.com

Carlos on March 27, 2010:

I'm a big fan of the case and have heard many I'm watching a show right now on Discovery talking about this theory

Chris on March 24, 2010:

I have done some research in some old cases, such as "Jack The Ripper". From what I've found from this case, I would say that it was James Kelly. I've not got the police reports from the murders, thought to be, done by "Jack The Ripper". If anyone gets anything such as new leads, pictures, reports, and so on. About "Jack The Ripper" or even new theory's, please contact me!

My e-mail is: searching.possibilitys@gmail.com

We may be able to share what each of us have, to help both of us. I'll post again when I get the reports.

maggie on March 24, 2010:

I recently watched the Jack the Ripper in America documentary and all the pieces are fitting that James Kelly was the ripper but the letters should have been analyzed by handwriting experts and there was no mention of that in the documentary. To me that would have been conclusive evidence.

johnny on March 24, 2010:

I completely agree with James Kelley theory. There is even more evidence then is listed here, however, one thing is wrong: he killed his wife only by slashing her throat. The insanity was brought up only days before his execution after a medical doctor visited him and concluded that he was insane rather then just a murderer. Then they placed him in a maximum security insane asylum, instead of hanging him. While I am against death penalty, in this case it appears that it would've been better if they just hanged him...

Houdenny on March 24, 2010:

Ed did a fine job and I commend him for his intricate work. Well done! However, it is not mentioned in all the comments above that James Kelly took on an alias when arriveing in America..i.e. John Miller. Funny to mention that the name John is a nicked-name for Jack.

kaylee on March 15, 2010:

i watched a documentry last night on the ripper and james kelly, a american police officer looked in 2 the letter that he rite after returnin to the mental asylam, he folowed up all the dates of the murders and where he was at that time. all the evidance proves that the killer is in fact james kelly and i believe it to be. what anoyed me tho was the fact that the suspected him first but gave up on him. they could of solved the case years ago

C A WATKINS on March 15, 2010:

An interesting theory. It would explain why he was not caught in London, after 1888, although the incompetence of the police had a great deal to do with it. It's a pity no-one has looked into similar murders between 1891 and 1920 in different American cities. However there are one or two details I would question: James Kelly did kill his fiancé but was never married. The man in the photograph with his 'wife' is too old to be Kelly. Kelly stabbed his fiancé in the neck and did not scatter her entrails around the room. Therefore he did not kill his fiancé in the same way as Jack. He did not slit her throat. He was sent to Broadmoor but only after a death sentence was commuted.

David Ley on February 10, 2010:

Interesting theory, question Why would the Ripper go to America? He was never close to being caught in the UK, Then is the ripper American, his knowledge of London was exceptonal and it would appear he was at home in New York.

Possible solution copycat killings two separate killiers yet very simillar in their actions.

SoldierOfGod on February 03, 2010:

thx i am writing a paper for school on jack the ripper and this really helped me thank you very much

Anthony on December 24, 2009:

This is the only of the 'Jack the Ripper identified' theories I find to be entirely logically consistent. It is my opinion the Ripper case will never be solved beyond reasonable doubt, unless we may one day be able to travel to the past (which physics deems impossible). Simply been waaaay too long. BUT, I do believe when one mentions Mr. James Kelly, they may justly have an 'aka' along the lines of 'Jack the Ripper.'

It is a bit disappointing, taints that iconic green tinted full moon looming above Victorian London in the time of Jekyll and Hyde mystic. He's not what people love to imagine the Ripper was like, an evil genius top surgeon. Its a lot like Lee Harvey Oswald, he's a rather pathetic character, we want it to be sensational, and James Kelly is not such. So, I expect most people, especially those Ripperologists, to be resistant to this theory.

Anyway, if the Ripper has been identified, move on to the Original Night Stalker aka East Area Rapist. He's by far the worse serial killer I know of, his method (woke you up while you're sleeping in your bed, standing over you)/brutality/number of victims...oh yeah, he was the basis for California's passing a law permitting involuntary DNA profiling of offenders. It's cracked a ton of cold cases, but ironic as anything, it hasn't cracked the case which started it all.

Dim Flaxenwick from Great Britain on December 18, 2009:

WOW!!!! Of all the books I've read on Jack the Ripper I've never come across this theory, but it fits!!!! It makes sense to me. Can't believe I didn't know this before . I've been such an avid Ripper 'fan' Great to read something different and perfectly plausable. Thank you.

marymagaldo@basicisp.net on December 03, 2009:

Isaw the Jack the Ripper in America documentary and found it fascinating. I must sat I long believed there were more

Ripper murders and feel these murders confirm my theory. It

would be wise to scour all major city newspapers and check for any similar murders. Where was Jack between late 1888 and 1890? If anyone finds similar murders in that time period please report in. We need to fill that two year gap

and where did he go after New York. In addition what the names of the other 3 victims in New York? Please remember that when examining any such murders the MO and signiture must match the one's in London. Hopefully this new information will enable us to positively identify Jack. His victims deserve justice! marymagaldo@basicisp.net

thepawshaveit from So. Cal. on November 27, 2009:

I had never heard any information about old suspicions of Jack the Ripper killings in America. I find the theories and information fascinating. If the timelines match up and different facts can be verified, (as well as can be done for 100 yrs old)this can make for some very compelling possibilities. Hmmm....Very interesting.

Kittie Danger on November 21, 2009:

I watched the documentary as well and was enthralled, for some reason I as well love that sort of thing. Morbid? Maybe. That cold case detective was amazing I thought in his research. I agree, he should tackle the Zodiac killer next.

Thomas Byers (author) from East Coast , United States on November 16, 2009:

Yes it appears that James Kelly aka Jack the Ripper may have in fact killed women all over the USA. He could just possibly be one of the worst serial killers ever in history.

Willy Bonka on November 16, 2009:

I just watched "Jack The Ripper in America" that I had recorded last night, and My mouth dropped when the "cold case" Investigator doing the research( talking about the many cities that James Kelly had admitted visiting in America in the 1890's ), showed an old newspaper article about a woman killed in 1895( similar in nature to the other killings ), in Jackson, California.

Well, I live in JACKSON( which was a "booming" gold-rush town in the 1800's ), and to think that maybe, just maybe, Jack The Ripper was here( current population; 4000+ ).

C R A Z Y ! ! !

Related Articles