Breaking News?

Hi all,

Yes, this is a breaking story on Jack the Ripper historical sources but it has been an on-going saga for some time with the UK Information Tribunal. The story is a bit more involved than the press are reporting, or as Trevor Marriott is describing. There are certainly some details of a Victorian Special Branch investigation of Jack the Ripper, however, because suspects are named, does not of course mean that they were the serial killer of 1888.

In fact it is impossible to prove the identity of Jack the Ripper now with the available sources which include these Special Branch ledgers that simply outline the police lines of inquiry. It has to be remembered that no-one was convicted of the crimes so any new information can at best give a better idea of the police investigation.

I am the author of a forthcoming non-fiction book which may interest you that puts this and other Jack the Ripper mythologies into a Victorian context and examines how and why these conspiracies emerged on these historic unsolved crimes. The title of the book is: "Jack the Ripper and Black Magic: Victorian Conspiracy Theories, Secret Societies and the Supernatural Mystique of the Whitechapel Murders". Further details can be found on my publisher's website:

http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4547-9

And no, the Royal/Masonic Conspiracy Theory has no basis in fact though it has grown as legend and been perhaps the most popular theory of all.

Thanks for your time and hope that if interested, the book will provide a comprehensive insight into the legends of Jack the Ripper, how the crimes were perceived and what really happened for both enthusiasts and Ripperologists alike.

Cheers
Spiro