Not-So-Shabby Profiling 101

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

In the effort to move the discussion forward into the behavioral science and criminal psychology area, this thread is about the profile of Jack the Ripper from the Diary. Treat it as fact or fiction. It's not like works of fiction in literature and film aren't relevant or even references. Although those would be modern works written or filmed after years of publicity and study of serial murder....

I was going to go with the "multiple handwriting"... but, while looking for the samples of Peter Kurten's handwriting compared side-by-side with samples from Jack the Ripper, James Maybrick and "the Diarist" from back in Casebook Archives, I found this 2004 gem from Caz.

The image of Sir Jim, back in Liverpool, needing a constant reminder of the fact that he is indeed the most wanted man in England, on account of his exploits when in Whitechapel, London, is a powerful one IMHO, and is served well by having him record his thoughts, and do things like engage his close friend George in conversation about the murder of Polly Nichols, because he just couldn't resist talking to someone real and significant about his deed. So many miles removed, where he was plain old innocent James again, this real and significant 'deed' would have seemed someone else's.

Had the idea revolved around a character who came from the immediate area, such as Leather Apron, would his need to write about what he was and what he was doing have been as acute as the apparent need of the long-distance variety?

Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Message Boards: The Handwriting

I know about "Outsider Theory" but I never heard of this one related to Diary Keeping. So I haven't investigated this premise historically to see if there are any other examples. Good place to start or not? I think it's a good segue to other profiling aspects of the case such as the Outsider Theory. We just had a double murderer IDed in Toronto from Moosonee.

The Killer of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour is Identified (dnasolves.com)

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

Several serial murders, who wrote diaries, happen to be the journaling type (BTK) and some may just be making a record because they are so prolific they wouldn't remember all of them without writing them down.

There are examples of traveling killers who keep diaries but I don't know if the reason is because they are distanced from their crimes and feel more need to be close to them, or if they just feel more comfortable keeping an incriminating diary when they are distanced from their crimes and would not become an immediate suspect who might have his premises searched.

There's some merit to the theory. BTK lived about 10-15 miles from his crimes. The Unabomber was obviously a distance killer with his mailbombs.

The cabin also held extensive writings that included diary entries on all of his crimes....There was a small manila envelope. And in that envelope there were admissions and confessions to all 16 UNABOM crimes in detail.

In some selected notes, he said: I finally was ready to begin my bombing campaign in May of 1978. I had everything ready. I did a great job. I get on the bus. I go to Illinois. I cover myself. Nobody knows I’m there. I get out there and my bomb doesn’t fit in the mailbox.

Inside the FBI: The Unabomber Case — FBI

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

Randy Kraft was all over the place traveling. But he kept a comprehensive list in a binder. Using the inside of a watch would only work for someone who was not planning to be prolific as him. Or a hoaxer who knew Jack the Ripper would not be among the most prolific and didn't really strike much if anything elsewhere as let's say the Thames Torsos.

Randy Steven Kraft (born March 19, 1945) is an American serial killer and rapist known as the Scorecard Killer

Inside the trunk [of his car], investigators found a ring binder containing a hand-written list of 61 coded notations.

A search of Kraft's home revealed further incriminating evidence, including clothes and personal possessions of numerous young men who had been murdered over the previous decade.

The first entry in Kraft's journal (referred to as his "scorecard") reads "Stable," leading investigators to believe Dukette (whom he picked up at the Stable gay bar) was Kraft's first murder victim.

Scorecard

The coded list of 61 neatly printed terms and phrases found in the trunk of Kraft's car is believed to refer to each of Kraft's victims.... Several entries reference victims' names (for example, the entry reading "EDM" refers to the initials of victim Edward Daniel Moore, whereas "Vince M" refers to victim Vincent Mestas). (Wikipedia)

[Caroline Brown]

Hi Markus,

'I finally was ready to begin my bombing campaign in May of 1978. I had everything ready. I did a great job. I get on the bus. I go to Illinois. I cover myself. Nobody knows I’m there. I get out there and my bomb doesn’t fit in the mailbox.'


Thank you for posting this. It reminds me so much of the phrasing in the Maybrick diary, which has often been described as contrived, and not what anyone would actually write in their personal diary. I never did understand that argument, and now I know why!

Here is 'Sir Jim':


'...I finally decided London it shall be.'

'...I still have to work up the courage to begin my campaign.'

'Tomorrow I travel to Manchester... There was no pleasure as I squeezed, I felt nothing.'

'I have not allowed for the red stuff...'

'Whitechapel Liverpool, Whitechapel London, ha ha. No one could possibly place it together.'


And then we get a reference to the fact that 'Sir Jim' is back in Liverpool, unable to get any sense of the buzz on the streets in the wake of his first mutilation murder:


'The wait to read about my triumph seemed long, although it was not.'


Love,

Caz
X

[Caroline Brown]

I think a hoaxer like most theorists would pick visual arts over literary, painting over poetry. Who'd think of poetry when you have suspects like Sickert bandied about? Any association for these types of crime with poetry is almost unknown.

But in this case, poetry would be more apt, as Jack, I'd say, is more like Jack Unterweger, Marcello Palma and Denis Rader. All, as I recall, composed poetry.

Don't forget, Markus, there were ripper letters containing poetry, so the diary author may well have been inspired by these to try their own hand at rhyming verse.

Love,

Caz
X

[Caroline Brown]

When the diary first emerged and was being pored over, nobody knew that a serial killer called Colin Ireland would soon be embarking on his own murder campaign that would perfectly demonstrate 'Outsider Theory' in action:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Ireland

Love,

Caz
X

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

I personally see Jack the Ripper as profiling in some respects the same as the Unabomber as well because Jack was a crossover killer, who crossed over from serial killing to terrorism, a category well captured in the Diary.

Colin Ireland is a good example, Caz, of a travelling killer targeting an outlying area, even though he’s not a terrorist type as his crimes weren’t even linked or get much notice unfortunately because of the circumstances and Victimology. His hinge point is the pub and not his residence.

I always wondered about the confusion about locus and the presumption that that’s where the killer lives. It could be anything. BTK’s was reportedly his wife’s workplace downtown where he dropped her off. Why the confusion?

Now I actually believe the geographic profilers are causing the confusion by not wanting to identify certain hinge points because they’re public establishments.

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

As I said before: There are examples of traveling killers who keep diaries but I don't know if the reason is because they are distanced from their crimes and feel more need to be close to them, or if they just feel more comfortable keeping an incriminating diary when they are distanced from their crimes and would not become an immediate suspect who might have his premises searched.

This would also apply to the practice of keeping a serial killer stash - a collection of souvenirs or mementos of and from the crimes.

Isn't it hard to believe that a Maybrick Diary hoaxer who knows his profiling, presumably including the concept of a serial killer stash, would reject a possible Battlecrease Floorboard Provenance?... I guess one could say Anne came up with a serial killer stash origin for the Diary with her story of the "family" provenance through Alice Yapp.

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

Let's not forget the Motive as given in the Diary. Motive is a big word and can encompass a lot. Trigger factor would be more accurate but we'll stick with Motive.

The Motive, call it what you want, is basically the same as the Yorkshire Ripper although, in Sutcliffe's case, it was his mother who was having an affair.

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe's was set to be a serial killer the moment his philandering father confronted his mother over affair she was having

• Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was devoted to his mother Kathleen
• Sutcliffe's father John discovered his wife was having an affair in 1970
• A new documentary claimed Sutcliffe was devestated by his mother's affair

• Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe's unusual murder motive | Daily Mail Online

[milchmanuk]

Hi,
i have not looked into this theory, my son was speaking to me of leonardo da vinci as we was conversing of similar subjects you mentioned here. My son said that he has read somewhere online of this man who drew pictures of human anatomy may had collected his own specimens in some capacity for his documentation or pleasure.
Thought it might be of interest.

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

Hi,
i have not looked into this theory, my son was speaking to me of leonardo da vinci as we was conversing of similar subjects you mentioned here. My son said that he has read somewhere online of this man who drew pictures of human anatomy may had collected his own specimens in some capacity for his documentation or pleasure.
Thought it might be of interest.

Hi,

Grave robbing and body snatching for anatomical study appears in the TV series I started watching, Davinci's Demons. Leonardo using this method is only theorized but I think it more than makes sense that he did that.

It also makes sense that Jack the Ripper would have had some practical purpose for his mutilations and organ removals. Be it Black Magic Arts, Specimen Collection, Religious Ritual, or just plain Attention Grabbing. A butcher of skinner/dresser might work with the MO being based on the "trade" so, in a sense, it's practical and he could still presumably be a lust murderer at the same time. That appears to be the mainstream, accepted, working suspect profile theory but I think you really have to shoehorn that in.

Of course, mere organ removal for anatomical study can be done more surreptitiously. You don't have to go on a public street. If it was done for, let's say, attention, then Masonic Ritual would have to be considered. The Diary doesn't mention that as an MO but I think it's inferred with Maybrick being a Freemason on a murderous campaign and leaving clues.

[milchmanuk]

Hi
i had read lightly leonardo da vinci and made a connection with Sickert painting & BTK i believe took photos as John Wayne Gacy taking photos. And many others.
Its like a visual connection they keep of the victims'.
I don't believe the Sickert theory i think it was something that had captured him and his fantasy and propelled with money motivation.
Early rituals is interesting. I bought my youngest son this Christmas also "The Golden Bough"
The 800-900 page version not the twelve encyclopedias'.
Some one with Masonry or Black Magic Ritual i think would have to be someone well educated to have had time and resource to explore these secrets. Unlike today with the internet and teen fanzines . It is all at hand to view.
My self i bought one of Trevor Marriot books with organ collection theory and hope explains in more detail.
yours sincerely.

[Markus Aurelius Franzoi]

I don't know that Trevor believes in the organ collection theory. Obviously it's problematic. It doesn't fit with lust murder unless you have lust for innards which is more than rare. Organs for modern science or ancient ritual would be less uncommon.

Some one with Masonry or Black Magic Ritual i think would have to be someone well educated to have had time and resource to explore these secrets.

A signature of following roughly the order of the Apprentice Mason Oath or Pledge would not actually be ritualistic or actually be performing a rite. It would only be based on the rite which has to do with betrayal. Obviously, the Diary motive was adultery or betrayal. Hence the association with the Masonic Pledge for betrayal.

[Jay Hartley]

I personally still do not rule out a sexual motive for taking the various organs by the killer. It is a form of necrophilia. If you look at the Chicago Ripper Crew there are some similarities, particularly with Robin Gecht who may have been inspired by JtR.

I believe Trevor’s theory is more about organs being removed at the mortuaries prior to the coroner examinations and not taken by the killer, which rather begs the point why then even bother with the mutilation at all?

[milchmanuk]

Hi
i was looking up splanchnophilia psychology definition, I came across this site to view or download that might be of interest or not.

https://journals.charlotte.edu/urj/article/view/1096/1155

hope pasting this does not infringe & be of interest to some one.
It reminded me of the diary contents you speak of.