041 Jack the Ripper

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One of a series of images from the Illustrated London News for October 13, 1888 carrying the overall caption, "With the Vigilance Committee in the East End". This specific image is entitled "A Suspicious Character".

Do Jack the Ripper and his Victims Still Haunt this Earth?

Do Jack the Ripper and his victims still haunt this earth? In Ghostly’s forty-first episode, Pat and Rebecca explore the dark history of the world’s first famous serial killer and the ghost stories still told about the Ripper and his victims. *Listener warning for this episode – it includes graphic descriptions of violence. Parents may want to vet this episode before allowing children to listen.

The last crime of Jack the Ripper, as depicted in a 1891 newspaper. Today, some are trying to reverse more than a century of treating his victims as anonymous footnotes.Credit...Guyot, via Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis — Getty Images — The last crime of Jack the Ripper, as depicted in a 1891 newspaper. Today, some are trying to reverse more than a century of treating his victims as anonymous footnotes.Credit…Guyot, via Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis — Getty Images

Questions Explored in this Episode

Who was Jack the Ripper? What was the environment like in London and Whitechapel at the time the crimes took place? Can history help us understand what happened and why the killer became so famous? Who were the Ripper’s victims, and how did he kill them? What is the psychological and physical profile of this killer? Who are some of the most common suspects and what evidence is there for and against each? Where do people today claim to see ghosts of Jack the Ripper’s victims? What do they see and hear? Does Jack the Ripper himself still haunt London?

Vote on this Episode

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Listener Mail and Questions

Listener mail is the first part of a very scary haunted house story from an anonymous listener, MJ. Have a story (of a ghost or of a paranormal mystery solved) or question of your own (or someone you know)? Send your story or question to info@ghostlypodcast.com or leave a voicemail at 630-448-2138 and we might read it on the podcast. You could be on a future episode of Ghostly!

Ghost Story

Listen to Rebecca tell the story of a couple who claim to have seen the ghost of Catherine Eddowes and maybe even the Ripper himself.

History of Jack the Ripper

Listen to Pat tell the extensive history of Jack the Ripper. He starts with setting the scene of Whitechapel during the second half of the 19^th century before going through all the possible victims of the Whitechapel murders. Rebecca and Pat take their guesses as who his true victims might be, including the canonical five. Then we dive into the psychological and physical profiles of the Ripper and several of the most likely candidates for who was the real killer.

Annie Chapman Before And After Death. From The Illustrated Police News, 22nd September 1888.

Time for the Debate

Rebecca offers evidence for hauntings not only by several of Jack the Ripper’s victims, but also of Jack himself. Listen to the debate and decide what you think is true.

Poll Results

Find out what listeners said for the Microclimates episode – is paranormal activity sometimes just microclimates? Still need to listen to our previous episode? Check it out here.

Done Listening to the Episode?

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We want to hear from you! We want your ghost stories or even your non-stories if you later realized you saw nothing paranormal. And send us your suggestions for stories to cover in the future. Email us both at info@ghostlypodcast.com or individually at pat@ghostlypodcast.com or rebecca@ghostlypodcast.com Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at GhostlyPodcast. NEW! Leave us a voicemail on Ghostly’s new haunt line: 630-448-2138.

Sources for this Week’s Episode

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper
Haunted London: http://www.haunted-london.com/jack-the-ripper-ghosts.html
Jack the Ripper Tour: https://www.jack-the-ripper-tour.com/generalnews/jack-the-ripper-ghosts/
Spookyisles: https://www.spookyisles.com/where-to-find-the-ghosts-of-jack-the-rippers-victim/
HowStuffWorks: https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/jack-the-ripper3.htm

As mentioned in the episode, there is a photo of Mary Jane Kelly. It is graphic, so click with caution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper#/media/File:MaryJaneKelly_Ripper_100.jpg

Music for this episode was performed by Michael Rivers
Intro: “III. Allegro moderato from Gargoyles” by Lowell Liebermann
Outro: “Dream Images (Love-Death Music)” by George Crumb
Bumper: “Ghost Waltz” by Lowell Liebermann