L'ombra di Jack the Ripper: mistero e leggenda nel cuore di Londra

What is the origin of the name?

Jack the ripper is a name given to an unidentified serial killer who probably lived in the districts of London, at the end of the 19th century. His name derives froma definition given by someone who wrote a letter and sent it to the London Central News Agency in which he claimed to be the murderer.
The murders most often attribuited to Jack the Ripper occurred in the latter half of 1888, a period in which London, esspecially the East End, bacame overcrowded with poor people, immigrants and prostitutes. The victims were mostly women working as prostitutes. The killer slit their throats and mutilated their bodies, and removed their internal organs.

Failure of investigations

Most historians have agreed that the atrocities are the work of a single killer, and they have connected many of these murders and violent attacks to Jack the Ripper.

The polce failed to capture the murderer, but newspapers developed his notoriety because of the savagery of the attacks he made. The killer's identity is still unknown, but the legends surrounding the murders have become a combination of genuine historical research, folklore and pseudohistory. Many authors, historians and amateur detectives have proposed theories about the identity of the killer and his victims.

Cultural heritage

In fact, Jack the Ripper has appeared in novels, short stories, poetry, comicon books, video games and films throughout the years, making him one of the most famous serial killers of all times.