Why did Jack the Ripper kill women?

Answer 1

People that study serial murder have found that the underlying reason for killers like Jack The Ripper is the power they have over another person. Violent sexual fantasies and the basic need to control lead serial killers to kill over and over again.
Self gratification.

Answer 2

Jack could have also been into death fetishism as it was said that he had removed a uterus from one victim and a kidney from another. A package was sent to a prominent citizen of London's East End - George Lusk, and was 'from hell', the writer told him that 'i send you half the kidne i took from one woman... tother piece i fried and ate.

The most likely answer is the the Whitechapel Murderer was a misogynist, harboring a pathological hatred of women based on a childhood lived under constant mental and/or physical abuse at the hands of a matronly figure. Why he killed prostitutes specifically is difficult to answer, but fits the profile of most serial killers whom unleash their murderous desires on a specific type or class of person. It has been speculated that the Whitechapel murderer was sexually attracted to his victims and despised himself for it, thus turning his rage for himself on his innocent targets; perhaps to cleanse himself of his desires.

The removal of some of the organs of his victims was likely for trophies. It is believed by most serious Ripperologists that the three 'letters from Hell' are in fact hoaxes, as the Whitechapel Murderer worked largely as an Organized serial killer, meaning he was meticulous in eliminating all traces of himself from the crime scene in order to avoid detection. Organized serial killers are wholly unconcerned with demanding recognition for their deeds, and it's unlikely that the murderer would have bragged about only one murder rather than all of them; and had he truly wanted recognition for his crimes he would have most likely given the victim's names or other intimate details of the crimes in his correspondences in order to verify that it was actually him making contact.

I would like to add that the Ripper actually displayed characteristics of both the organized and disorganized killer. Especially with the murder of Katherine Eddows. She had to have been chosen randomly for the simple fact that he had no time stalk and plan her murder. He had already killed Liz Stride about a mile away, and would have had no time but to find a victim fast and finish what he started in Berner St. with Stride.

There is no doubt that the Ripper left something of himself such as hairs, fibers, blood ect. but forensics in the Victorian age were non-existent. He most likely left plenty of evidence but the science for detection did not exist.

As for the Ripper letters, some were genuine, probably more than originally thought. And he most definalty wanted to taunt the police and the public. He could still enjoy the murder long after the crime had been committed by berating Scotland Yard and to a certain degree the world.

In counterpoint of the above, Chief Inspector Henry Moore examined all three letters purported to have been most likely from the killer and concluded that the writing did not match on any of them. Likewise, Openshaw's examination of the kidney proved only that it was human and suffered from Bright's Disease, whereas the remaining kidney in Eddowes' body was found to be free of disease. The 'From Hell' letters are most likely hoaxes and not correspondences from the true WhiteChapel Murderer.

Answer 3

Answer

Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer, has never been identified.

Nobody knows who he or she was, much less the reasons for the murders.

Most people don't understand about what makes a killer kill. The kind of killer that took the lives of prostitutes in London's east end was the same we see today. Its about power and control. Most people think its sex. The sex is secondary to these men. What ever is happening in their lives they need to feel control and to feel powerful if only for a small amount of time with someone that is much weaker than themselves. This was Jack The Ripper in spades!

Answer 4

In 1888 he brutally killed 5 women although the authorities think there were more.

//Jack The Ripper's choice of victims tells us that he most likely was a heterosexual white male*, who displayed incredible rage toward these women. JTR's crimes were sexual in nature. At some point in this man's life sex and violence intersected, initially probably taking the form of violent fantasies. As is typical of most serial killers, eventually the fantasies were not enough to appease and satisfy. At this point the fantasy became reality. Once the line was crossed there would be no way to stop this man short of capture or death.

*Heterosexual serial killers usually target women, whereas homosexual killers, such as John Wayne Gacy or Jeffrey Dahmer, choose victims of the same sex.
By choosing women it is highly likely that JTR was a heterosexual male. In his particular case, it is clear from the condition of the victim's bodies that the killer had a hatred of women. Why this is so may never be known. Jack The Ripper is an unsolved case.

Answer 5

Since Jack The Ripper was never caught it is difficult to say what his personal reasons were for his crimes. But from what is known about these kinds of killers makes it safe to assume he follows certain patterns. The Ripper's crimes were sexually motivated, he was most likely a sexual psychopath. Control over the victims was most likely what he was after. For that very brief time he spent with his victims he played the role of 'God', responsible for their life and death. From the mutilation of the bodies it is understood that this man had a hatred for women in general. And from his correspondence with police and press he derived much pleasure out of goading those that sought to put him away, and probably derived sick pleasure in the terrified citizens of London.

Answer 6

There is no single 'absolute' when it comes to this type of killer. What is known, the crimes may have sexual aspects but this type of murder is about power and control. For a short time the killer reins supreme, God-like with power over the victim. The killer is driven by violent fantasies, until the fantasy no longer is enough to satisfy. Then the hunt for another victim begins.

This ritual will repeat itself over time and again. Since Jack The Ripper was never caught there is much left a mystery as the the 'why' of his crimes. Most serial killers come from a family that has some dysfunction. As a child he may have abused animals, was a bed wetter, and most likely a fire starter. It would be possible to eliminate some of the many suspects that have been associated with this case on those facts alone.

The fact that the Ripper selected prostitutes as his victims is also common enough. Unfortunatly they make easy targets due to their line of work. It was no different for the killer known as Jack The Ripper in 1888 than for the Green River Killer, Gary Leon Ridgeway, in the first decade of the 21st century. Ridgeway, finally arrested when the science of DNA advanced enough to point the finger of guilt his way, felt he was doing society a favor, cleaning up the streets by killing what he considered 'trash'. What he called trash, others called human beings. The Ripper may have felt the same way, we just don't know. From the crime scenes he left behind it was obvious he had a great rage and hatred for women in general, prostitutes in particular. It is also possible that the Ripper had some kind of personality disorder. Many stranger killers suffer from at least one or more of these types of disorders. Unlike true mental illness, personality disorders can not be fixed, either with therapy or drugs. Developed and set in early childhood, an individual's personality is what it is.

Answer 7

There is still much about serial murder that is not understood. But it seems the underlying factor is about control. The killer has an insatiable appetite to control others. For a very brief time, they can play god with another's life. In many cases, this manifests itself through some type of sexual act, whether that be rape, masturbation over the body, etc. With the case of Jack the Ripper, there was never any indication that the victims were raped, but the Ripper's crimes were sexual in nature. His choice of prostitutes and the mutilations all indicate sex. Once the Ripper incapacitated the victims via cutting the throats, his attention was mainly the genitals, even to the point that some sexual organs were taken by the killer. As his crimes escalated, he mutilated the faces of the victims also. This was his way to de-humanize these women. It is a safe bet that the man that committed these crimes had an extreme hatred of women.

Answer 8

Since the case of Jack The Ripper had no official resolution we can only find insight as to his motivation by his crimes and by what is now know about killers like him. In the second half of the 20th century, the world in general, the United States in particular, experienced a sharp rise in what was always a rare type of killer, what we now call a serial killer.

After decades of studying the serial killer some of the mystery has been cleared up. Although every case is different, the making of a serial killer seems to be a combination of 'nature andnurture'. When genetics and environment produce this rare killer, it is always bad news for society.

For Jack The Ripper, the victims and crime scenes he left behind, shed some light as to his motivation for some of the most gruesom murders in criminal history. He seemed to have an intense hatred of women in the way he destroyed his victims in an absolute frenzy of violence. Many times this hatred of women may manifest itself in the destruction of prostitutes, women, that to the killer, flaunt their sexuality, or are the physical embodiment of women's sexuality. Further proof of this destruction, is the way many of his victim's faces were mutilated to the point that their family members could recognize them only by the clothes they wore at the time of the deaths. Mary Kelly's significant other identified her by the color and texture of her hair since there was little else left intact of her entire body. The Ripper was probably blessed with a higher than average IQ, and he seemed to reveal a contemp for others he felt were not his equal. Unfortuneatly, these can be the hardest type of killers to catch. It is also very possible that he came from a dysfunctional family situation, to what degree, we can only guess.

So what these crimes tell us about the man that committed them was an intellegent woman-hater that had no regaurd for human life other than his own, and had a disrespect for law enforcement, in fact he probably felt he alone was above the law. He more than likely carried a bad or compromised childhood into his adult life and lived out his violent fantacies in the dark streets of Victorian era London.

Answer 9

As far as we know, he just killed women who where prostitutes.