Today is the 135th anniversary of Jack the Ripper's first murder, and while this is not a day I particularly celebrate, it just so happens I've recently come across this excellent documentary.
One thought is below as long as you've watched the video first.
It seems to me, the elephant in this particular room is the combination of the brutality of the crime and the suddenness of the start and stop of the spree. Do serial murderers usually "get it out of their system" and hang up their hat after a certain time? The fact that they stop suddenly suggests we should look at who died around that time, who was arrested, and if there were similar crimes in other countries before or after (though the fame of this case means it's likely there weren't). I don't say this to try to crack open the case that so many people have looked into, just that I wish this was addressed in the video because I'm lazy and don't want to start searching the internet for Jack the Ripper.
When I was a kid in the 80s, there was a TV special where a group of experts were going to get together and finally "decide" or "announce" the real identity of Jack the Ripper. I remember the mentality of being so naive that I believed it was going to happen completely and was just so in awe of the entire proceeding. It was an important event! The secret was finally going to be revealed! We were finally going to know!
But that event (special) did create a lasting impression on me that I've remembered to this day. I should try to track that special down sometime but that also involves searching the internet for Jack the Ripper.
