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- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi there, it's Vanessa. If you're loving this show, you won't want to miss my new show, a fellow Crime House Original Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes Every Wednesday I'll uncover the true stories behind the world's most shocking crimes, deadly ideologies and secret plots. From mass suicides and political assassinations to secret government experiments and UFO cults. Follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen. And for ad free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. This is Crime House. This week in crime history features the terrifying acts of two of the world's most dangerous serial killers. The On August 31, 1985, Richard Ramirez, better known as the Night Stalker, was arrested after a summer long killing spree throughout Los Angeles. Almost a century earlier, London's East End faced its own string of horrors when a woman named Mary Nichols was found murdered. Investigators had no idea they'd discovered the first victim, the of Jack the Ripper. Welcome to True Crime. This week I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Sunday we'll be revisiting notorious crimes from the upcoming week in history. From serial killers to mysterious disappearances or murders, every episode will explore stories that share a common theme. Each week we'll cover two stories, one further in the past and one more rooted in the present. This week's theme is Serial Killers. We'll start Today's episode in 1985 when Richard Ramirez was arrested, bringing the Night Stalker's months long murder spree to an end. Then we'll go back to 1888 to the day Jack the Ripper's first victim was discovered. Introducing the world to serial killers as we know them. These cases share so much more than a common subject. They've come to define the most terrifying aspects of true crime. Two eras, two cities, both gripped by relentless horror. All that and more coming up.
- [02:49]
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- [03:22]
Amazon Prime Announcer
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- [04:15]
Vanessa Richardson
Amazon.comprime Around 9:15am on August 31, 1985, Richard Ramirez stepped off a Greyhound bus. The 25 year old had just returned to his home city of East Los Angeles after visiting family in Arizona. Far from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, this was a workingclass neighborhood full of families, mostly of Hispanic heritage. Normally, there'd be a flurry of activity as people got ready for the day, chatting with neighbors in their driveways. But not today. The streets were nearly empty. Richard noticed curtains drawn across people's windows and even metal bars wedged through chain link fences. He knew why they were there. People were being cautious because of him. For the last five months, Richard had terrorized the city of Los Angeles, breaking into people's homes and attacking them in the dead of night. He'd killed about a dozen people so far, but some had survived their encounters with Richard. His identity was unknown, but these survivors told tales of a deranged Satan worshipper on the loose. It had put the whole city on edge. And now that Richard was back in town, he was ready to strike again. But first, he wanted to find something to drink. He walked a couple blocks to a nearby liquor store before going inside. He stopped at a newsstand out front. While he perused the shelves, a couple of people in the distance glanced at him with caution through the liquor store window. People started noticing him, too. Then Richard realized what they were looking at. There, on the front page of the local paper, was a picture of his face. The headline read, night Stalker Identified. Richard's monstrous past had caught up with him. And soon the world would know the first full extent of his depravity. From the time he was young, Richard Ramirez was groomed for violence he was born on February 29, 1960 in El Paso, Texas, the youngest of five children. His mother worked a lot and couldn't spend much time with her kids. And Richard's father, Julian, was extremely abusive. Richard's siblings did everything they could to protect him from their father's rage. But he still didn't feel safe at home. He often snuck out of the house at night and slept at a local cemetery. To him, that was better than being in the same house as his dad. As a preteen, he kept as much distance from Julian as possible. That's when Richard's cousin Miguel stepped in. Miguel was 11 years older than Richard and had served in the Vietnam War. Richard was drawn to his strong, determined nature. Miguel wasn't someone who could be pushed around or forced to sleep outside. When Richard was about 12 years old, he started spending a lot of time with his older cousin. But Miguel didn't turn out to be a very good role model. He introduced Richard to marijuana and told him all about the gruesome things he did in Vietnam and not just acts of war. Miguel described in detail how he sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered multiple innocent women. He even showed Richard photos of his victims mutilated bodies. About a year later, When Richard was 13, he witnessed Miguel's cruelty firsthand. One night, Miguel's wife Josie came home from work and the couple erupted into an argument. Richard was in the kitchen with them while they fought. As the situation escalated, Miguel pulled out a gun and shot Josie in cold blood. Neighbors heard the gunshot and police quickly arrived. Miguel was arrested at the scene and Richard saw it all. A few days later, he returned to Miguel's house to gather some of his things. When he walked into the kitchen, Josie's death replayed in his mind. Richard thought he could still smell her blood. That's when he realized he didn't feel fear or grief. He'd felt excited watching someone die. And his next role model didn't do anything to discourage those feelings. Rather than go back to his father's house, Richard moved in with his sister Ruth and her husband Roberto. With Miguel out of the picture, Roberto took Richard under his wing. And he wasn't a much better influence. Roberto would take 13 year old Richard out at night to spy on women. Richard liked lurking in the shadows, unseen. But after the thrill of Josie's death, he wanted more. Richard wanted to hurt them too. For the moment, it was just a fantasy. But over the next few years, Richard's urges continued to grow and eventually he couldn't contain them. In 1970, 8. When Richard was 18, he decided it was time to leave El Paso. He moved to Los Angeles where one of his brothers was living. He didn't prove to be a very good influence either. Richard's brother was a criminal himself and taught him how to burglarize houses. Burglary came naturally to Richard, who was already an expert in stalking people. Soon he became so stealthy, he moved on to pickpocketing people on the streets. He used that money to pay for a growing cocaine habit. Eventually, Richard branched out into drug dealing. And as his criminal endeavors grew, he brushed elbows with all kinds of shady people in the LA underworld. Then one day in 1984, a chance meeting convinced 24 year old Richard to unleash his inner darkness. The circumstances are unclear, but at some point, Richard struck up a conversation with someone who. We don't know who exactly this man was or how Richard met him, but before long they were talking about the meaning of life. Richard told the man he believed all humans were evil at their core and that ever since he saw Josie die, he'd been yearning to feel that way again. The man said that to unlock his dark side, Richard should stop following his brother's example, or Roberto's, or even Miguel's. To be truly evil, he had to follow Satan. Soon Richard began reading books by Anton lavey, who founded the Church of Satan. He started to believe that demons controlled everything on earth, that they pulled the strings of every human action and controlled everyone's fate. Richard thought he could get the demons to work in his favor. To do that, he had to give them a sacrifice. But not just any sacrifice, a human sacrifice.
- [11:43]
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- [12:05]
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Vanessa Richardson
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- [12:15]
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- [12:18]
Vanessa Richardson
A runner.
- [12:23]
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- [12:46]
Vanessa Richardson
In the spring of 1984, 24 year old Richard Ramirez discovered Satanism, opening the doors to his darkest fantasies. For years he'd been going down a drug fueled spiral, waiting for a reason to kill. And at this point he was so detached from reality he was finally ready to do it. He'd learned from his father Julian, his cousin Miguel and his brother in law Roberto that women and children were the easiest targets. He decided to start there and made his first move as soon as he could. On the night of June 27, 1984, Richard was prowling the LA suburb of Glendale with a knife concealed under his clothing. As he walked along the quiet suburban streets, he noticed an apartment building. One of the lower level windows was open. Richard edged closer to the building concealed in shadows and trees. He peered into the window and spotted 78 year old Jenny Vincow. Wasting no time, Richard approached the window and carefully removed the screen. Then he leapt into the apartment and attacked Jenny with his knife. She barely had time to call for help before Richard killed her. The next day, Jenny's son came to her apartment to check on her. After finding her body, he called 911 and officers from the Glendale Police Department arrived at the scene. They noticed that furniture was knocked over and there was blood everywhere. When they examined Jenny's body, they discovered that her throat had been slashed. They also realized the assailant left them a single clue, a fingerprint on the discarded window screen. When they ran the print, they didn't get any immediate matches. At the time, national databases only included prints from convicted felons. Richard had some burglary charges, but those were misdemeanors, so his prints didn't link him to Jenny's murder. For the next few months, the case went completely cold and so did Richard. It's unclear why, but he went almost entirely off the grid. It's possible he was laying low or maybe even strategizing his next kill. Either way, about nine months later, on March 17, 1985, Richard was ready to strike again. That night he stalked the streets of Rosemead, about 20 miles from Glendale. He attacked two young women in their apartment. 20 year old Maria Hernandez and her roommate, 34 year old Dale Okazaki. This time he used a gun instead of a knife. Fortunately, Maria survived, but Dale tragically died. And Richard still wasn't done. Richard ran away from Maria and Dale's apartment. At some point he stole a car and drove about 44 miles to Monterey park where he spotted a young woman at a red light. Her name was Silen Veronica U. Richard got out of the driver's seat, then ran up to the woman's car and pulled her out before shooting and killing her. A man in a nearby apartment heard the commotion and called the police. LAPD officers quickly arrived at the scene. Meanwhile, Maria Hernandez was speaking to officers following her attack. She gave them a detailed account of what happened. She also provided a description of the attacker. With three attacks and two murders in one night, the LAPD quickly determined there was a serial killer on the loose. However, they didn't connect these attacks to Jenny Vincow's murder, which had taken place in a different part of the city almost a year prior. But Richard didn't wait nearly as long to strike again. Ten days later, on March 28, 1985, Richard made his way to a lavish home that he'd once robbed. A married couple lived there, 64 year old Vincent Zazara and his wife, 44 year old Maxine. Richard climbed in through a patio window and crept upstairs where Vincent and Maxine were sleeping. He shot Vincent, killing him instantly. Then he beat Maxine, tied her to the bed and began searching the room for valuables. While Richard was preoccupied, Maxine wriggled her way out of the binds. Once she was free, she tried to run. But Richard noticed. He shot and killed her. And in a final act of cruelty, he removed Maxine's eyes with a knife. Finally, he fled the scene. This time, officers found footprints in the flower beds outside the Zazara's home, as well as bullet casings in their bedroom. A bullet analysis showed that the same gun had been used to attack Maria Hernandez and Dale Okazaki. The media quickly picked up on the story, calling Richard the Night Stalker because of how he broke into homes in the dead of night. And Richard gave them plenty to report on because three weeks after killing Charles and Maxine Zazara, he struck again. On the morning of May 14, 1985, Richard broke into the home of Bill and Lillian Doy in the Monterey park neighborhood. Like he did with the Zazaras, he shot and killed Bill, then bound Lily into the bed while he ransacked the room. When he was done, Richard sexually assaulted Lillian. However, unlike with Maxine's Azara, he let her live. After Richard fled, Lillian called the police and gave a description of her attacker. It was strikingly similar to the one Maria Hernandez gave back in March, except Lillian provided something new. A description of the man's teeth. She said he was missing several of them, and the ones he did have were severely decayed. Police were getting a clearer picture of the man they were after. But the description they had still didn't match any potential suspects. Fortunately, they'd soon learned something shocking and crucial about the night stalker. On May 29, Richard sexually assaulted and killed two more women who were sisters. This time, he drew a pentagram on one of his victim's bodies in red lipstick after she was dead. And on both women's bedroom walls. Their bodies were found two days later. Now investigators knew what was motivating the Night Stalker. The devil himself. All over la, people boarded up and barred their doors and windows. Many were too scared to drive at night. The City of Angels became more like a ghost town every day. And the terror only grew as more attacks occurred over the next six weeks. Between May 30 and August 18, Richard killed eight more people, either by stabbing or shooting. And he sexually assaulted, beat, or attempted to kill 10 others, including. Including children he robbed each home he broke into. Not only that, but he drew pentagrams on the walls. And anytime he left a victim alive, he forced them to swear to Satan that they'd give him all their valuables. Richard's sense of power was growing with each kill. He'd never felt more control than when he was striking fear in his victims. But then, on August 25, 1985, someone beat him at his own game. Richard was getting sick of prowling the streets and fleeing his victims homes on foot. So earlier that day, he stole an orange Toyota. That night, he drove to a quiet LA suburb, parked the car on the street, then stalked through the bushes toward a darkened house. He'd snuck into his victim's homes countless times. But then this time, a 13 year old boy who lived in the house heard a noise from inside. The family's garage had been broken into and robbed before. So the boy thought there might be another prowler. He shouted for his parents who came running. Richard heard the commotion from outside. He ran back to his car, got in and sped off. But the boy spotted the car in the nick of time. He got the license plate number and his parents notified the police. In the meantime, Richard raced out of the neighborhood and made his way to another subdivision. There he broke into an engaged couple's home and fatally shot the man. Then he bound and sexually assaulted his fiance. Afterward, he forced her to declare her love for Satan and made her swear she'd tell the police that. That the Night Stalker was there. When Richard left the home, he drove to a nearby parking lot and ditched the orange Toyota. Little did he know, police had already spoken to the family who saw the car and they were on the lookout for it. Within about a day they found the car. It was covered in fingerprints. In the years since he'd killed Jenny Vincow, the system had been updated to include prints from all offenders, not just felons. Detectives sent the evidence off for analysis. But rather than sit around and wait for a hit, they kept up the momentum. They knew that the Night Stalker could strike again at any moment. So they offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who could help identify him. Within days, someone contacted police and claimed they used to burglarize homes with a man matching the Night Stalker's description, including his decaying teeth. The informant said that the Night Stalker was a man who went by the name Rick. It wasn't a lot to go on, but police soon got another piece of the puzzle. Shortly after hearing from the informant, they got back the results of the fingerprint analysis. One was a perfect match for a man who'd been arrested for auto theft in nineteen nineteen eighty four. His name was Richard Ramirez. Authorities believed that Rick was his nickname and they were certain now that the 25 year old was the Night Stalker. They spread his mugshot far and wide. And the next day, August 29, 1985, Richard came back to LA after a quick trip to Arizona. He stopped at a newsstand in front of a liquor store and saw his face plastered on the front page. Moments later, a few men marched out of the store, their eyes fixed on him. Richard took one look at them and booked it. The men chased after him, but he was too fast. Once there was no one else in sight, he tried to break into a couple of cars, but they were both locked. Finally, he spotted 29 year old Angie De La Torre walking down her driveway toward a brown Ford. Richard accosted her and demanded that she give him her keys. Angie recognized him immediately. She screamed, it's the killer. In a panic, Richard began hitting her. But Angie wasn't afraid. She hit him back. Then Angie's husband, 35 year old Manuel de La Torre, ran out of the house toward them. He grabbed a metal bar they were keeping close by for protection and hit Richard over the head with it repeatedly. The commotion attracted more neighbors to the scene. Once they realized who Richard was, they started beating him too. Moments later, LAPD officers arrived. They cuffed Richard and took him into custody. Richard Ramirez spent three years behind bars as trial preparations were underway. While incarcerated, his fame and notoriety only grew. Women from all over the city wrote him letters and visited him in prison, claiming they were Drawn to his dark mystique. All the while, his victims families watched the circus of devoted fans as they they awaited justice for their loved ones. Finally, in 1988, he went to trial. He appeared in court with a pentagram drawn on his hand, yelling hail Satan. But the devil wasn't there to protect him this time. When the proceedings ended in 1989, a jury found Richard guilty on 13 counts of murder, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults, assaults, and 14 burglaries. Richard was given the death sentence. But in 2013, at the age of 53, he died of cancer behind bars. Looking back on his crimes, it's clear that Richard Ramirez used devil worship as a mere cover. It was his excuse for acting on his true desire to attack vulnerable, unsuspecting people. All so that he could feel powerful. But in the end, he was no match for a community of people who refused to let their guard down. And when it was down to the wire and the Night Stalker was outnumbered, there was no one there to help him. Not even Satan. Up next, another dark figure attacks from the shadows, leaving horror and mystery in his wake.
- [26:57]
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Vanessa Richardson
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Vanessa Richardson
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- [27:47]
Ryan Reynolds
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- [27:48]
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- [27:53]
Vanessa Richardson
Savings.
- [27:53]
Invisible Choir Podcast Announcer
Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts. Introducing Invisible Choir, a true crime podcast that explores the most heinous murders through investigative storytelling, primary source audio, and exclusive interviews.
- [28:09]
Vanessa Richardson
She had turned to, like, get away from him. He walked to his car. He pulled out the sword, and then he followed her. They found chunks of her hair in the grass.
- [28:21]
Invisible Choir Podcast Announcer
We'll take you on an unforgettable emotional journey to the crime scenes themselves as we explore the individual and community impact behind some truly horrendous and often preventable crimes.
- [28:33]
True Crime Story Narrator
And I went into trying to convince myself that she stayed with a girlfriend. And maybe her phone was dead. She couldn't charged it or she didn't have service. I don't know. Just trying to convince myself that she would be okay.
- [28:48]
Invisible Choir Podcast Announcer
Subscribe, listen and review Invisible Choir on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. New episodes air every other Sunday.
- [29:00]
Vanessa Richardson
On August 29, 1985, Richard Ramirez was arrested in Los Angeles after being unmasked as the satanic serial killer known as the Night Stalker. That same week, almost 100 years earlier and over 5,000 miles away, another serial killer haunted the streets of London. In the late 19th century, London's East End was plagued by poverty, overcrowding, and crime. The neighborhood known as Whitechapel was no exception. Their high levels of alcoholism and homelessness gave ample opportunity for thieves and brawlers. But on Friday, August 31, 1888, something even darker invaded the alleyways. Around 3:30am a man named Charles Cross left his home in Whitechapel and began walking along the neighborhood's cobblestone stone streets. Charles was a delivery driver. Each morning he made his way to the carriage house to hitch his cart and begin his rounds. Usually, the walk from his home to the carriage house was uneventful. But as Charles approached a local boarding school, he noticed something on the side of the road, right next to the school's gate. It looked like some sort of tarp or a bundle of fabric. Charles got closer, thinking maybe he could use the fabric as a cover for his cart. But once he was close enough, he realized it wasn't just a pile of fabric. It was a woman lying motionless in the street. All of a sudden, Charles saw another man walking toward him, a fellow delivery driver named Robert Paul. Charles called out to Robert and told him what he'd found. Robert rushed over and the two men carefully examined the woman. She was leaned up against the gate with her skirt pushed up above her waist. Charles thought maybe she'd passed out drunk, but as they looked closer, they realized her eyes were open, staring blankly. Charles touched her face. It felt warm. Then he touched her hand, hands which were ice cold. Robert touched her chest to see if she was breathing. He thought he sensed her chest rise and fall. Barely. Robert suggested that they help the woman sit up, but Charles refused to touch her again. Plus, they were late for work, so instead they agreed to tell the first police officer they saw about the woman. Then they pulled her skirts back down over her knees knees and left. Before they could flag anyone down. A police constable named John Neal approached from the opposite direction. When he saw the woman, he knelt down and shined his lantern on her. Constable Neil noticed Something that Charles and Robert hadn't. She hadn't been breathing after all because her throat had been slit. Neil immediately sent for the town medic as well as a police Police ambulance. At around 4am, the medic named Dr. Llewelyn arrived at the crime scene. He noted the woman's severe wounds and confirmed that she was dead. Based on how warm her arms were, he believed she died just a half hour earlier. By this time, another constable had joined them. He'd been alerted by the delivery drivers, Charles Cross and Robert Paul. When Dr. Llewellyn heard their story, he pieced together the timeline and realized the killer must have fled the scene right before Charles first found the woman. Shortly after the ambulance arrived, which back then was a simple wooden hand cart, the constables lifted the woman onto it. When they did, they noticed how much blood had pooled underneath her. At that moment, Dr. Llewellyn was realized that his original theory might have been wrong. Based on how much blood there was, he realized the attack had been incredibly violent. So it didn't make sense that neither Charles nor Robert heard any screams. In Llewellyn's mind, this meant that the killer had actually committed the crime somewhere else. Then dumped the body near the boarding school. And when they arrived at the mortuary, the doctor made another shocking discovery. He carefully removed the woman's clothing and saw she had sustained another injury on her abdomen. As he carefully wiped away the blood, he realized it wasn't a puncture, but a clean slice down her body. Horrified, Llewellyn gently pressed on the wound. That's when he discovered that the woman had been completely, completely disemboweled. He alerted one of the constables and told him that they had to find whoever did this fast. Llewellyn cleaned himself up and the two men began searching the woman's clothing for any hint of her identity. That's when they noticed something on the inside of her petticoat. A stamp bearing the name Lambeth Workhouse. There were dozens of workhouses in London at the time housing tens of thousands of poverty stricken people. In exchange for their labor, they received shelter and food, but little pay. If the victim had worked there, the investigators knew she must have fallen on hard times. And if they could learn her story, maybe they could figure out who killed her. The Lambeth Workhouse was located nearby, also in the East End. A group of officers headed there and eventually found some women who were able to identify the victim. Her name was Mary Ann Nichols. She was about 43 years old and had recently separated from her husband of over 24 years, a man named William Nichols. William had recently begun an affair with the woman who helped Marianne give birth to their child. When Marianne discovered her husband's infidelity, she moved in with her father and began drinking heavily. Shortly after, she ended up at the Lambeth workhouse. Investigators suspected that like many struggling women at the time, Marianne had started engaging in sex work to make extra money. This gave rise to the theory that one of Marianne's patrons had killed her. But before they could identify a suspect, the killer struck again. Around 6am on Saturday, September 8, just over a week after Marianne's body was discovered, a man named John Davis left his lodging house in Whitechapel. As he walked down the narrow alleyway, he spotted something near a fence post. John got closer and realized it was a woman lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Her skirt was pulled up above her waist and there was a handkerchief tied around her neck. Covered in blood. John shouted for the police. Moments later, Inspector Joseph Chandler rushed down the alleyway toward him. When Chandler saw the woman, he knew the crime had to be connected to Marianne Nichols murder. At the mortuary, the police surgeon noticed the victim's throat had been cut through the handkerchief that was tied around her neck. Just like Marianne. He also not knew that Marianne had been disemboweled. This woman had been sliced down the abdomen as well. Except this time the killer didn't remove the victim's intestines. He removed her uterus. In that moment, the surgeon knew these weren't crimes of passion committed in the heat of the moment. These murders were intentional, methodical and deranged. The London police soon Learned that this second victim was 47 year old Annie Chapman. She'd been living at a nearby lodging house for about four months. She sold crocheted goods for a living and made extra money through sex work. Investigators now had a clear connection between Marianne and Annie. Both women were sex workers. They wondered if other sex workers in the East End might about the victim's clients. Officers took to the street. But the women didn't trust the police and were reluctant to share information. Meanwhile, word spread around the East End that two working women had been murdered and mutilated. The news sparked instant panic. Everyone in the East End was poverty stricken. Sex work and other off the books jobs were common with which meant no one was safe. People looked over their shoulders everywhere they went and they didn't trust the police to protect them. Instead, local business owners formed a so called vigilance committee. This was a group of men who armed themselves with sticks and whistles, patrolling the streets at night hoping to catch the killer. But they were looking in the wrong places and by the time they reached realized it, they were too late.
- [38:28]
Ryan Reynolds
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- [39:31]
Vanessa Richardson
In the span of one week in the late summer of 1888, two women, 30 year old Mary Ann Nichols and 40, 47 year old Annie Chapman, were brutally murdered in London's East End. Both were engaging in sex work at the time of their deaths, which made police think their killer was a regular patron, or at the very least, someone who stalked the streets at night trailing sex workers as they went to meet clients to zero in on a suspect, constables scoured the streets, interviewing people who lived in the East End. For a while they had no luck, especially because sex workers didn't trust the police. But they trusted each other. And as they talked among themselves, they came to a startling realization. It started when a handful of sex workers realized they had all had a similar suspicious encounter with the same man. He approached them on the streets at night and threatened to hurt them if they didn't hand over all their money. He was so aggressive, the women had no choice but to do what he said. Fortunately, he left them alone after that. But as these women got to talking, they noted another strange detail. In each instance, the man was wearing a leather apron. They shared this with the police who theorized the killer was someone with anatomical knowledge, like a surgeon or even a butcher. The leather apron supported this idea. Shortly after the second victim, Annie Chapman, was killed. One woman even pointed out the man to a constable. He was brought in for questioning, but they eventually let him go, which meant police still had no real suspects. But the true killer made it clear he he was still out there, watching everything. A few weeks after, on September 27, 1888, a letter arrived at the offices of London's Central News Agency. The writer claimed to be Marianne and Annie's killer. He taunted the police for not being able to catch him and he assured them he would strike again. He signed the letter Jack the Ripper. From that day on, the moniker hung like a dark cloud over the streets of London. Then, on September 30, one day after the letter arrived, Eastenders were confronted with the most shocking crime yet. Around 1:00am, a jewelry salesman named Louis Diemschutz was steering his cart down the street when his horse suddenly reflected. Refused to move any further. Lewis was startled and lit a match to see what had scared his horse. In the dim light, he saw a dark shape on the ground. He thought it might be someone passed out drunk. He went inside a nearby saloon and asked for help. A few men carrying candles followed him outside. With more light to see by, the group realized it was the bloodied body of a woman. They immediately called for the police. A constable arrived a few moments later. He already knew this woman was likely killed in the same manner as Marianne Nichols and Annie Chapman. But when he inspected her body, he noticed that while her skirt was pulled around her waist and her throat was cut deeply, her abdomen was completely intact. The constable reached down to touch the woman's arm. It was still warm. He wondered if the killer had fled before finishing his usual routine. Right before Lewis arrived, officers swarmed the area looking for any sign of the culprit, but they didn't see anything. In the meantime, another group of officers brought the woman's body to the mortuary. Like with the previous victims, they asked local lodging house residents to help identify her. In less than an hour, the third victim was identified as 44 year old Elizabeth Stride. Elizabeth was working as a maid and it's unclear if she also engaged in sex work. However, a handful of witnesses came forward to say they saw her with multiple men the night she was killed. But before police could dig any deeper, another victim was found in an alleyway nearby. Less than an hour after Elizabeth Stride was discovered. She was 46 year old Catherine Eddowes. Police identified her easily because she'd been in jail earlier that night for being drunk in public. Then shortly after she was released, witnesses saw her walking down the street with an unknown man. The next time anyone saw Catherine, she was lying dead in a pool pool of blood with her skirt pulled up around her waist. Police believed the murderer had targeted her after he cut his killing ritual short with Elizabeth. Because when Catherine's body was examined, investigators discovered that her kidney and uterus had been removed. Sources differ on whether Catherine was engaging in sex work when she died. But at the time, many people believed the man now known as Jack the Ripper was targeting women on the outskirts of British society regardless of their job. The night known as the double event sent a wave of fear throughout the city. But just as suddenly as Jack the Ripper had burst onto the scene, he went quiet. For the next two weeks, there weren't any murders. Londoners started to wonder if his killing spree had come to an end. But then a key figure in the investigation was sent a chilling message. On October 16, 1888, the President of the local vigilance committee, George Lusk, received something suspicious. In the mail. There was a letter along with something wrapped in paper. As George unwrapped it, the item fell out. It looked like like a piece of meat. He picked up the letter to try and figure out what was going on. As he read it, he became horrified. The writer claimed to be Jack the Ripper and he said that he'd sent part of Catherine Eddowes kidney before signing off. The Ripper said he planned to take more kidneys soon. George brought the letter to the police but there was no, no way for them to verify its authenticity. And it wasn't enough to help them catch the Ripper before his next attack. On Friday, November 9, a landlord's assistant named Thomas Bowyer knocked on 25 year old Mary Jane Kelly's door. He was there to collect her rent. When no one answered, Thomas became worried. With everything going on in the city, he wanted to know if Mary Mary was safe at home or not. Especially since she was a known sex worker. Thomas tried to push open the door, but something was blocking it. So he reached through a broken window pane next to the entrance and pulled back a curtain. That's when he saw Mary's body on the bed, mutilated beyond recognition. Thomas immediately notified the police. When Mary's body was examined, investigators confirmed that her kidneys and uterus had been removed. After Mary's death, the manhunt for Jack the Ripper intensified with police conducting house to house searches, interviewing thousands of people and distributing over 80,000 pamphlets asking for the public's help. Still, the killer was never found. This was largely due to a lack of forensic technology. Tactics like fingerprinting and blood analysis weren't available back then. But it was also because many people didn't want to help the police. Sex workers were afraid to reveal too much information about what they did. To this day, there are countless theories about Jack the Ripper's true identity. Many people also think his reign of terror might not have been limited to these five victims. He could have murdered up to 11 women. The debate continues among historians and so called Ripperologists, but for now, the complete scope of Jack the Ripper's atrocities remains a chilling mystery. When we look look back at the crimes of Jack the Ripper and Richard Ramirez, what stands out the most is how their communities reacted. In both cases, people came together to fight back against the killer, whether it was White Chapel's vigilance committee or the citizens of east la. In Richard Ramirez's case, those efforts led to his capture. And although the people of London never caught Jack the Ripper, maybe they scared him enough to stop things from getting any worse. Either way, it shows that we're stronger when we stand together. And when monsters lurk in the darkness, it's up to us to bring the light.
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Vanessa Richardson
Thanks so much for listening. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is True Crime this Week. True Crime this Week is a Crime House Original powered by Pave Studios. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following True Crime this Week. Wherever you get your podcast, your feedback truly matters. And for ad free and early access to True Crime this Week plus exciting bonus content, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. We'll be back next Sunday. True Crime this Week is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the True Crime this Week 2 Team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertzovsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Sarah Batchelor, Hania Saeed and Michael Langsner. Thank you for listening. If you love this show, tune into the Crime House Original Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes for the world's darkest truths, follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes now. Wherever you get your podcasts and for ad free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts.