Biography - S03E59: Jack the Ripper: Phantom of Death

Jack the Ripper is the pseudonym given to an unidentified serial killer who terrorized the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The killer targeted female sex workers, cutting their throats and performing brutal abdominal mutilations that suggested a knowledge of human anatomy. The "canonical five" victims—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly—were murdered between August and November 1888. The name "Jack the Ripper" originated from the infamous "Dear Boss" letter sent to the Central News Agency during the hysteria, though its authenticity remains disputed. Despite intensive investigations by Scotland Yard, hundreds of interviews, and thousands of lines of inquiry, the killer's true identity was never discovered. Key historical suspects included Montague John Druitt, Aaron Kosminski, and Walter Sickert, but no conclusive evidence ever emerged. The case permanently reshaped crime reporting and modern forensic mythology.

Cast: Peter Graves, Jack Perkins