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Biography.com profiles the so-called Zodiac Killer, the unknown serial murderer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early '70s.

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1. The Jack The Ripper murders occurred between August 31st, 1888, and November 9th, 1888.

2. Although we can't say for certain, it is widely believed that Jack the Ripper had 5 victims.

3. Those five victims were, Mary Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Kelly.

4. However, there were 11 murders in the series of crimes that were officially known as "The Whitechapel Murders."

An introduction to the Whitechapel Murders

JACK THE RIPPER 1888

The Jack the Ripper murders occurred in the East End of London in 1888 and, although the Whitechapel Murderer was only a threat to a very small section of the community in a relatively small part of London, the crimes had a huge impact on society as a whole.

Indeed, by focusing the attention of the press and the public at large on the streets and people of one of London's poorest and most crime-ridden quarters, Jack the Ripper, whoever he may have been, managed to expose the sordid underbelly of Victorian society and, in so doing, he helped create an awareness amongst the wealthier citizens of London of the appalling social conditions that had been allowed to develope, largely unchecked, right on the doorstep of the City of London, the wealthiest square mile on earth.

Why is Jack The Ripper so famous?

HISTORY'S MOST INFAMOUS MURDERER

One of the things that puzzles many people about this particular long ago murder spree is quite why the crimes are still so famous, even though over a hundred and twenty five years have elapsed since they occurred.

If, as is generally believed, Jack the Ripper had only five victims, then he wasn't a particularly prolific murderer, compared to many who have come since, and the fact that his so-called reign of terror lasted a mere twelve or so weeks means that he wasn't at large for a particularly long period of time.

Yet there is little doubt that he is the world's most famous serial killer.

Why should this be?

What made these crimes so famous?

SOME OF THE REASONS FOR HIS INFAMY

Several factors combined to help make this series of crimes famous all over the world.

Not least amongst them was the fact that the newspapers of the day gave a huge amount of coverage to the crimes and provided their readers with daily updates on them with the result that Jack the Ripper effectively became a menacing media figure.

Secondly, the area in which the killings occurred was perceived as being a hotbed of vice and villainy, and a breeding ground for social unrest, squalor and disease. The Whitechapel Murderer, in the eyes of the wider Victorian society, came to be seen as the personification of all the evils with which the East End of London was associated.

This letter, signed "Jack the Ripper", truly captured the public imagination.

A JOURNALISTIC INVENTION?

Finally, there was, of course, the name by which the killer came to be known - Jack the Ripper.

The name first appeared as the signature on a letter that was sent to the head of a London news agency at the end of September, 1888.

It was this name - which was probably the invention of a journalist - that had the effect of turning five sordid East End murders into an international phenomenon and of catapulting the unknown miscreant who was responsible for the crimes into the realm of legend.

Indeed, the Whitechapel murders are probably the most studied crimes in history, and, to this day, a huge amount of research into them is still being conducted the world over.

On this website you can study all aspects of the Jack the Ripper murders and of Victorian crime in general, as well as learning about the history of the area in which the crimes occurred.

You can also study what the police were doing to try to catch the murderer and read about the public reactions to the crimes.

You can also cast your vote for the person that you think is the likeliest suspect.

The Victims Of Jack The Ripper

This documentary provides a full introduction to and a synopsis of the Whitechapel murders, which took place between April, 1888 and February, 1891.

With the aid of contemporary illustrations and photographs, the viewer is transported back to the autumn of terror to learn about the lives of the victims, see the locations where the Jack the Ripper murders occurred, and visit the cemeteries where the victims are buried.

The video makes for an excellent introduction to the case.

The Canonical Five Victims

Other Whitechapel Murders

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Jack the Ripper - History, Victims, Letters, Suspects.

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The Jack The Ripper murders occurred between August 31st, 1888, and November 9th, 1888. Although we can't say for certain, it is widely believed that Jack the Ripper had 5 victims. Those five victims were, Mary Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Kelly.

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The Chilling Mystery Of The Black Dahlia

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John Wayne Gacy was one of the worst serial killers in U.S. history, murdering at least 33 teenage boys and young men.

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Who Was H.H. Holmes?

Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, (May 16, 1861 to May 7, 1896) was a con artist and bigamist who was one of America's first serial killers. Sometimes referred to as the "Beast of Chicago," Holmes is believed to have killed somewhere between 20 and 200 people. He killed many of his victims in a specially constructed home, which was later nicknamed the "Murder Castle." Apprehended in 1894, he was hanged for his crimes two years later. Erik Larson wrote about Holmes in his 2003 book The Devil in the White City, which has been adapted for a feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

H.H. Holmes Movie: 'Devil in the White City'

Holmes' life as one of America's first serial killers has been the subject of many books and documentaries, including The Devil in the White City (2003), by Erik Larson. The book is in the process of being adapted for the big screen, with Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio tapped to direct and star, respectively.

H.H. Holmes and Jack the Ripper

In 2017, the History Channel aired an eight-part series, American Ripper, in which Holmes' great-great-grandson, Jeff Mudgett, explored the theory of whether H.H. Holmes was actually Jack the Ripper. The series also investigated the rumor that Holmes had somehow escaped his execution, concluding with a visit to his gravesite to exhume his remains.

Early Life and Scams

H.H. Holmes was born Herman Webster Mudgett circa May 16, 1861, in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. Born into an affluent family, Holmes enjoyed a privileged childhood and was said to be unusually intelligent at an early age. Still, there were haunting signs of what was to come. He expressed an interest in medicine, which reportedly led him to practice surgery on animals. Some accounts indicate that he may have been responsible for the death of a friend.

Holmes' life of crime began with various frauds and scams. As a medical student at the University of Michigan, he stole corpses and used them to make false insurance claims. Holmes may have used the bodies for experiments, as well.

"Murder Castle"

In 1885, H.H. Holmes moved to Chicago, Illinois. He soon found work in a pharmacy, using his now infamous alias, Dr. Henry H. Holmes. He eventually took over the business, and was later rumored to have killed its original owner.

Holmes had a three-story building constructed nearby, creating an elaborate house of horrors. The upper floors contained his living quarters and many small rooms where he tortured and killed his victims. There were also trapdoors and chutes that enabled him to move the bodies down to the basement, where he could burn the remains in a kiln or dispose of them in other ways.

During the 1893 Columbian Exposition, Holmes opened up his home as a hotel for visitors. Unfortunately, many guests did not survive in what became known as the "Murder Castle." Many of these victims - no one knows for certain the total number - were women who were seduced, swindled and then killed. Holmes had a habit of getting engaged to a woman, only for his fiancée to suddenly "disappear." Other victims were lured there by the offer of employment.

Schemes

Holmes left Chicago shortly after the World's Fair to continue his schemes, including a plan with an associate named Benjamin Pitezel in which Pitezel would fake his death to collect $10,000 from a life insurance company. Jailed at one point for another fraud, Holmes confided in fellow inmate and notorious outlaw Marion Hedgepeth - who knew Holmes as H.M. Howard - about the life insurance scheme. Hedgepeth later helped investigators by revealing details of their discussion.

While the authorities eventually identified Howard as Holmes, they did not catch on soon enough to stop his final murders. Holmes killed Pitezel and, after telling his widow that her husband was still alive and in hiding, convinced her to let him travel with three of her five children, who also became his victims.

Arrest

After several weeks of outrunning authorities, Holmes was finally apprehended in November 1894. During his time in custody, he gave numerous stories to police, once admitting to killing 27 people. Convicted in 1895, Holmes appealed his case but lost.

How Many People Did H.H. Holmes Kill?

Estimates of the total number of people H.H. Holmes killed range from 20 to as many as 200 victims - a total that would dwarf those of other murderers who followed in his bloody footsteps.

H.H. Holmes' Death

H.H. Holmes died on May 7, 1896, when he was hanged for the Pitezel murder. He was buried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, (May 16, 1861 to May 7, 1896) was a con artist and bigamist who was one of America's first serial killers. Sometimes referred to as the "Beast of Chicago," Holmes is believed to have killed somewhere between 20 and 200 people.

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The Strange Disappearance of D.B. Cooper

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Zac Efron has shared the first picture of himself as Ted Bundy. The 'Baywatch' star is playing the serial killer-who murdered at least 36 women-for the upcoming film, 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,' a story from the perspective of Bundy's longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer.

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Read about the story of JonBenét Ramsey, a 6-year-old beauty queen who was found murdered in her parents' Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996, on Biography.com.

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The Scandalous Murder of William Desmond Taylor

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Relatively unknown today, Louis Le Prince is the inventor officially recognized as the first person to record motion images on film, giving birth to today's...