The legendary Jack the Ripper murdered as many as ten women between the years of 1887 and 1891 in the East End of London. The debate over his true identity has never been resolved. The unbiased history of the different suspects, including two women, will give even the novice reader the basic ground to make an informed decision regarding the identity of the Whitechapel Murderer. Suspects include influential artist Walter Sickert, children’s author Lewis Carroll, Randolph Henry Spencer Churchill (father of Winston Churchill), and others ranging from doctors and politicians to wandering lunatics.

Listed alphabetically, the encyclopedic entries provide historical features such as major events in a suspect’s life, a complete chronology surrounding the case for particular suspects, suspects’ biographical data, and a basic analysis of the relevant theories. The entries explain and analyze the suspect’s particular connection to the case and describe theorists and research that have contributed to the suspect’s positive or negative candidacy as a viable suspect. Within these pages may lie the true name of Jack the Ripper—the author places all the available facts before the reader, leaving him to draw his own conclusions.