An ex-murder squad detective is finally set to reveal the identity of Jack Ripper - 125 years after the brutal killer terrorised Victorian London.

A series of horrific murders of prostitutes, which occurred in Whitechapel in the East End of London, between August and November 1888, were attributed to a fearsome killer who became known as Jack the Ripper, whose identity has remained a mystery ever since.

Newspapers provided extensive coverage of the Ripper killings and as the murders were never solved and the killer never caught, legends surrounding the person's identity grew.

Speculation on the identity of the murderer  has included the suggestion that he was a doctor or a butcher because of the weapons used to commit the killings and the way the bodies were mutilated, which showed knowledge of human anatomy.

The crimes have even been linked to Queen Victoria’s grandson, the Duke of Clarence, and it  is said that there are now more than one hundred theories about the Ripper’s identity.

In 2002, a retired British murder squad detective, Trevor Marriott, used his knowledge and expertise to conduct a 21st Century cold case re-investigation into the murders, in an attempt to finally identify the killer.

His long and detailed investigation revealed new evidence and facts which dispel many of the previously accepted theories surrounding the case. New suspects emerged, none of which had ever been discussed previously, and one would turn out to become a new prime suspect who had eluded investigators since 1888.

Marriott joined the Bedfordshire police force in 1970 and dug into murder cases, as well as earning his stripes in the Special Branch.

In the 125th anniversary year of the awful murders, can he finally reveal the true identity of Jack the Ripper?

Jack the Ripper - A 21st Century Investigation; Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom; February 7, 7.30pm; from £10; call 01372 742555; visit www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk

 

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