Jack the Stripper
Encyclopedia
Jack the Stripper was the nickname
given to an unknown serial killer
responsible for what came to be known as the London
"nude murders" between 1964 and 1965 (also known as the "Hammersmith
murders" or "Hammersmith nudes" case).
His victimology
and nickname is similar to Jack the Ripper
's. He murdered six — possibly eight — prostitutes, whose nude bodies were discovered around London or dumped in the River Thames
. The victim count is ambiguous because two of the murders attributed to him did not fit his modus operandi
.
. She had been strangled and several of her teeth were missing; her underwear had also been forced down her throat.
Irene Lockwood: 26. Irene Lockwood was found dead on 8 April 1964 on the shore of the Thames, not far from where Hannah Tailford had been discovered; their two deaths, along with that of Elizabeth Figg, were linked and police realized that a killer was on the loose. 57-year-old caretaker Kenneth Archibald confessed to this murder almost three weeks later; this confession was dismissed due to inconsistencies in his version of events, and with the discovery of a third victim
Helen Barthelemy: 22. Helen Barthelemy, originally from Blackpool
, was found dead on 24 April 1964 in an alleyway in Brentford
. Barthelemy’s death gave investigators their first solid piece of evidence in the case: flecks of paint used in motorcar manufactories. Police felt that the paint had probably come from the killer’s workplace; they therefore focused on tracing it to a business nearby.
Mary Flemming: 30. Originally from Scotland
, Flemming’s body was found on 14 July 1964 in an open street in the district of Chiswick
, where police presence was heaviest. Once again, paint spots were found on the body; many neighbours had also heard a car reversing down the street just before the body was discovered.
Frances Brown: 21. Edinburgh
-native Frances Brown was last seen alive on 23 October 1964 by her friend, fellow prostitute Kim Taylor, before her body was found in an alleyway in Kensington
a month later on 25 November. Taylor, who had been with Brown when she was picked up by the man believed to be her killer, was able to provide police with an identikit picture and a description of the man’s car, thought either to be a Ford Zephyr
or a Zodiac.
Bridget O'Hara: 28. Irish
-born Bridget O’Hara, also known as “Bridie”, was found dead behind the Heron Trading Estate in a storage shed. Once again, O’Hara’s body turned up flecks of industrial paint which, incredibly, were traced to a covered transformer just yards from where she’d been discovered. She also showed signs of having been stored in a warm environment; the transformer was a good fit for both the paint and the heating.
. Her death was considered by some to bear many similarities to other victims, such as the location of the body (near the Thames and in Chiswick, where Mary Flemming's body would be found in 1964), and death by strangulation.
Gwynneth Rees: 22. Welsh
-born Gwynneth Rees was found dead in a rubbish tip on 8 November 1963. Once again, investigators felt Rees may have been a Stripper victim due to her being found near the River Thames, and because she had been strangled with ligature; several of her teeth were also missing.
, the detective put in charge of the case, interviewed almost 7,000 suspects. He then held a news conference
, falsely announcing that the police had narrowed the suspect pool down to 20 men. After a short time, he announced that the suspect pool contained only 10 members, and then three. The Stripper did not kill any more after the initial news conference.
According to the writer Anthony Summers
, two of his victims — Hannah Tailford and Frances Brown, the Stripper's third and seventh victims — were peripherally connected to the 1963 Profumo Affair
. Also, some victims were known to engage in an underground party and pornographic
movie scene; several writers have postulated that the victims might have known each other, and that the killer may be connected to this scene as well.
A recent book also named British light heavyweight
boxing champion Freddie Mills
as the killer, although this has not been substantiated.
The Crime and Investigation channel's 'Fred Dinage Murder Casebook', put forward the case that the killer could have been Harold Jones, a convicted murderer from Wales. Harold Jones was convicted of the murders of two girls in 1921 in the town of Abertillery. Because he was 15 at the time, he would not face the death penalty, instead receiving a life sentence. He was released 20 years later for exemplary behaviour. In 1941, at the age of 35, released from prison, he is believed to have visited his home town, Abertillery and visited the graves of his early victims. In 1947, he surfaced in London. Moving to Fulham, he got married and had a daughter. All the murders had similar traits to his early murders. No sexual assault, but horrendous violence was subjected to the victims. Due to poor records, he was never looked at by police.
, written by Arthur LeBern, is loosely based on the case; the protagonist
strangles women with his necktie. The book was turned into the Alfred Hitchcock
movie Frenzy
in 1972. Black Sabbath
included a song called "Fairies Wear Boots
" on their 1970 album Paranoid
which was titled "Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots" in its American release.
The 2009 crime novel "Bad Penny Blues
" by Cathi Unsworth
is closely based on the case.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
given to an unknown serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
responsible for what came to be known as the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
"nude murders" between 1964 and 1965 (also known as the "Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
murders" or "Hammersmith nudes" case).
His victimology
Victimology
Victimology is the scientific study of victimization, including the relationships between victims and offenders, the interactions between victims and the criminal justice system — that is, the police and courts, and corrections officials — and the connections between victims and other social groups...
and nickname is similar to Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
's. He murdered six — possibly eight — prostitutes, whose nude bodies were discovered around London or dumped in the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. The victim count is ambiguous because two of the murders attributed to him did not fit his modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
.
Confirmed
Hannah Tailford: 30. Originally from a northwest mining family, Hannah Tailford was found dead on 2 February 1964 near the Hammersmith BridgeHammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge is a crossing of the River Thames in west London, just south of the Hammersmith town centre area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side of the river. It allows road traffic and pedestrians to cross to Barnes on the south side of the river...
. She had been strangled and several of her teeth were missing; her underwear had also been forced down her throat.
Irene Lockwood: 26. Irene Lockwood was found dead on 8 April 1964 on the shore of the Thames, not far from where Hannah Tailford had been discovered; their two deaths, along with that of Elizabeth Figg, were linked and police realized that a killer was on the loose. 57-year-old caretaker Kenneth Archibald confessed to this murder almost three weeks later; this confession was dismissed due to inconsistencies in his version of events, and with the discovery of a third victim
Helen Barthelemy: 22. Helen Barthelemy, originally from Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, was found dead on 24 April 1964 in an alleyway in Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
. Barthelemy’s death gave investigators their first solid piece of evidence in the case: flecks of paint used in motorcar manufactories. Police felt that the paint had probably come from the killer’s workplace; they therefore focused on tracing it to a business nearby.
Mary Flemming: 30. Originally from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Flemming’s body was found on 14 July 1964 in an open street in the district of Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, where police presence was heaviest. Once again, paint spots were found on the body; many neighbours had also heard a car reversing down the street just before the body was discovered.
Frances Brown: 21. Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
-native Frances Brown was last seen alive on 23 October 1964 by her friend, fellow prostitute Kim Taylor, before her body was found in an alleyway in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
a month later on 25 November. Taylor, who had been with Brown when she was picked up by the man believed to be her killer, was able to provide police with an identikit picture and a description of the man’s car, thought either to be a Ford Zephyr
Ford Zephyr
The Ford Zephyr was a car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom. Between 1950 and 1972, it was sold as a more powerful six-cylinder saloon to complement the four-cylinder Ford Consul: from 1962 the Zephyr itself was offered in both four- and six-cylinder versions.The Zephyr...
or a Zodiac.
Bridget O'Hara: 28. Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born Bridget O’Hara, also known as “Bridie”, was found dead behind the Heron Trading Estate in a storage shed. Once again, O’Hara’s body turned up flecks of industrial paint which, incredibly, were traced to a covered transformer just yards from where she’d been discovered. She also showed signs of having been stored in a warm environment; the transformer was a good fit for both the paint and the heating.
Possible victims
Elizabeth Figg: 21. Elizabeth Figg was found dead on 17 June 1959, a full five years before the Jack the Stripper murders started, near the River Thames in ChiswickChiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
. Her death was considered by some to bear many similarities to other victims, such as the location of the body (near the Thames and in Chiswick, where Mary Flemming's body would be found in 1964), and death by strangulation.
Gwynneth Rees: 22. Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
-born Gwynneth Rees was found dead in a rubbish tip on 8 November 1963. Once again, investigators felt Rees may have been a Stripper victim due to her being found near the River Thames, and because she had been strangled with ligature; several of her teeth were also missing.
Investigation
Chief Superintendent John Du Rose of Scotland YardScotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, the detective put in charge of the case, interviewed almost 7,000 suspects. He then held a news conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
, falsely announcing that the police had narrowed the suspect pool down to 20 men. After a short time, he announced that the suspect pool contained only 10 members, and then three. The Stripper did not kill any more after the initial news conference.
According to the writer Anthony Summers
Anthony Summers
Anthony Bruce Summers is the non-fiction author of seven best-selling investigative books. He is an Irish citizen, and has been working for some twenty years with Robbyn Swan, who is now his co-author and fifth wife...
, two of his victims — Hannah Tailford and Frances Brown, the Stripper's third and seventh victims — were peripherally connected to the 1963 Profumo Affair
Profumo Affair
The Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy, followed by lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of...
. Also, some victims were known to engage in an underground party and pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
movie scene; several writers have postulated that the victims might have known each other, and that the killer may be connected to this scene as well.
Suspects
Like the Jack the Ripper killings, the Stripper's reign of terror seemed to cease on its own, and there were few solid clues for police to investigate. Du Rose's favourite suspect was a Scottish security guard called Mungo Ireland, whom Du Rose first identified in a BBC television interview in 1970 as a respectable married man in his forties whom he codenamed Big John. Ireland had apparently been identified as a suspect shortly after Bridget O’Hara’s murder, when flecks of industrial paint were traced to the company where he worked as a security guard, Heron Trading Estate. Shortly after the trace was made, Ireland committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, leaving a note for his wife that read: “I can’t stick it any longer”, and finished, “To save you and the police looking for me I’ll be in the garage”. Whilst seen by many as a strong suspect in the killings, recent research suggests that Ireland was in Scotland when O’Hara was murdered, and therefore could not have been the Stripper.A recent book also named British light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
boxing champion Freddie Mills
Freddie Mills
Freddie Mills, was an English boxer, who was the world light heavyweight boxing champion from 1948 to 1950. He was born in Poole, England.- Early life :...
as the killer, although this has not been substantiated.
The Crime and Investigation channel's 'Fred Dinage Murder Casebook', put forward the case that the killer could have been Harold Jones, a convicted murderer from Wales. Harold Jones was convicted of the murders of two girls in 1921 in the town of Abertillery. Because he was 15 at the time, he would not face the death penalty, instead receiving a life sentence. He was released 20 years later for exemplary behaviour. In 1941, at the age of 35, released from prison, he is believed to have visited his home town, Abertillery and visited the graves of his early victims. In 1947, he surfaced in London. Moving to Fulham, he got married and had a daughter. All the murders had similar traits to his early murders. No sexual assault, but horrendous violence was subjected to the victims. Due to poor records, he was never looked at by police.
Fictional portrayals
The 1969 crime novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester SquareGoodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square
Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square is a novel by Arthur La Bern, which was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's film Frenzy .-Plot:The novel and film tell the story of Bob Rusk, a serial killer in London who rapes and strangles women...
, written by Arthur LeBern, is loosely based on the case; the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
strangles women with his necktie. The book was turned into the Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
movie Frenzy
Frenzy
Frenzy is a 1972 British thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The film is based upon the novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square by Arthur La Bern, and was adapted for the screen by Anthony Shaffer. La Bern...
in 1972. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
included a song called "Fairies Wear Boots
Fairies Wear Boots
"Fairies Wear Boots" is a Black Sabbath song from their 1970 album Paranoid.In the liner notes to Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath , Tony Iommi states that the song title comes from when "Geezer and Ozzy were smoking outside and witnessed fairies in the park, running around wearing...
" on their 1970 album Paranoid
Paranoid (album)
Paranoid is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, the album was the only one by the band to top the UK Albums Chart, and as a result is commonly identified as the band's magnum opus...
which was titled "Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots" in its American release.
The 2009 crime novel "Bad Penny Blues
Bad Penny Blues
"Bad Penny Blues" is a trad jazz piece written by Humphrey Lyttelton and recorded with his band in London on April 20, 1956.- Popular success :It was originally released as Parlophone ER 4184 and became a hit record in Britain at the time....
" by Cathi Unsworth
Cathi Unsworth
Cathi Unsworth is an English writer and journalist. After working for Melody Maker and Bizarre, she began writing novels, with The Not Knowing in 2005 and The Singer in 2007, on Serpent's Tail...
is closely based on the case.
Sources
- Blundell, Nigel, and Susan Blackhall, comps. "Jack the Stripper". The Visual Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. London: PRC Limited, 2004. 232-236.
- David SeabrookDavid Seabrook (writer)David Seabrook was a British crime writer and journalist.-Life:Seabrook studied English and American Literature at the University of Kent at Canterbury gaining an MA with a dissertation on Marcel Proust. Subsequently he worked as a teacher of English as a foreign language in Greece. Until his...
. Jack of Jumps. Publisher: Granta Books; New edition (7 May 2007) ISBN 978-1862079281