That’s exactly how I imagined Lechmere would look. Pretty kick ass animation.

I have had to block no less than three outraged protesters for this video. One under his third identity, and one who is trying to get this channel closed down as he doesn't approve of the content. I don't like deleting or removing people as I like to encourage all debate and its very complex and time consuming working out how to block people on KZfaq!

Harriet Lilly cant sleep and hears voices outside her window at 330. Sleeps through hubbub of the discovery 15 min later.

So he gave an alternative name he last used when he was 12, which made it more difficult for people who knew him to tie him to the case when they read the paper, and he took a while before he turned up to give his testimony, when most people would have wanted to help or have their fifteen minutes in the spotlight. Also, I seem to remember from another video that none of his descendants were aware that great-great-granddad had almost come face to face with JTR, which seems like the sort of story that would have been handed down in the family, given that we are still speculating about the whole thing even from abroad. So he likely didn’t go visit his mother and daughter and say “you’re not going to believe what happened to me on my way to work”, and if they read the newspaper they probably didn’t think he was this Cross guy, particularly when he had mentioned nothing… He’s either guilty as sin or deeply socially atypical.

From the moment I first saw Christer Holmgren's interview and the subsequent work done on this channel it's been clear to me that Lechmere is far and away the likeliest perpetrator. Merely by considering his actions when discovered alone with the body: As a psychopath he is able to keep his emotions/stress under control. He chose to stay by the body and his subsequent actions are clearly in the service of plausible deniability. 1.He enlists help - by stopping and telling Paul what he has seen he creates a template of himself as 'discoverer/observer' a passive agent, rather than 'perpetrator/suspect' an active agent. Once this role is established and unwittingly corroborated by Paul it is never challenged. 2.He shows concern for the victim but not so much that he looks to be faking it (like Paul he mentions that he's late for work and anxious to get moving, introducing a realistic quantum of self-interest). 3. He leaves the crime scene with another witness which confers upon Lechmere an appearance of unwitting and innocent observer interchangeable with Paul. This enhances Lechmere's credibility as a passive observer caught up in a murder rather than as a perpetrator looking to deflect or deny guilt. 10 or so minutes after the murder he is hiding in plain sight. He's able to disguise his escape from the murder scene as an offer of help. Simple and completely effective. 4. He engages with law enforcement (P.C. Mizen) and makes a point of volunteering information to the police, telling Mizen he's wanted in Buck's Row and simultaneously creating in Mizen's mind the implication that he (Lechmere) has already had contact with law enforcement at the crime scene and been cleared of immediate suspicion and told to go and find another beat constable. This is really the crux of the 'Mizen Scam'. As luck would have it P.C.Neil is with the body when Mizen arrives at the crime scene. His delay in going immediately and continuing to knock up residents works to Lechmere's advantage. Lechmere has further underlined his role as co-operator whilst at the same time staying passive and 'dis-interested'. He subsequently fades from view until his appearance at the inquest. 5. Passive and dis-interested. Lechmere does nothing to 'take charge' or arouse suspicion that he is controlling events when he is with Paul at the body. We know why he's reluctant to touch Polly (her injuries will quickly become evident if she's moved) but he's able to play his motives off as fear and/or queasiness. This helps to establish a picture of a man who is sheepish, repulsed by violence and the results of violence and thus essentially non-violent by nature. A brilliant distancing strategy, cementing notions of 'weakness', deference to authority and a lack of masculinity. All of these traits are contrary to standard Victorian notions of how a killer thinks and acts. Lechmere wants to be seen as 'soft' in the tough East End.

Thanks for all the hard work your putting in Ed 👏

That stainless steel monstrosity on Durward St ought to be faced with Victorian railway brick at once - it's the second biggest crime that happened on that thoroughfare.

Fantastic video! I always get excited when a new one is posted.

Yes I agree entirely..these videos are excellent Edward..well filmed and explained. I'm surprised you haven't got as many views as you should have on these videos

Your videos are the best on this topic!!

Brilliant video, Ed. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you Edward, so pleased to see another video, I love how you investigate so thoroughly and loved the visuals and Lechmere in colour and as a younger man, looking forward to your next video aleady.

Nothing changes ~ about 20 years ago in the early hours of the night I heard a panicked man running from the scene of a murder, twice tried to report this to police the next day only to be told a door to door enquiry had already been completed, then with gloved hand shoved in my face “if it’s relevant an officer will call at your door” I tried to explain which door but the cop became enraged and shouted the same sentence repeatedly each time louder. I can only assume they’d already decided to call it a suicide which needs a lot less paperwork.

Brilliant stuff as always

Absolutely Amazing. Thank You So Much for this Video

excellent Edward, great visuals, another excellent episode.

I find your videos fascinating! I really enjoyed this one! 😃👍

I love this channel👍 Thank you for all your effort ❤

Three things come to mind: 1. If the goods train was running late it would change things and he may even have coincided killing her with the sound of the train to mask the noise. He is after all an opportunist even though the murders were pre-meditated. 2.Lechmere may have met Polly there or elsewhere and even been in the street with her slightly earlier but may have been waiting to be certain the coast was clear before killing her. So we cannot assume he killed Polly the moment they arrived at the scene of death, not with the police having a regular patrol that Lechmere would have known about. I think he would have waited if he'd known those times or targeted a time when he knew the patrols were not going past the end of the street. This was a regular route for him. He didn't ever get caught so he wasn't out of control, though he did take risks. He may have shagged her before killing her which would've placed him there even earlier, but i somehow doubt it since it would appear that the killing is his main prerogative and he would've needed to keep his eyes and ears open to comings and goings, which he couldn't have done if he was shagging her. The less time he was with her the better for him. So he wouldn't have trawled all over London with her before killing her because it would have increased the likelihood of witnesses. So the initial meeting spot would've most likely been there or quite close by i would've thought. I do wonder how many other women had narrow escapes at his hands as on those occasions there were sudden witnesses, causing him to abort the plan. 3.Lechmere's stated time of leaving home is already under question as he was not seen walking to the street by Robert Paul which he would have been if his stated time was the truth. You already addressed this thoroughly several times. We know what time Paul arrived so his time of leaving home is more verifiable. So just by that alone we know Lechmere was lying/mistaken about his time of leaving plus he then lied/diminished the facts by not telling the police there was a dead woman in the street so he could make a quicker getaway, plus he lied when giving a false name at the inquest. So there's 3 lies already before we debate which neighbour to believe. Harriet hearing something like a cry but not bothering to go to look suggests that it wasn't that big a deal. It could've been someone having sex with a woman up against a wall, and not necessarily Polly and not necessarily Lechmere. So even if she's telling the truth it doesn't tie it to the deceased strongly enough. Plus, If she'd really heard something disturbing, why wait a week to tell anyone? Plus we don't know if she was a drinker, a natural born liar, an attention-seeker, etc. In the Yorkshire ripper case, the number of people giving worthless testimony meant the floor needed reinforcing due to the weight of bs coming from the public. However, mixed in with the bs was everything they needed to get Sutcliffe, but it was buried under all the false accusations and misleading testimonies. Personally it's pretty clear that Polly died in that street and when she died, as i don't think Lechmere would have risked dragging a body through empty streets that were regularly patrolled by police, just to place her in that spot. Plus as you said, there would've been a blood trail unless she was strangled 1st then dragged to the stabbing point. But what would've been the point in that? There would have been far less risky places to dump a body. Also i don't believe the blood would've flowed like it did when the police arrived if she had been killed prior to being stabbed. So we know where she died, how she died, and it's pretty clear when she died. However, he could easily have picked her up elsewhere and then walked with her, stalling, until he got to a time and a place where he felt it was now or never. You can see from the night where he killed 2 women that this is a guy who was on the lookout for that window of opportunity, however slight, and as soon as he got it, he struck. Thanks for another excellent video

Great video. Very informative.

Good episode Ed! What amazes me still today is that another Edward Stow will be trying to solve this mystery in 135 years time even though the finger still points to Lechmere with all the findings! Great to be an investigator tho, keep up the good work Mr Stow! 👏👏

Brilliant Ed. Thanks.

Eyewitnesz arent reliable I know first hand. My wife and i were pulled over by police and told we matched description of shotting suspects. Id just gotten of work and we had proof and we allowed pol8ce to search our vehicle and the found nothing. The police made me stand behind my truck and had the witness/victims of shooting pull up across the road to see if they could identify me. They of course said it was me but the police seeing the proof i had been at work and finding no weapon let us go after writting our statements. Couldve been way different with aggressive police. Now any tv or movie using eyewitnessez makes me cringe so bad to put any weight on it

"I then woke my husband, and said to him, 'I don't know what possesses me, but I cannot sleep tonight.'" "Yes," growled my husband. "I know the bloody feeling..."

Another interesting video thanks ❤

Love your videos

I'm glad you physically demonstrated the precise locations as they would of been in Bucks Row, that helps a lot.

Another excellent video! 💯

charles lechmere sounds like a name for a edgar allan poe villain which of course he was in my opinion the RIPPER

If Charles wasn't Jack the Ripper then he was the one who disturbed Jack the Ripper, we know Jack covered Polly and did not leave her on display. Yet it is hard to find evidence that Charles was the one who disturbed Jack the Ripper. Charles was found by Paul near the body around the time of the murder. Paul was only 30 or 40 metres away when he first noticed Charles and was not aware of him when he was walking down Bucks Row, despite being on his guard because he knew the area could be dangerous. That means when Paul entered Bucks Row, Charles was already with the body, and it would be another minute before Paul noticed Charles. What was Charles doing during that time? So if Charles was innocent we have him alone with the body for at least a minute (probably longer) doing what?

Excellent, will watch this tonight 👍

Mrs. Lilley woke her husband up to tell him she couldn't sleep. I wonder if Mr. Lilley regretted his vows in that moment like I would.

I think it was him,he knew the area well,he lived or worked near to all the murder sites,he was found leaning over the body of one of the victims while blood was still flowing.He worked in a local meat market so blood stained clothing was normal for him

Interesting counter argument, good job. I grew up in London in the 80s. On a typical Friday night you have the pubs emptying between 11-12pm and the streets could be quite busy. The clubs kicked out around 2am but the dispersal of clubbers by taxi and in different directions meant the 2am streets were nothing like the streets at midnight. Do you know what the situation was like in 1888? How busy were the main streets in the early hours of a Saturday morning? When did it quieten down sufficiently that it small crowds disappeared to be replaced by single pedestrains?

Excellent, thank you Edward

I have something to contribute, in support of the uploader’s point. Please read to end….. I witnessed a man driving a vehicle beside me, then veer in front of me, and around the corner, crossing past me to do so. I was right near the end of the block, so I rushed and looked around the corner right after him, And, looking around the corner, I saw him veer across to the wrong side of the road, ten feet from me-and hit a parked car really hard, caving in its side. He then gathered himself together, , pulled away from the car he had half- destroyed, and drove straight ahead away from me up that same road. Now, lucky, i had a pen right handy - ( how? Lol. I don’t know ! )-.and I scribbled down his license plate number. I immediately then called the cops, telling them there’s a drunk or drug-affected man on the rampage in a vehicle, and he’s just wrecked a car and kept going, and I provided them with his license plate number. It worked out well because they ran his plate, and we’re waiting for him at his home when careered up to it, drunk as a skunk. Ok. Thats not the important part for our purposes here. Here’s the important bit:- I went in to make a witness statement the next day. The police lady said we’ve got him, but we like to get a description of the man just to seal the deal- (he might try to pull a swifty and say someone else was driving when the car got smashed up, and he let that person out before he got home- or some such nonsense- but they do try this crap on, the policewoman told me). So i described the man. And car. The car was, I related, yellow, a utility van, and the man was heavy set with a big sort of outdoorsy beard. The man - in fact-had no beard, the car wasn’t a utility, nor was it yellow. It was white. Do you know? - i can see that beard clear as a photo, to this very day. It was thirty years ago. Just as well i got the license plate. And he didn’t think to try and pretend it wasn’t him driving his own car earlier. Or if he gad, they'd have had to pull out my eyewitness testimony which was nuts. So, yes, eyewitness testimony is strange and unreliable. (The policewoman told me she sees thus all the time)…. Memory is a tricker

A very interesting theory ,fantastic work

Your videos are excellent! I'm currently writing a novel from JTRs perspective and Lechmere is my killer. In my book... Lechmere killed Nicholas on his way to work and in his mind he was almost caught. He wouldn't make that mistake again. After that murder he would take off work or just wouldn't show up. I sure would love to talk to you in person... some of the details are beyond shocking. Imagine coming home to your wife with a kidney in your pocket?! Keep those videos coming!

I assume Mrs Lilley was paid for her story by the newspaper

Not being anything but a causal viewer of the subject, it's clear to me (from this and the 5 guilt videos) that Lechmere is either the murder of Nicolls or the discoverer of the body. There seems to be nothing definitive (nor is there likely to be) other than that. He should certainly have been investigated by the Police. I have to say, given the way he came forward to the other witness and then to the Coroner, it's understandable why 1888 Police would have viewed him as a suspect. It's the wrong sort of behaviour (although conversely we know it's exactly the sort of behaviour we might expect of a serial killer based on modern evidence and understanding of the psychology). The interview here is far from definitive as its not clear when the train is heard vis a vis the "murder" sounds or when those noises were actually heard. The voices could have been the Lechmere or the Police discovering the body, but again there's no definitive linked to the "murder" sounds in terms of elapsed time. When a person drifting into or out of sleep many minutes may go by in an "instant" from the witnesses perspective. The murder sounds were clearly quite quiet and not obviously threatening/worrying when they were heard. It is also possible that the sounds were exaggerated. It strikes me that the lack of blood on the Body at discovery by Lechmere and then PC Neil some 5 ? minuted later is suggestive that Lechmere found the body very very soon after the murder happened (enough to be the guilty party) and that Nichols was probably strangled during being restrained (forearm around the neck from behind ?) and already dead when the wounds were made. It's hard to believe Lechmere didnt disturb the murder and see/hear Jack if it want him. I'm not clear just how dark it was (certainly dark compared to modern cities), but it seems Lechmere was visible at least as a shape from some distance away (40 to 50 metres ?). It is surprising that Robert Paul didnt see him previously given the apparent distance and their common passage. However, it is possible that Lechmere did "freeze" from shock for many seconds perhaps minutes before he decided to examine her. Clearly he and Paul decided not to get involved (it's hard to believe they didnt consider her to be dead). Its a shame we dont have more information from Paul on their conversation before and after meeting PC Mizen.

Marvelous logic. Another well worked out piece to the Ripper puzzle.

The CGI imagery of Lechmere in Bucks Row is spooky

Thanks for the new video! Just a thought, Lechmere could first have strangled Polly to unconsciousness (but not to death yet), next made the abdominal rippings, then strangled more so that the heart stopped and last cut the throat which finally killed her. That would fit better with the fact no blood had came out yet as Robert Paul arrived to the scene

If Harriet Lilley was correct, we know that Polly was looking for a customer - perhaps Lechmere was a client and that's what the gasps were (3:30am). I think one of the policemen went down Buck's Row between then and the murder but Polly, as well as Lechmere, would have been keen to hide from any police. So he didn't kill her until just before 3:40am. And Paul turned up, etc. This is just my thoughts on how Mrs Lilley AND all the other evidence could be right! She probably dreamt it though!

Well done.

As ever, I'm more in concurrence with lines of enquiry than points of elimination. The vital quotient is that you're always an interesting listen, Edward.

Well done. Informative. So often just assume that the police would just do the door to door work.

If they rely on this woman’s testimony to discredit Chuck, there goes the idea of jtr running away in his noisy boots after hearing Lechmere coming his way.

Excellent episode Edward. Ive long thought the Harriet Lilley account was probably made up to get a bit of attention and, as you said, to connect herself to the murders. Its not unheard of. If I thought I'd heard somebody in trouble ("painful moan") I wouldn't go back to bed. Id be out the front telling the police when they arrived and there was all the commotion. Bit odd that a supposed ear witness didnt bother to do any of that. Just stayed inside, despite not being able to sleep? Hmmm.

You're bang on with your assessment of Lilley's account. Wholly unreliable.

dont forget the victims ❤ rest east precious sisters ❤

She gave the account one week later. I don't know about you guys, but I can't accurately state events affecting me two days ago. 😄 I'm sure, like most witnesses, she meant well, but it all serms a bit 'built on quicksand'

I wonder why the police didn’t interview Lechmere after the murder of Annie. If they wanted Paul, why not? And why wouldn’t Paul ask them? If for any reason to pass the heat back on Lechmere. This has been an interesting video, mrs Lillys account although flawed, reminds me of how brazen this murder was. Thanks for helping clarify her testimony, good video!

Outstanding work Edward.

Most folks back then as now did not want to get involved and probably denied any knowledge of the crime .

Always enjoy your information and I am with you on the suspect being Mr. Lechmere. As far as Lilley's testimony as a grand juror and I had been in the states for almost a year due to the covid period, I would have discounted her testimony for reason you had stated in your video. I would also have thought that if she heard moans and voices and being in the home facing the road that she would have looked out that window to see what is going on, as many of us would be curious to see in our own neighborhood any wrong doing. Been to London and had taken two tours of the area, I have a keen interest in this and being near my home the Lizzie Borden case as well. Keep up the good work sir ! Catch you on the next one !

Excellent.

You are right it is him and he was involved with the torso murders too do not second guess it it was him right

Excellent video! and love how you definitively defend your theory using facts and criminal science!

Outstanding work as usual! I am reading Sugden's complete history of JTR and there was something I immediately noticed, for the Annie Chapman murder the coroner, iirc, set the time at an hour that would have been too late for Lechmere to be on his way to work, how do you explain this? Is it possible that he didn't go that day, or sneaked away while waiting to load his cart, or that the coroner was wrong? Thank you!!!

I'm amazed the way this particular video has sent some of the anti Lechmere's in a complete meltdown. If the likes of Mathew Lawton and his 'many disguises' are so against the idea of Lechmere being the perfect suspect...then why bother coming on here arguing the toss....Insulting and using bad language, and trying to get this channel unsuccessfully shut down. It clearly shows the strength of Lechmere being JtR. Edward Stows video's are sending these people in a frantic frenzied explosion of overload. They need to get a life and get outdoors more.

No, this doesn't get Lechmare off the hook. Good episode though.

All this confusion over times, if Mizen had looked to his right going to the murder scene from behind the Board school, he would have seen the hospital clock (still visible today from the same place). Had to be illuminated surely?

Great channel just found Jack the Ripper such a London legendarily killer

Surly tests could be done to see how long it would take for the blood in the saturated clothing to reach the floor.And if her heart was still faintly pumping ,this would assist the flow of blood,that is until she expired. Perhaps Only one of the two men knew that there was blood on the body & that is why he didn't want to touch it.

If the Ripper murders occurred today, would the police fare any better than they did in 1888? I doubt it. Look how long the Yorkshire Ripper was active, and that was in the 1970s-80s. Catching a serial killer is the most difficult task a police force is faced with. But Lechmere is the most favourable suspect, in my opinion, and I’ve read lots of books, including Dan Farson’s, which was my first back in the 1970s. But l can’t quite get my head around Lechmere being the Thames’ Torso murderer. The MO is completely different. Does a Leopard ever change its spots?

as hardly anybody had a watch in those days the times are just guesswork mostly

None of the men who lived in Whitechapel were definitively cleared. This includes and is not limited to Lechmere. Some the police interviewed but as we have seen from many other murder cases, it is not uncommon for the police to interview the murderer at some point in the investigation and perhaps buy into his alibi or not have enough evidence to hold the suspect.

Is the image at 1:15 a real photo or is it an artists impression created from his photo as the older man 0:34 ?

There is a lot of circumstantial evidence concerning Charles and I understand that people have been convicted on circumstantial evidence alone . What do you consider the most damning evidence ?

Would the people on the street be hesitant to say what they actually observed in case the murderer went after them?

Since Mary Nichols was strangled first I doubt anyone would have heard anything

Amazing that no blood was noticed on Lechmere.

there are twoNew Cross SER and LBSCR boath componeys were multipul empty coal trains back north through this line and tunnel

I am gonna have to look at JTR videos naming other suspects just to see how much aggression and sarcasm is used by those that oppose that particular suspect. Somehow, i don't think i will find the same kind of negativity and aggression when someone mentions anyone other than Lech.........whoops! Here comes the inevitable well-ard keyboard warriors!

If Lilly heard anything it may have been Lechmere and the other guy talking as they walked off down bucks row.

Given Lechmere's familial connections to the police, could there be more to the lack of a propper investigation of Lechmere i.e. incompetence, then meets the eye? Could he have been protected by one or more members of the police?

I find it a bit odd that none of the neighbors heard the 2 men speaking over the body.

Harriet also had that week to boast to her neighbours about what she'd supposedly heard. That bit of gossip would soon have reached the police.

Does Joe barnet's statment still exist and if so can members of the public read it?

Had an hour to kill and this video, which I had seen previously, was on my YT menu, so watched it again. One query Ed. Is the woman voicing Harriet Lilly your wife or girlfriend? If so, you should get her into more of the videos, her voice seems to fit the period.

Regarding eye witness testimoney - i was once picked out in a police line-up. I had simply been asked on the street by police earlier that day to attend the line-up, because i looked like a suspect they already had in custody. I proved my whereabouts, we laughed.

JTR could not afford to have his victim scream. The area of the the murder was densely populated & someone was sure to wake up. He stifled the victim’s screams while strangling her, but how? IMO there were no screams. I also believe it was Lechemere.

Is it possible that Lechmere left his home much sooner than he said?

Mr Stow, I wonder if you could adress a couple of points in evidence that I find rather odd. 1. Lechmere is reported as wearing a carter’s apron when giving evidence at the inquest. It seems unusual that he would do so, or alternatively that the paper would comment on it. Have you read of the like in other inquests from the period? Could Lechmere have been attempting to emphasise that he had a reason to be at the murder scene? 2. It also strikes me as odd that the scrap of apron discovered by PC Long after the murder of Eddowes was recognised as related to the murder. Do you know if anyone commented on this at the time? Was it drawn to his notice due to its proximity to the graffito? Surely blood-stained scraps of linen would have been quote common in the East End streets and tenements ?

Although Im firmly in the Lechmere camp, I cant help thinking whether the killer would have silenced Paul as initially he couldn't have known what he'd seen. Paul would've presumably died quickly - No fast response London Ambulance service in the 1880s. Its just niggling at me would he not have tried to silence a potential witness who'd seen his face rather than bluff it out. Either way when they both went off in search of help and Lechmere approached PC Mizen - if he was the killer he would have had nerves of steel as he must of had the murder weapon on him, as it was never found at the site of the murder.

I've wondered if anyone suspected a police officer?

I can get it why maybe Harriet lily didn’t feel comfortable with coming forward right away because she was a woman herself and probably was freaking scared out of her mind and a nervous wreck with the murder taking place so close to her residence. Maybe took her that long to come to terms with it and then collect all her faculties the best of her abilities.

To be less gracious about Harriet Lilley, is it likely that the press would pay alleged witnesses for an interview back then? If so that could be a big incentive for her to lie or at least embellish her story. Also, I assume they would probably pay a bit more to someone who had more of a story to tell, as opposed to someone saying they heard nothing. Or am I just too cynical?

The woman who paced until 04.30am never heard anything. So she didn't hear Lechmere or Paul then?? None did it seems!

Fair, exhaustively fair, exhaustively common sense based, so well😊😊

thank you boss, you are looking more and more like lechmere wth each video ha ha ha

Do we know the train was on time, could it have been ten minutes late?

Poor reporting the echo paying for a witness hardly reliable as a witness.

Why are all these women awake 11:59 at 4am pacing the floor, but they claim to have heard nothing. Contradiction! I think they may have been afraid the killer would come for them if they divulged what they witnessed.

You would think that the police would have focused in more on the first person to witness the body. When you take into account the times mentioned by Lechmere/Cross, Paul, PC Niel and PC Mizen, you're talking minutes or even seconds. Just this very narrow time frame alone does leave a huge red flag over Lechmere/Cross. And the police never even considered him. No wonder the true identity of JTR remains a mystery because the police failed to follow him up. We're talking the FIRST person to witness the body here. Sometimes the obvious can be staring you right in the face. We will never know for sure who JTR was, but Lechmere/Cross would be of huge interest.

There were never any witnesses to Polly Nichols murder or any of the other Ripper murders 😂😅

have look at the Seargeart Krib Series

wonder why people will not believe it was charles cross it must have been i read a ripper book in the 1970s and i knew then it was cross lol

How many other's were killed after Frances Coles?