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'''Jack the Ripper''' was the nickname that the British press gave to a notorious [[serial killer]] who murdered and mutilated at least five, possibly six, and as many as fourteen [[prostitution|prostitutes]] in and around the Spitalfields and Whitechapel parishes of the East End slums of [[London]] in 1888 - an area covering just over one square kilometer (half a square mile). The name "Jack the Ripper" was derived from a letter and postcard sent to the Central News Agency on 27 September and 1 October, 1888 respectively.

'''Jack the Ripper''' was the nickname that the British press gave to a notorious [[serial killer]] who murdered and mutilated at least five, possibly six, and as many as fourteen [[prostitution|prostitutes]] in and around the Spitalfields and Whitechapel parishes of the East End slums of [[London]] in 1888 - an area covering just over one square kilometer (half a square mile). The name "Jack the Ripper" was derived from a letter and postcard sent to the Central News Agency on 27 September and 1 October, 1888 respectively.  The Jack the Ripper killings have been associated by [[conservative]] sociologists with the moral decay brought on by the decline of [[Christianity]] and the rise of amoral [[liberalism]].  

The killer has traditionally been considered to have been left handed, but some today think that this may have been based more upon negative connotations of left handed people in that time than fact. <ref>http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/rip-left.html</ref> It is likely that his victims were first strangled before he used his knife, which could also account for the fact that not a single one was heard to cry out. <ref>Three witnesses reporting hearing a cry of "Murder!" coming from the direction of Mary Jane Kelly's room at 4am on the morning of her murder, but nobody went to investigate.</ref>  There has also been conjecture as to whether or not he had medical knowledge or training, or at the very least, an understanding of human anatomy.  

The killer has traditionally been considered to have been left handed, but some today think that this may have been based more upon negative connotations of left handed people in that time than fact. <ref>http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/rip-left.html</ref> It is likely that his victims were first strangled before he used his knife, which could also account for the fact that not a single one was heard to cry out. <ref>Three witnesses reporting hearing a cry of "Murder!" coming from the direction of Mary Jane Kelly's room at 4am on the morning of her murder, but nobody went to investigate.</ref>  There has also been conjecture as to whether or not he had medical knowledge or training, or at the very least, an understanding of human anatomy.  

Evidence for Cohen being the suspect is that no other person matching Cohen's description and that of "Anderson's Suspect" (a poor Polish Jew) was admitted to any other London asylum or infirmary during the period and his date of incarceration ties in with the end of the Ripper murders. In addition, as Swanson had suggested, he died shortly after his incarceration at Colney Heath. However, although both Anderson and MacNaughton refer to the suspect being a Polish Jew, both name him unequivocally as Aaron Kosminki. In addition, Swanson believed that the date of the identification of Anderson's suspect took place after Cohen's death.

Evidence for Cohen being the suspect is that no other person matching Cohen's description and that of "Anderson's Suspect" (a poor Polish Jew) was admitted to any other London asylum or infirmary during the period and his date of incarceration ties in with the end of the Ripper murders. In addition, as Swanson had suggested, he died shortly after his incarceration at Colney Heath. However, although both Anderson and MacNaughton refer to the suspect being a Polish Jew, both name him unequivocally as Aaron Kosminki. In addition, Swanson believed that the date of the identification of Anderson's suspect took place after Cohen's death.

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