Jack the Ripper Part 1

Alaina takes us to the streets of Whitechapel for part one of Jack The Ripper, and boy is it a stark picture she’s painting us. Whitechapel was dark, damp, dirty and downright desolate at the time Jack The Ripper was roaming the streets. People were living in all kinds of horrible conditions, butchers and slaughterhouse workers were walking around covered in blood and because things were like this, it made the perfect stomping ground for a vicious murderer. Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols was the Ripper’s first victim and the main person that we’ll go over in part one while Alaina also gives us a background on a couple of other potential early victims. Stay tuned for (we’re thinkin’) three more!

Check out these great books on the case:

Jack the Ripper and The Case For Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect by Robert House

The Complete Jack the Ripper by Donald Rumbelow

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper's Victims by Robert Hume

The Ripper Code by Thomas Toughill

Also check out these sites on the case:

JackTheRipper.org

Casebook: Jack The Ripper

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jack the Ripper

I would love a whole month of Jack the Ripper! I tell all my friends about y’all!

Excellent as always

I've listened to nearly all episodes and I appreciate your dedication to research. The funny banter (gallows humor), softens the blow for these horrid tales. I've been waiting for this episode, as Jack the Ripper fascinates me. Why? Because I'm weird and strange with a side of creepy. Can't wait to hear the rest of the story. Ladies, keep up the great work!

Not every victim is perfect, and that's alright

I really like this podcast. I think the focus on the victims and their lives is great. However, I think that if a victim happens to be a sucky person, we don't need to pretend otherwise. For example, I'm listening right now and I hear how you guys are trying to lift up Polly, but tbh she doesn't sound great. It's ok not to judge her because we don't know her true motivations for doing the things she did, but I also think it's not fair to blame all the misfortunes that she had on her husband because we also don't have his side of the story. Basically, I understand giving her the benefit of the doubt, but it's also ok to admit that maybe she just wasn't amazing. Not all victims have to be inspiring. That doesn't make her less worthy of sympathy in my eyes, and most importantly that doesn't make her less entitled to the life that was taken from her.

Love them and never miss,BUT...

Love the funny banter. Love them. Love their focus on victim's stories and the effort they obviously put into research. But, cannot stand their constant self-righteousness. Especially from one. Listen to every episode anyway so I guess I stand it enough. It's great ,lol, of you can stomach hearing how perfect some lives are and have been..like, constantly

this sucks would not recommend it to anyone ever

this sucks this sucks this sucks!!!! I would not recommend this book to my worst enemy It sucks terribly terribly