The idea that Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper is a fairly modern one.
It originates from the 1970s with a man named Joseph Gorman who claimed
to be Sickert’s illegitimate son. His evidence was a complex story centred
around his belief that Sickert’s mother was secretly married to Queen Victoria’s grandson,
Prince Albert, and that the murders were motivated by the desire to cover this up….
Despite the absurdity of this story, this rumour has lingered to this day and there have been
many other theories that point to Sickert being guilty of these gruesome murders. So, was Walter
Sickert really Jack the Ripper? Let’s take a closer look at the rumours versus the facts.
Theory 1: He had a fascination with murder
Sickert’s painting titled ‘Jack the Ripper’s Bedroom’ was of his own room.
Also, the titles of his Camden Town Murder paintings referenced the Jack the Ripper killings.
However, even though Sickert was fascinated by crime and mystery, and said, “Murder is as good a subject
as any other”, he also had a flair for publicity and knew his painting titles would draw attention
to his work. The painting was titled ‘Jack the Ripper’s Bedroom’ because Sickert’s landlady told
him that when the previous tenant moved out of the room and left the area, the murders stopped,
so she believed he was Jack the Ripper. Sickert’s Camden Town Murder paintings were actually
referencing the shocking murder of Emily Dimmock in 1907, which was not a Jack the Ripper murder.
Theory 2: Sickert and Jack the Ripper used the same writing paper
Sickert bought paper from the same supplier
as the letter’s the policed received which were signed ‘Jack the Ripper’.
However, the police stated that the letters were almost certainly not from Jack the Ripper
and were most likely from copycats or fans of the killer. The letters were also very varied
in style and grammar, so it’s impossible to match up Sickert’s writing style with the copycats.
Theory 3: Sickert’s DNA was a match with Jack the Ripper.
A doctor investigating the murders received letters allegedly from Jack the Ripper
The DNA on those letters matched with the DNA found on stamps Sickert had licked.
However, even though a possible match was found, the DNA comparisons focused on Mitochondrial DNA
which would be shared by 1 – 10% of the population, so it isn’t that unique.
Theory 4: He had a hatred of women
Sickert was ill as a child and was made impotent from surgery
which triggered a deep-set resentment towards women.
However, the idea that he was impotent was based on the belief that he had genital surgery as a child,
but the hospital he went to actually specialised in rectal surgery.
Sickert was also known to have affairs and his first wife divorced him for adultery.
There is also no evidence to suggest a hatred of women in his letters and he
developed many close friendships and working collaborations with women throughout his life.
Theory 5: Sickert lived in the same city as the murders
Sickert lived in London which is where the Jack the Ripper murders took place
so he could easily have committed the murders.
However, Sickert was in Dieppe, France when several of the Jack the Ripper murders were committed in 1888.
There are theories that he travelled to and from France to commit the murders
and used his holiday as an alibi, but there is no evidence for this.
It seems like Sickert will always be regarded by some as a suspect
to the Jack the Ripper murders, despite the extraordinary lack of evidence against him.
However, what we do know about Sickert suggests that he would be rather amused by the notion
that long after his death he is considered to be a key suspect.