5 Lesser Known Serial Killers that Were Never Caught

5 – Jack the Stripper (6-8 Victims)

This is the nickname given to the perpetrator of the Hammersmith Nudes murders in London in 1964 and 1965. As is the case with a lot of serial killers, especially those who remain at large, there is some dispute as to the exact number of victims. Police are confident that this killer was responsible for at least 6 deaths in the Hammersmith area but believe he may also have murdered two others. He generally preyed on prostitutes just like his infamous 19^th century namesake.

The first definite victim was Hannah Tailford who was found on 2 February 1964. Her almost naked body was discovered floating by the River Thames. The only item of clothing she was wearing was a pair of stockings rolled to her ankles and her underwear was found in her mouth. In addition, some of her front teeth were missing.

The other victims were Irene Lockwood, Helen Barthelemy, Mary Flemming, Frances Brown and Bridget O’Hara. All of these women had been strangled and stripped with several of their front teeth missing. On the final four victims, flecks of paint were found on their bodies. This gave police the idea that the killer worked at a motor car manufacturer. O’Hara was found on 16 February 1965 and is the last known victim of Jack the Stripper. The other possible victims were Elizabeth Frigg who was found on 17 June 1959 and Gwynneth Rees who was discovered on 8 November 1963. Both women were strangled, found near the River Thames and Rees had several of her front teeth missing.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Du Rose of Scotland Yard led the manhunt for the killer and interviewed an estimated 7,000 people from the area. Du Rose announced that the police were closing in as a means of trying to get Jack the Stripper to either reveal himself or make a mistake. He falsely claimed that the police had narrowed the list down to 20 suspects in a news conference and later said there were only 3 prime suspects left. While the killer did not strike again after the first conference, no one was ever charged with the Hammersmith Nudes murders.

There were a substantial number of possible suspects that have been named throughout the years. One of the most famous was boxer Freddie Mills who was found dead in his car in July 1965. It was ruled a suicide but Mills’ family and friends believe he was murdered. Another theory is that convicted murderer Harold Jones was Jack the Stripper. Jones killed two young girls in 1921 but escaped the death penalty because he was only a teenager himself. He was released in 1947 and lived in the area at the time of the killings.

Du Rose himself believed Mungo Ireland was the killer. During an interview with the BBC in 1970, he referred to a man called ‘Big John’ as his prime suspect in the case. In a book, Du Rose also revealed that the suspect had committed suicide before he could be captured. Ireland was a security guard who worked on the Heron Trading Estate where Bridget O’ Hara’s body was discovered. The police believed the killer was a night watchman since the murders seemed to take place between 11 pm and 1 am with the bodies dumped at 5 am. Ireland’s 10 pm-6 am shift fitted in perfectly with this time frame.

Ireland committed suicide by gassing himself in his car on 3 March 1965. His suicide note said that he couldn’t stick it any longer and he would be found in the garage.

Sources For Further Reading:

Scientific American – 5 Myths about Serial Killers and Why They Persist

Live Science – How Many Uncaptured Serial Killers Are Out There?

Ranker – 17 Gruesome Facts About The Atlanta Ripper

Vocal Media – The Deadly Atlanta Ripper

Medium – The Unsolved Atlanta Ripper Case

Mental Floss – The Cleveland Torso Murderer: The Scariest Serial Killer You’ve Never Heard Of

The Line Up – A Butcher Stalks the Streets: Who Was the Cleveland Torso Murderer?

Case Western Reserve University – Torso Murders

Cleveland – James Badal Tracks Cleveland’s Torso Killer To His Lost Lair

SF Chronicle – The Doodler: No One Knew What He Looked Like

SF Times – The Doodler: The Murderer That Loved to Draw His Victims