2 – Derek Brown – Copycat of Jack the Ripper
Brown attempted to emulate the brutal murders committed by the infamous Jack the Ripper. Although he didn’t target prostitutes like his predecessor (only one of his victims was a sex worker), the slayings were exceedingly brutal and took place in Whitechapel, London, the location of the Ripper murders in the late 1880s. Xiao Mei Guo, a street vendor who sold DVDs, was Brown’s first victim in August 2007. Video footage clearly shows Guo entering a London subway with the copycat on the day of her disappearance.
The following month, Brown claimed the life of prostitute Bonnie Barrett who he picked up in Whitechapel. Unlike Jack the Ripper, Brown didn’t operate in the shadows, so his spree was mercifully short. An investigation quickly revealed his role in the disappearance of the two women, and when police searched his flat in Rotherhithe, London in October 2007, they made a grisly discovery.
They found blood from the women in the kitchen, corridor, and bathroom; the latter location is most likely where Brown dismembered his victims. He had made an attempt to hide DNA evidence by removing carpets and stripping the walls, but it was a feeble effort because there was more than enough evidence left to convict him in the absence of the bodies. Brown had borrowed the book: ‘Killers: The Most Barbaric Murderers of Our Time‘ and even had a ‘DIY Murder Kit’ consisting of a steam cleaner, bow saw, and waterproof sheeting.
After his capture, police linked Brown with six unsolved sexual assaults although he was not convicted of them. However, the father of seven had a rape conviction in 1989 and was known for his ‘voracious’ appetite for sex, especially with prostitutes. The trial was a relatively short affair as Judge Martin Stephens spoke of the frightening efficiency with which Brown disposed of his victims. The killer clearly targeted the two women because he believed they were vulnerable and wouldn’t be missed. Guo was an illegal immigrant, while Barrett was a sex worker and crack addict.
The overwhelming evidence at Brown’s flat was enough for the jury to convict him even in the absence of bodies. Judge Stephens sentenced Brown to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 30 years. To this day, Brown has shown no remorse and police are convinced he would have kept killing until he was caught. The Ripper Copycat has also refused to cooperate with police regarding the whereabouts of his victims, and it is highly unlikely that this evil man will ever reveal this secret.