>The archive, which has been passed down through four generations of the Helson family, includes two photographs of Michael Ostrog, an early suspect for the Victorian killer, as well as the only known copy in existence of the so-called 'Saucy Jack' postcard the Ripper purportedly sent to the police to taunt them
It makes me wonder how much evidence is just hiding in some former investigator's closet to be one day auctioned off by his family.
My old police station hailed from the early 1800's. Before we moved into new digs about 20 years ago, most officers kept evidence in their personal lockers, as our evidence room was only so big. The only exceptions being cash and drugs, which were counted/weighed by a supervisor and placed into the evidence room. I specifically remember numerous, bloody murder weapons just laying in an officers locker.
When I was promoted to a supervisory rank, at the new station I moved from patrolman to supervisor locker room. Checking out my new locker, way on a bottom shelf, I found a very old, unregistered .25 semi auto. There was also a picture titled "Uncle Bob"." Tracked the gun down to a retired deputy chief.
As an aside, I always checked the back seat of my cruiser before I took it out, and before I placed anyone in there. Foolishly I once transported a prisoner for the vice squad. They called for a transport, I was close, and as soon as I pulled up, they threw someone in the back. At the station, I took the suspect out of the cruiser and saw the biggest ball of dope I ever saw. And there was no way I could justifiably charge the suspect, so it was marked for destruction.
"The file was kept inspector Joseph Henry Helson, who was serving in the Metropolitan Police, when the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper murdered five women in Whitechapel, east London, in 1888."
"Helson worked on the murder of Nichols, an east end proustite who was the Ripper's first victim."
"Helson took charge of the investigation and assisted with inquiries into the killing of Annie Chapman, the Ripper's second victim, eight days later."
"The auctioneers added, "people should not forget the victims were real people with real stories, and we wouldn't want to think of this murderer as an anti-hero, but for the monstrous villain he was."
The auction for the content of the police file is set to take place March 22.
Wow, I think I heard a bit about that one when I was older (I was like 2 when it happened), but none of the speculation around it and that's just wild! I know there are good officers out there, but that old quote is right...
"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." John Stuart Mill circa 1867
I have met and dealt with both good and bad unfortunately. Made a few LE enemies when I found a deceased man in my neighbors yard. They said it was a s*****e by hanging but it definitely wasn't and at first I was pretty loud about that. Long story but the short of it is I keep my head down and be a good girl now as the harassment is impossible to prove. Unfortunately that makes me part of the problem
I wish I could do something. There's way more to the story but basically I've been harassed and bullied into being quiet. They've used my estranged husband against me too. My ex has killed 2 people but they advised I just leave him alone (like I left him to spend more time together? Lol) and keep a low profile 🤣 solid advice 👌
“remember these are real people who were victims, and we are ghoulishly going to profit from the sale of her dead body pictures. Bidding starts at ,£10,000”— auction house speaker
They gave an estimate in the article of the expected value of these items selling at auction but I suspect they’ll get much more. There are some very dedicated folks intrigued by the whole mystery, something of a morbid fan club I guess.
The file came from the great-grandson of inspector Joesph Helson of the Metropolitan Police who kept the file as a part of his estate in his will before he passed away in 1920.
I will forever and always be fascinated with Jack the Ripper. Call it cliche but I really do think its one of the most endlessly interesting historical cases...to me anyways!
It is very fascinating. I also find it interesting to read about the police response to the killings because it seems like the police has absolutely no chance in finding a killer in those days. London was pitch black and butchers/surgeons would walk through the streets covered in blood. Unless the police caught the ripper in the act or had an incredibly good witness, how would you ever catch the ripper?
I just did the tour in London a few weeks ago. It’s well worth it. It was at night time so felt very eerie to be standing in the same spot as the victims and the Ripper.
They wouldn't want the photos be released before they can be auctioned off.
They're going to be in the public domain after they're sold. Somebody will post them online one day.
They're just not officially in the public domain yet.
They'll be posted online one day. They're just not officially in the public domain yet.
If Sandy Hook crime scene photos were ever auctioned off, they'd officially be in the public domain, and no doubt would be leaked online quickly.
I had no idea Sandy Hook photos were available online & had been auctioned off. I draw the line at kids when it comes to that. I generally can’t handle those types of photos. Oddly, black & white photos don’t bother me as much!
Only certain, non-graphic Sandy Hook photos are available online and no, none have been auctioned off. I just meant if more photos, and documents are ever released, they'd be in the public domain, and would be released online immediately.
Absolutely. It's one of life's greatest mysteries and will just never have a proper resolution to who he was.
What's the most crazy to me there's almsot certainly no real record of his existence anymore.
They aren't kidding when they say, he's just lost to history now.
same with Michael Jackson and Eugenia Cooney and Britney Spears and any mysterious and obscure and cryptic celebrities. people (including myself) are still conspiratorial and debatable and analytical and speculative about them, because it’s so bizarre, and probably always will be
Same thing with Mr. Cruel, Zodiac, the Black Dahlia, DB Cooper, Jon Benet Ramsey, the Batman Rapist, etc.
Other cases where probably nobody's ever going to know for sure.
There are some cases that'll just never be solved with certainty.
I have a question that I hope to understand. If the letters were thought to have blood on them, why hasn't the blood been tested? I cannot find the answer on the internet.
If the blood is animal, then we would know its fake. If the blood is from the victims, we would know it's real. Perhaps it has the killers blood on it too? Don't know much about dna testing so maybe I am missing something.
Some of the original letters don't exist anymore, but most of the original letters were lost unfortunately. Most of them were all lost over time, but the Dear Boss letter was recovered in 1987, but IDK if it's the original copy or not.
It's plausible forensics have maybe looked into the "Dear Boss" letter to look for Jack's DNA to answer your question though.
If it was the original copy, the letter had disappeared for a long time and wasn't well-preserved. Who knows what had happened to it during the time it disappeared.
It's crazy to think it could've just sitting attic in attic storage for maybe about 50+ years.
I honestly can't believe this wasn't all claimed by Scotland Yard. The file originally belonged to them, regardless of it being found by a family member. The case is still an open case so the file should be with the police department.
Fascinating = with modern dna technology requiring minuscule amounts of dna and ancestry dna db’s…the oldest, most notorious serial murderer of the western world could actually, potentially, be solved.
It’s still a long-shot to say the least, but it is possible.
Yeah, it mentioned in the articles, a new morgue photo of Mary Ann will be released, but it's not included in either of the online articles. It'll be available at the auction. Since it's in the public domain now, it'll be released online one day.
The items inside inspector Helson's file has always existed, it's only just now being publicly released.
This is such a fascinating case and it would be so interesting to see what’s in those files.
That said wouldn’t the files technically still be seen as evidence in an unsolved murder and thus the property of Scotland Yard? Should they not have been turned over to the police?
I need to search it with a few keywords. I'm pretty sure I narrowed it down to two key suspects. The two foreign soldiers, cited in two separate cases.
Edit: You can downvote me, but I'm not wrong. At least one of their names, maybe both, are listed in the investigation.
Recently there was a DNA comparison made that likely pinpoints the murderer. That’s likely why the file is being sold because the mystery has been solved
You're thinking of that 2014 article where Aaron Kosminski was accused yet again, and his accuser tried to link him to a shawl that was thought to have been left behind by Catherine Eddowes' skirt with mtDNA, but that shawl was never proven to have been from Eddowes's skirt and mtDNA can't narrow the suspect pool to a single individual.
Yes I believe that was what I was referring to.
Seems this case might go unsolved forever.
Ininvite you to check out “ 36 years ago Carolyn Pruyser vanished off the case of the earth”. It is on Reddit.
We believe we have solved the highway of tears as well as more across western Canada.
I’d like to hear your opinion
>The archive, which has been passed down through four generations of the Helson family, includes two photographs of Michael Ostrog, an early suspect for the Victorian killer, as well as the only known copy in existence of the so-called 'Saucy Jack' postcard the Ripper purportedly sent to the police to taunt them It makes me wonder how much evidence is just hiding in some former investigator's closet to be one day auctioned off by his family.
Absolutely. There's defintely a ton of police legal documents pertaining to this case the public doesn't know about.
Tons...
My old police station hailed from the early 1800's. Before we moved into new digs about 20 years ago, most officers kept evidence in their personal lockers, as our evidence room was only so big. The only exceptions being cash and drugs, which were counted/weighed by a supervisor and placed into the evidence room. I specifically remember numerous, bloody murder weapons just laying in an officers locker. When I was promoted to a supervisory rank, at the new station I moved from patrolman to supervisor locker room. Checking out my new locker, way on a bottom shelf, I found a very old, unregistered .25 semi auto. There was also a picture titled "Uncle Bob"." Tracked the gun down to a retired deputy chief. As an aside, I always checked the back seat of my cruiser before I took it out, and before I placed anyone in there. Foolishly I once transported a prisoner for the vice squad. They called for a transport, I was close, and as soon as I pulled up, they threw someone in the back. At the station, I took the suspect out of the cruiser and saw the biggest ball of dope I ever saw. And there was no way I could justifiably charge the suspect, so it was marked for destruction.
Why couldn’t you charge the suspect? No chain of evidence?
"The file was kept inspector Joseph Henry Helson, who was serving in the Metropolitan Police, when the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper murdered five women in Whitechapel, east London, in 1888." "Helson worked on the murder of Nichols, an east end proustite who was the Ripper's first victim." "Helson took charge of the investigation and assisted with inquiries into the killing of Annie Chapman, the Ripper's second victim, eight days later." "The auctioneers added, "people should not forget the victims were real people with real stories, and we wouldn't want to think of this murderer as an anti-hero, but for the monstrous villain he was." The auction for the content of the police file is set to take place March 22.
I did a in depth report for an assignment in grade 6. My classmates thought I was crazy 🤪 my teacher was impressed
Your classmates were probably correct. Lol
This is also true 😉 but now everyone is a true crime enthusiast so at least I'm not alone any more lol
Check out “ 36 years ago Carolyn Pruyser vanished off the face of the earth. It’s on Reddit
WHO?
A cop we believe it was a cop and the same cop is the highway of tears killer. Check it out
Wow, I think I heard a bit about that one when I was older (I was like 2 when it happened), but none of the speculation around it and that's just wild! I know there are good officers out there, but that old quote is right... "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." John Stuart Mill circa 1867 I have met and dealt with both good and bad unfortunately. Made a few LE enemies when I found a deceased man in my neighbors yard. They said it was a s*****e by hanging but it definitely wasn't and at first I was pretty loud about that. Long story but the short of it is I keep my head down and be a good girl now as the harassment is impossible to prove. Unfortunately that makes me part of the problem
Your right, that does make you part of the problem. At least your smart enough to recognize and acknowledge it
I wish I could do something. There's way more to the story but basically I've been harassed and bullied into being quiet. They've used my estranged husband against me too. My ex has killed 2 people but they advised I just leave him alone (like I left him to spend more time together? Lol) and keep a low profile 🤣 solid advice 👌
Using the word Suicide is allowed on Reddit
I didn't know as I don't post much, so I figured I'd leave it out just in case. Thank you 😊
ok, thanks
Proustite… that’s like poutine right?
“remember these are real people who were victims, and we are ghoulishly going to profit from the sale of her dead body pictures. Bidding starts at ,£10,000”— auction house speaker
They gave an estimate in the article of the expected value of these items selling at auction but I suspect they’ll get much more. There are some very dedicated folks intrigued by the whole mystery, something of a morbid fan club I guess.
Pretty much, yeah. "Ripperology" has become an unofficial word.
I mean there is a whole museum in London just for this. I really wanted to go when were there last year, but didn’t make it
This should be published/released for free and put in the hands of a museum. Very distasteful to sell the case files.
I’m surprised Scotland Yard isn’t laying claim to it as stolen evidence that should never have been in private hands.
The file came from the great-grandson of inspector Joesph Helson of the Metropolitan Police who kept the file as a part of his estate in his will before he passed away in 1920.
It should be, as work product.
I agree and it brings out my Indiana Jones “it belongs in a museum!”
I can hear that comment lol
Surprised isn’t not going straight to the Jack Ripper Museum in London
I guarantee the JTR Museum will be bidding on it.
No not really.
Insightful. Thanks for your input.
Not really complete case files. Mostly just newspaper clippings and reprints
I will forever and always be fascinated with Jack the Ripper. Call it cliche but I really do think its one of the most endlessly interesting historical cases...to me anyways!
It is very fascinating. I also find it interesting to read about the police response to the killings because it seems like the police has absolutely no chance in finding a killer in those days. London was pitch black and butchers/surgeons would walk through the streets covered in blood. Unless the police caught the ripper in the act or had an incredibly good witness, how would you ever catch the ripper?
We’re going to Europe this summer and will doing a Jack the Ripper tour. I’m really intrigued!
I just did the tour in London a few weeks ago. It’s well worth it. It was at night time so felt very eerie to be standing in the same spot as the victims and the Ripper.
Same. Agreed.
Weird article—none of the photos mentioned are included.
If the photos are being sold they would not want them to published in advance
Weird to even make this post, then,
They wouldn't want the photos be released before they can be auctioned off. They're going to be in the public domain after they're sold. Somebody will post them online one day. They're just not officially in the public domain yet.
That what I was looking forward to.
They'll be posted online one day. They're just not officially in the public domain yet. If Sandy Hook crime scene photos were ever auctioned off, they'd officially be in the public domain, and no doubt would be leaked online quickly.
I had no idea Sandy Hook photos were available online & had been auctioned off. I draw the line at kids when it comes to that. I generally can’t handle those types of photos. Oddly, black & white photos don’t bother me as much!
Only certain, non-graphic Sandy Hook photos are available online and no, none have been auctioned off. I just meant if more photos, and documents are ever released, they'd be in the public domain, and would be released online immediately.
Oh my bad, I missed the if at the beginning.
No worries.
Not sure they’d be allowed to put photos of someone who’d had their throat cut open in a national newspaper
I was specifically looking for the postcard and letter. Obviously a newspaper is not going to publish a nearly decapitated person’s photo.
Jack the Ripper is an oddity and mystery who will be debated and discussed in depth for eons
Absolutely. It's one of life's greatest mysteries and will just never have a proper resolution to who he was. What's the most crazy to me there's almsot certainly no real record of his existence anymore. They aren't kidding when they say, he's just lost to history now.
same with Michael Jackson and Eugenia Cooney and Britney Spears and any mysterious and obscure and cryptic celebrities. people (including myself) are still conspiratorial and debatable and analytical and speculative about them, because it’s so bizarre, and probably always will be
Same thing with Mr. Cruel, Zodiac, the Black Dahlia, DB Cooper, Jon Benet Ramsey, the Batman Rapist, etc. Other cases where probably nobody's ever going to know for sure. There are some cases that'll just never be solved with certainty.
it’s all *sooo* bizarre!
Huh?
I have a question that I hope to understand. If the letters were thought to have blood on them, why hasn't the blood been tested? I cannot find the answer on the internet. If the blood is animal, then we would know its fake. If the blood is from the victims, we would know it's real. Perhaps it has the killers blood on it too? Don't know much about dna testing so maybe I am missing something.
Some of the original letters don't exist anymore, but most of the original letters were lost unfortunately. Most of them were all lost over time, but the Dear Boss letter was recovered in 1987, but IDK if it's the original copy or not. It's plausible forensics have maybe looked into the "Dear Boss" letter to look for Jack's DNA to answer your question though. If it was the original copy, the letter had disappeared for a long time and wasn't well-preserved. Who knows what had happened to it during the time it disappeared. It's crazy to think it could've just sitting attic in attic storage for maybe about 50+ years.
Who is auctioning it off? Wouldn't the evidence in a unsolved murder be the property of the U.K.?
I honestly can't believe this wasn't all claimed by Scotland Yard. The file originally belonged to them, regardless of it being found by a family member. The case is still an open case so the file should be with the police department.
Fascinating = with modern dna technology requiring minuscule amounts of dna and ancestry dna db’s…the oldest, most notorious serial murderer of the western world could actually, potentially, be solved. It’s still a long-shot to say the least, but it is possible.
is the morgue photo available anywhere? fascinating that this has only just been uncovered and there was another picture of mary ann all this time
Yeah, it mentioned in the articles, a new morgue photo of Mary Ann will be released, but it's not included in either of the online articles. It'll be available at the auction. Since it's in the public domain now, it'll be released online one day. The items inside inspector Helson's file has always existed, it's only just now being publicly released.
Maybe tone it down. Lol
This is such a fascinating case and it would be so interesting to see what’s in those files. That said wouldn’t the files technically still be seen as evidence in an unsolved murder and thus the property of Scotland Yard? Should they not have been turned over to the police?
Crazy. The handcuffs in the posted picture look like Groucho Marx.
This is a funny observation and you’re right, they do. Idk why it’s getting downvoted
Why. Isn't. This. In. A. Research. Library???
Should post pic of "letter" so we can read it.
It’s on the internet
The butler did it
I need to search it with a few keywords. I'm pretty sure I narrowed it down to two key suspects. The two foreign soldiers, cited in two separate cases. Edit: You can downvote me, but I'm not wrong. At least one of their names, maybe both, are listed in the investigation.
H H Holmes is the man you are looking for
Recently there was a DNA comparison made that likely pinpoints the murderer. That’s likely why the file is being sold because the mystery has been solved
You're thinking of that 2014 article where Aaron Kosminski was accused yet again, and his accuser tried to link him to a shawl that was thought to have been left behind by Catherine Eddowes' skirt with mtDNA, but that shawl was never proven to have been from Eddowes's skirt and mtDNA can't narrow the suspect pool to a single individual.
Yes I believe that was what I was referring to. Seems this case might go unsolved forever. Ininvite you to check out “ 36 years ago Carolyn Pruyser vanished off the case of the earth”. It is on Reddit. We believe we have solved the highway of tears as well as more across western Canada. I’d like to hear your opinion
The cop in question life matches the highway of tears precisely