Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia

Over 100 years ago, a serial killer murdered a number of prostitutes in the East End of London. He was the first serial killer to terrorize a large city—at a time when literacy was rising and the power of the newspaper press was enormous. “Jack the Ripper” was the popular name that originated from letters sent to the press by somebody purporting to be the killer.
The gruesome murders immediately entered the popular consciousness, and interest in them remains high even today. Despite, or because of, the lack of agreement among scholars about many aspects of the murders (we do not even know how many victims he claimed), Jack the Ripper has spawned a vast number of books and films. But we are no closer to knowing his identity.