Teacher Claims to Have Solved the Mystery of Jack the Ripper

English Poet Francis Thompson (b. 1859, d. 1907) | Image: Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Yet another theory regarding the identity of English serial killer Jack the Ripper has been publicized, this time by Australia-based, English-born educator Richard Patterson. After a 20-year study of the case, Patterson believes the once revered English poet Francis Thompson was the Whitechapel Murderer. 

Some of Patterson's reasoning, which he related to the Mirror in an interview, follows:  

• Thompson had surgical experience and hinted at a double life in some of his written works, in which he talked about killing people
• The poet "kept a dissecting knife under his coat, and he was taught a "rare surgical procedure that was found in the mutilations of more than one of the Ripper victims"
• Thompson "helped with surgery and is known to have cut up heaps and heaps of cadavers while a student" 
• Thompson was an opium addict and maintained "close links" to at least one East London prostitute

Patterson believes Thompson snapped and began murdering prostitutes when his relationship with one ended badly. 

Watch an (autoplay) video about Patterson's research and read more on this story here.