Jack the Ripper: The 'World's First Theatrical Serial Killer' Born in Fog-Bound London
Provocative letters written in red ink (or perhaps blood) were sent to police stations and newspaper offices. The signature claiming responsibility for these atrocities read simply: “Jack the Ripper.” 
1. The Birth of the “Theatrical Crime” and the Media Frenzy
Jack the Ripper was not the first serial killer in history. Brutal incidents existed before him. However, he was indisputably “the first star criminal in the world, created by mass media.” Late 19th-century London was an era when modern police institutions began to form, cheap penny papers became widespread, and the literacy rate of citizens skyrocketed. To boost circulation, newspapers sensationally trumpeted the bloody incidents. The “Dear Boss” letter allegedly sent by Jack, and the “From Hell” letter accompanied by half a human kidney, graced the front pages day after day. Citizens devoured reports of the unfolding “murder theater” while trembling in fear.
The killer himself acted as if he fully understood this frenzy. He repeated his crimes as if mocking the incompetence of the police, and when vigilance reached its absolute peak, he vanished entirely into the fog.
2. The Labyrinth of Profiling: Surgeon or Butcher?
Regarding the true identity of the Ripper, countless “suspects” (targets of Ripperologists) have been proposed from that time until the present day. Much of this speculation stems from the fact that specific organs, such as the uterus and kidneys, were extracted from the bodies quickly and accurately in the total darkness of the alleys.
The Doctor or Anatomist Theory : A member of the upper class possessing advanced surgical knowledge. The aristocratic image of Jack in a top hat and black cloak was born from this hypothesis.
The Slaughterhouse Worker (Butcher) Theory : A local from the working class in Whitechapel who was accustomed to handling sharp blades and wouldn’t arouse suspicion even if walking around covered in blood.
The Royal Conspiracy : An occult-flavored theory, popularized by works like the graphic novel and film From Hell, suggesting that Queen Victoria’s grandson (the Duke of Clarence) or the royal physician William Gull assassinated the women according to Masonic rituals to cover up a royal scandal.
When viewed through the lens of modern FBI profiling, the reality is far less romantic. Given that the crime scenes were concentrated in a small area and the killer possessed an intimate knowledge of the layout of the midnight back alleys, it is most realistic to assume he was not an aristocrat arriving by carriage from outside, but rather “an inconspicuous local resident living near the scenes, acting alone, harboring a deep-seated hatred for the working class or suffering from severe mental illness.” 
3. Why Do We Still Seek “Him”?
Over 130 years have passed since the incidents, yet Jack the Ripper continues to be consumed in countless pieces of pop culture and entertainment, from Detective Conanto theFate series. He has transcended the boundaries of an actual, historical serial killer to become an icon—the symbol of “faceless malice” inevitably bred by the anonymous space of the modern metropolis.
It is precisely because his identity was never unmasked and he was never brought to justice that Jack attained eternal life. It is the thirst for “incomprehensible terror” lurking in the depths of our own hearts that keeps him standing in the foggy streets of London to this day.
*The Zodiac Killer: The Murderer Who Enjoyed Killing and Manipulated Ciphers : A modern serial killer in America who imitated Jack’s methodology (taunting the police and media with letters) and identically vanished into a cold case. *The Golden State Killer: The Genetic Net Closes After 40 Years : Investigating another terrifying phantom who reigned over an era but, unlike Jack, met his downfall through the relentless advance of modern forensic science (DNA). *The Beast of Gévaudan: The Reign of the Undefined Monster : An exploration of Europe’s historical obsession with uncontrollable, slaughtering entities striking from the shadows.