On this day, Oct. 15, 1888, Jack the Ripper’s “From Hell” letter was mailed to London investigators.
Police had received hundreds of letters claiming to be from the serial killer who had terrorized the city that year. All were certainly hoaxes, but the “From Hell” letter had the best chance of being from the actual killer. It was delivered with a small box containing half of a human kidney, purportedly from one of the victims. The writer claimed to have eaten the other half: “I may send you the bloody knife that took it out if you only wait a while longer.”
Jack the Ripper was never found. The letter and kidney have since been lost.
-Scott McCabe
