Elizabeth Stride
Elizabeth "Long Liz" Stride (née Gustafsdotter; 27 November 1843 – 30 September 1888) was probably the third victim of the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper killed and mutilated at least five women in the Whitechapel and Spitalfields districts of London between late August and early November 1888.[2]
Elizabeth Stride | |
|---|---|
 Mortuary photograph of Elizabeth Stride | |
| Born | Elisabeth Gustafsdotter 27 November 1843 Torslanda, Sweden |
| Died | 30 September 1888 (aged 44) Whitechapel, London, England |
| Cause of death | Haemorrhage due to partial severance of the left carotid artery; severance of trachea[1] |
| Body discovered | Dutfield's Yard, Berner Street (now known as Henriques Street), Whitechapel, London 51°30′49″N 0°03′56″W / 51.5137°N 0.0655°W |
| Resting place | East London Cemetery, West Ham, England 51°31′36″N 0°00′43″E / 51.526658°N 0.012057°E (approximate) |
| Occupation(s) | Cleaner, casual prostitute |
| Known for | Victim of serial murder |
| Spouse(s) | John Thomas Stride (m. 1869; separated 1881) |
Unlike the other four Ripper victims, Stride had not been mutilated after her murder. For this reason, some historians think Stride had not actually been murdered by Jack the Ripper.[3] However, Stride's murder occurred less than one hour before the murder of the Ripper's fourth victim, Catherine Eddowes. The murder occured within walking distance. It is thought that the murderer was disturbed by someone entering the crime scene on a two-wheeled cart.[4] In addition, both women had been murdered by slash wounds to the throat.[5] For these reasons, most authors and researchers consider Stride to be the third of the Ripper's five victims.[6]
Stride was nicknamed "Long Liz". Several explanations have been given for this pseudonym; some believe it sources from her married surname (a stride being a reference to a long step),[7] while others believe this is a reference to either her height,[8] or her general facial structure.
References change
- ↑ Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia ISBN 978-1-844-54982-5 p. 39
- ↑ Evans and Rumbelow, pp. 96–113
- ↑ The Complete History of Jack the Ripper ISBN 978-1-841-19397-7 p. 210
- ↑ Sherlock Holmes and The Autumn Of Terror ISBN 978-1-536-53368-2 p. 483
- ↑ Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia ISBN 978-1-844-54982-5 p. 98
- ↑ The Murder Almanac ISBN 978-1-897-78404-4 p. 91
- ↑ Evans and Rumbelow, p. 290
- ↑ At 5 ft 5 in (165 cm), Stride was taller than the average for Whitechapel women of the era (Fido, p.53).