William Bury’s 1884 prison record, found in register no. 2795 in West Yorkshire Prison Records, 1801-1914, includes a brief description of him. A cut on the right side of his neck is identified as a noteworthy physical characteristic. It is not clear if this refers to a fresh cut or a scar. If it was … [Read more…]
In assessing William Bury’s connection to the Jack the Ripper murders, some Ripperologists have expressed the reservation that they believe that Scotland Yard must have investigated Bury and cleared him. Let’s take a quick look at the facts that pertain to this issue. There are no extant police records which indicate that Scotland Yard either … [Read more…]
According to a report in the June 2021 issue of Whitechapel Society Journal, William Bury’s DNA profile has been obtained (1). Bury was executed in 1889, and prior to his burial, cervical vertebrae were removed from his body. The bones have apparently been in continuous storage at Dundee University since that time. Investigative journalist Michael … [Read more…]
As I noted in Postidentification Ripperology, the identification of William Bury as Jack the Ripper still leaves a number of the Whitechapel murders unsolved, and one of these is the murder of the prostitute, Emma Smith, who was assaulted very early on the morning of April 3, 1888, and who died from an infection related … [Read more…]
A new edition of The Bury ID is now live. I have added detail here and there throughout the article.