5. The Lawyer: Montague Druitt
Druitt has the dubious honour of being arguably the first serious suspect that was ever looked at by both police and Ripperologists. From what we can glean from the papers drawn up by former police assistant commissioner Sir Melville Macnaughten, Druitt was a loner and a possible sexual deviant whose own horror over committing these crimes led him to commit suicide by drowning in the Thames- hence why the murders ceased after Kelly. Macnaughten also claims that some of Druitt's own family had fears about him being the Whitechapel fiend. The problem with Macnaughten's statement is little of it actually is proven to be true. For example, Macnaughten claims Druitt is a medical student, when he is in fact a lawyer. He also claims that Druitt killed himself on the 10th of November, when most analysts of Druitt, put the suicide to be more likely in early December- a full three weeks at least after the Kelly murder. Finally, Druitt didn't match any descriptions of the Ripper- he was far too slight and slender, whereas the Ripper was described as stocky.