DOCSLIB.ORG

Investigating Cognitive Bias

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Investigating Cognitive Bias University of Huddersfield Repository Hopps, Bethany Investigating Cognitive Bias: Does the status of a homicide or sexual offence investigation (live, cold or historic) effect the cognitive decision making of the investigating officer? Original Citation Hopps, Bethany (2019) Investigating Cognitive Bias: Does the status of a homicide or sexual offence investigation (live, cold or historic) effect the cognitive decision making of the investigating officer? Masters thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/34953/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ Investigating Cognitive Bias: Does the status of a homicide or sexual offence investigation (live, cold or historic) effect the cognitive decision making of the investigating officer Bethany Hopps U1264148 A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science by Research (Human and Health) The University of Huddersfield April 2019 1 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the co-operation of one of the UKs police forces for being supportive of my research and the time the investigators took out of their day for me to be able to interview them. I would also like to thank my supervisor Dr Jason Roach for all his help and support throughout my research. I would also like to offer a special thank you to my friend Ayema Akbar whom went out of her way to help and support me through this research; I definitely couldn’t have done it without her. 2 Contents Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………..................... Page 2 Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 3 Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 4 Prologue ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 5 Introduction of the Thesis ……………………………………………………………………………………. Page 6 Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 8 Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 23 Findings ………………..…….………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 31 Discussion .………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 48 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 55 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 57 Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 68 3 Abstract There is vast amounts of research which investigates the decision making process of investigating officers in homicide investigations. Little is known about the decisions made whilst investigating sexual offences and little is known regarding whether these decisions differ if the officer is investigating a cold homicide/sexual offence or a historic homicide/sexual offence. The current research aims to bridge the gap in research regarding decision making and cognitive bias dependent of the status of the criminal case. It is not a comparison of offence type and was not concerned with exploring the differences between types of crimes. Seven police investigators working on a cold case review team for one of the UK’s police forces were interviewed regarding the decisions they make. The team is roughly split into two sides and the officers specifically investigate either homicide or sexual offences that have not been solved at the time interviews occurred. Although the officers provided mixed views, the research found that there is a difference between cold and historic homicide/sexual offence cases with a definition obtained. However, ‘cold’ as a terminology caused unsettlement with the officers. The research also found that cognitive bias and the framing effect do have an effect on the decisions made by investigators. However, the effect the frame has was different to what was originally hypothesised. Other impacting factors on decision making were also discovered and discussed. Implications on UK policing are considered and the limitations of this research are considered. Recommendations for further research are offered. 4 Prologue The work that the police do I feel is always something the public are interested in. There are not many jobs that are heavily in the media and criticized more often than praised. Having worked in the policing organisation myself for 2 years, I felt it was important for the lay person to understand what these investigators are facing on a daily basis. I also felt, having studied Psychology for 3 years, that as an organisation, they need to be more open and conscious about their own thought processes and what effect things could have on the decisions they make. I have always had a great interest in police detection and if I could help officers be more confident in their investigative work by being aware of possible impacting factors, then this research is worthwhile. I believe officers, especially in the current climate with government cuts, could benefit from more training and on-going training with more focus on cognition so they have an understanding of how their brains are processing information in order to make these difficult decisions during an investigation. If they are made aware of the possible biases, then it is more likely they will notice if their decisions become impacted. 5 Introduction of the Thesis This current research aims to bridge the gap between existing research in regards to decision making in police homicide/sexual offence investigations and whether the decisions made, differ depending of the status of the case (live, cold or historic). Research of decision making with regards to homicides and sexual offences will be discussed separately and any differences that arise, will too be discussed however this was not a focus of this research. Due to the timeframe the research was conducted in, it would be difficult to draw comparisons against the offence type as well as the case status. Therefore, the working hypothesis for this research is that police investigators follow the same decision making process regardless to the offence type. The existing research mainly focuses on live criminal investigations, with minimal research focused on cold case investigations and virtually no research at all focused on historic criminal investigations. It has proved difficult to source agreed definitions of what makes a live case, a cold case or a historic case. The following working definitions have been proposed for the purposes of the research with a view to provide firm definitions: Case Type Working Definition Live Involves identifying, collecting and using information/evidence in order to bring perpetrators to justice (Stelfox 2013). Cold Any case in which all investigative leads have been exhausted; a police inquiry that has been suspended with the crime still unsolved (Collins English Dictionary, 2018) Historic Historic crime is something which is “non-recent” however no time scale is suggested but the National Institute of Justice (2008) states “historic” is just another term for a “cold” outside the USA. The current research has two main research aims with specific objectives within: 1) To explore decision making within the different case types (live, historic and cold). Using the existing working definitions of the case types, the research will probe any differences in decision making in relation to the type of case (live, historic and cold). To provide definitions using the views of individuals whom have an extensive policing background and have personal experience in investigating all three case types in their career. 2) To examine any cognitive bias across the different case types (live, historic and cold). Analyse the types of bias that may affect decision making in an investigation and whether certain biases affect a certain type of case. 6 Explore whether the prevalence of the framing effect varies by case type. Explore if the investigating officer have their decisions framed in relation to a cold case simply by knowing a competent detective couldn’t solve previous to them suggesting they may accept defeat before even looking at the case. Research Rationale Answering the above research aims would benefit those individuals that investigate crime; at this moment in time, the investigative manuals available to the police force are focused on live investigations. This research will allow for more reliable investigation aids to be produced dependant on the type of case being investigated. Making officers aware of the possible biases which may specifically affect them dependent on what type of case they are working on, will assist them in recognising the potential negative and preventing it from affecting the case. In most recent years, due to the budget cuts that the police force has faced, there has been an increase in civilian criminal investigators in order to free up more police officers
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Sheffield Hallam University Thesis
    Taboo : why are real-life British serial killers rarely represented on film? EARNSHAW, Antony Robert Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/20984/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/20984/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. Taboo: Why are Real-Life British Serial Killers Rarely Represented on Film? Antony Robert Earnshaw Sheffield Hallam University MA English by Research September 2017 1 Abstract This thesis assesses changing British attitudes to the dramatisation of crimes committed by domestic serial killers and highlights the dearth of films made in this country on this subject. It discusses the notion of taboos and, using empirical and historical research, illustrates how filmmakers’ attempts to initiate productions have been vetoed by social, cultural and political sensitivities. Comparisons are drawn between the prevalence of such product in the United States and its uncommonness in Britain, emphasising the issues around the importing of similar foreign material for exhibition on British cinema screens and the importance of geographic distance to notions of appropriateness. The influence of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is evaluated. This includes a focus on how a central BBFC policy – the so- called 30-year rule of refusing to classify dramatisations of ‘recent’ cases of factual crime – was scrapped and replaced with a case-by-case consideration that allowed for the accommodation of a specific film championing a message of tolerance.
    [Show full text]
  • Male and Female Murderers in Newspapers: Are They Portrayed Differently?
    Male and female murderers in newspapers: Are they portrayed differently? Bethany O’Donnell Email: [email protected] Abstract This research aims to identify any similarities and differences in the reporting of male and female murderers in broadsheet and tabloid newspapers. In order to gain a stronger insight into the issue, two case studies have been selected, one male and one female. Through the method of thematic analysis, this article examines how the female serial murderer Joanna Dennehy was represented compared with the male serial murderer Stephen Griffiths in a selection of articles from national newspapers. During this process, reoccurring themes were discovered that are discussed in the analysis. These themes are ‘labelling’ and ‘blaming others’. ‘Labelling’ is divided into sub- themes of ‘mental illness’ and ‘sexualisation and de-humanisation’. The aforementioned themes are discussed in the analysis. It was found that the gender of a serial murderer does dictate how they are portrayed in tabloid newspapers. This is also true for broadsheet newspapers to a lesser extent. For example, this research shows that Joanna Dennehy is represented as mentally ill, whereas this is not as prominent for Stephen Griffiths, despite him committing similar acts. Furthermore, Dennehy is de-humanised in both types of newspaper, although to a greater degree in tabloid newspapers. It was discovered that Griffiths was not subjected to the same de-humanisation. These findings concur with previous research outlined in the literature review, though the themes mentioned in the discussion do not occur as blatantly as some researchers suggest they do for other female murderers in the media.
    [Show full text]
  • Stories of Women's Fear During the 'Yorkshire Ripper' Murders Louise
    Exploring Gender and Fear Retrospectively: Stories of Women’s Fear during the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ Murders Louise Wattis* Department of Criminology, School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University, United Kingdom Clarendon Building Teesside University Borough Road Middlesbrough, United Kingdom Ts5 6ew (44) 1642 384463 [email protected] Ackn: N CN: Y Word count: 9103 Exploring Gender and Fear Retrospectively: Stories of Women’s Fear during the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ Murders Abstract The murder of 13 women in the North of England between 1975 and 1979 by Peter Sutcliffe who became known as the Yorkshire Ripper can be viewed as a significant criminal event due to the level of fear generated and the impact on local communities more generally. Drawing upon oral history interviews carried out with individuals living in Leeds at the time of the murders, this article explores women’s accounts of their fears from the time. This offers the opportunity to explore the gender/fear nexus from the unique perspective of a clearly defined object of fear situated within a specific spatial and historical setting. Findings revealed a range of anticipated fear-related emotions and practices which confirm popular ‘high-fear’ motifs; however, narrative analysis of interviews also highlighted more nuanced articulations of resistance and fearlessness based upon class, place and biographies of violence, as well as the way in which women drew upon fear/fearlessness in their overall construction of self. It is argued that using narrative approaches is a valuable means of uncovering the complexity of fear of crime and more specifically provides renewed insight onto women’s fear.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Representations of the Moors Murderers and Yorkshire Ripper Cases
    CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE MOORS MURDERERS AND YORKSHIRE RIPPER CASES by HENRIETTA PHILLIPA ANNE MALION PHILLIPS A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Modern Languages School of Languages, Cultures, Art History, and Music College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham October 2016 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract This thesis examines written, audio-visual and musical representations of real-life British serial killers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady (the ‘Moors Murderers’) and Peter Sutcliffe (the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’), from the time of their crimes to the present day, and their proliferation beyond the cases’ immediate historical-legal context. Through the theoretical construct ‘Northientalism’ I interrogate such representations’ replication and engagement of stereotypes and anxieties accruing to the figure of the white working- class ‘Northern’ subject in these cases, within a broader context of pre-existing historical trajectories and generic conventions of Northern and true crime representation. Interrogating changing perceptions of the cultural functions and meanings of murderers in late-capitalist socio-cultural history, I argue that the underlying structure of true crime is the counterbalance between the exceptional and the everyday, in service of which its second crucial structuring technique – the depiction of physical detail – operates.
    [Show full text]
  • “Dead Cities, Crows, the Rain and Their Ripper, the Yorkshire Ripper”: the Red Riding Novels (1974, 1977, 1980, 1983) of David Peace As Lieux D’Horreur ______
    International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory, Vol. 6, No.3, June 2013, 43-56 “Dead Cities, Crows, the rain and their Ripper, The Yorkshire Ripper”: The Red Riding Novels (1974, 1977, 1980, 1983) of David Peace as Lieux d’horreur ________________________________________________________________________ Martin S. King1 Ian D. Cummins2 Abstract This article explores the role and importance of place in the Red Riding novels of David Peace. Drawing on Nora’s (1989) concept of Lieux de mémoire and Rejinders’ (2010) development of this work in relation to the imaginary world of the TV detective and engaging with a body of literature on the city, it examines the way in which the bleak Yorkshire countryside and the city of Leeds in the North of England, in particular, is central to the narrative of Peace’s work and the locations described are reflective of the violence, corruption and immorality at work in the storylines. While Nora (1984) and Rejinders (2010) describe places as sites of memory negotiated through the remorse of horrific events, the authors agree that Peace’s work can be read as describing L’ieux d’horreur; a recalling of past events with the violence and horror left in. Introduction Pierre Nora’s (1989) concept of Lieux de mémoire examines the ways in which a “rapid slippage of the present into a historical past that is gone for good” (Nora, 1989:7) is compensated for by the focus of memory on particular physical spaces. Nora (1989) outlines an idea of a modern world obsessed with the past and in search of roots and identity that are fast disappearing, a loss of collectively remembered values replaced by a socially constructed version of history as a representation of the past.
    [Show full text]
  • Masaryk University Brno
    MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO FACULTY OF EDUCATION Department of English Language Serial killers in the British press Diploma thesis Brno 2020 Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Renata Jančaříková, Ph.D. Bc. Lukáš Kačinetz 1 Deklarace „Prohlašuji, že jsem diplomovou práci vypracoval samostatně, s využitím pouze citovaných pramenů, dalších informací a zdrojů v souladu s Disciplinárním řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity a se zákonem č. 121/2000 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o změně některých zákonů (autorský zákon), ve znění pozdějších předpisů.“ V Brně dne 30.3.2020 ……………………………….. Bc. Lukáš Kačinetz 2 Acknowledgement I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Mgr . Renata Jančaříková, Ph.D. for her patience, kind and tolerant guidance and her support and help through the process of my writing. 3 Annotation The aim of this thesis is the analysis of the medial image of British serial killers. The analysis is conducted through the research of contemporary articles from newspapers, which report about three British serial killers - so called “Jack the Ripper'', Peter Sutcliffe (“The Yorkshire Ripper”) and Steve Wright (“The Suffolk Strangler”). The thesis describes briefly the case and its media portrayal, leading to the comparative analysis of the described cases. The thesis is divided into theoretical and practical part.The theoretical part describes medial English, news values and other phenomena, used by news reporting (Binary opposition, apeal of the negative news). The theoretical part also describes the research questions that the thesis focuses on. The practical part describes the three cases and comments their medial image. The frequential analysis is also presented.
    [Show full text]
  • The Expressive/Transformative Process of Violence Lee Mellor A
    I Kill, Therefore I Am: The Expressive/Transformative Process of Violence Lee Mellor A Thesis In the Individualized Program Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Individualized Program) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada July 2018 ©Lee Mellor, 2018 !"#!"$%&'()#&*+$,&-.( ,!/""0("1(2$'%)'-+(,-)%&+,! This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Lee Mellor Entitled: I Kill, Therefore I Am: The Expressive Transformative Theory of Violence and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Individualized program (INDI)) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: "#$%&! '&(!"#$&)*+!,*%++! !-./*&0$)!-.$1%0*&! '&(!2$&%0$!34&45#%0+6%! !-./*&0$)!/4! 7&48&$1! '&(!9&*8!:%*)+*0! !-.$1%0*&! '&(!-&%5!;%56*<! !-.$1%0*&! '&(!=1<!3>%??*0! -.$1%0*&! !'&(!@%A*6!@*06$/*+#! B#*+%+!3CD*&A%+4&! '&(!E*$0F,45#!G$C&*05*! =DD&4A*H!I<! '&(!,$5#*)!J*&8*&K(9&$HC$/*!7&48&$1!'%&*5/4&! !'*5*1I*&!LK!MNOP! '&(!7$C)$!Q44HF=H$1+K!'*$0! !35#44)!4?!9&$HC$/*!3/CH%*+ Abstract I Kill, Therefore I Am: The Expressive/Transformative Process of Violence Lee Mellor, Ph.D. Concordia University, 2018 Before the late-Industrial age, a minority of murderers posed their victims’ corpses to convey a message. With the rise of mass media, such offenders also began sending verbal communications to journalists and the authorities. Unsurprisingly, the 21st century has seen alienated killers promote their violent actions and homicidal identities through online communications: from VLOGs to manifestos, even videos depicting murder and corpse mutilation.
    [Show full text]
  • March 2021 FOI 7297-20 Peter Sutcliffe
    Our ref: 07297/20 On the 16 July 2010, Judge, Sir John Edward Mitting was asked to ‘Take into Consideration’ (TIC) a signed admission by Peter Sutcliffe to the assault on Yorkshire Ripper victim, Tracey Browne. On the same day Peter Sutcliffe declined to have an attack on Anne Rooney, ‘Take into Consideration’. Having regard to ‘Operation Cleanslate’ the operational delivery of the TIC policy within West Yorkshire Police please advise. 1. Have the attacks on Tracey Browne and Anne Rooney been classified as ‘Solved’ or ‘Cleared Up’ and do they form part of West Yorkshire Police annual performance figures and if so, which year were they included? 2. Have any other offences (other than those he was convicted of) of which Peter Sutcliffe is suspected also been classified as ‘Solved’ or ‘Cleared Up’? Unfortunately, West Yorkshire Police are unable to provide you with the information requested. The hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper in the 1970s and 1980s was one of the largest ever investigations by a British police force and pre-dated the use of computers in criminal cases. As such, West Yorkshire Police hold 150 boxes (recently revised figure) of material relating to the case which is not indexed. In relation to question 2 of your request, it would take a minimum of 1 hour to search each box, to determine the number of ‘other offences’ and further research would then be required to determine whether they have been detected to someone else. This would take at least 150 hours. It is estimated that the cost of providing / locating the information you seek within your request would exceed the time threshold.
    [Show full text]
  • Whitechapel's Wax Chamber of Horrors, 1888
    Whitechapel’s Wax Chamber of Horrors, 1888 By MIKE HAWLEY A waxwork ‘chamber of horrors’1 museum exhibiting ‘vilely executed waxen figures’2 of the most notorious homicides of Victorian times operated in 1888 at just a few minutes’ walking distance from the location of the Mary Ann Nichols murder scene. The museum’s main attraction were images of the Ripper victims which were added to the display as they were murdered! By February 1889, the museum displayed a total of six images of the murdered women,3 beginning with the unfortunate Martha Tabram, who had met her death on 7 August 1888. In his 1892 memoirs, Worship Street Police Court Magistrate Montague Williams recalled his walk through this chamber of horrors in early September 1888: There lay a horrible presentment in wax of Matilda Turner [Martha Tabram], the first victim, as well as one of Mary Ann Nichols, whose body was found in Buck’s Row. The heads were represented as being nearly severed from the bodies, and in each case there were shown, in red paint, three terrible gashes reaching from the abdomen to the ribs.4 Not only did the proprietor of the waxwork museum operate a chamber of horrors, but he also offered live entertainment nightly in the adjacent building.5 Ever cognizant of the money-making formula consisting of, first, satisfying the public’s desire for vice - in this case violence against women – and, secondly, adding a pinch of sex, the proprietor had as the main attraction of the show a tough young lady named Miss Juanita.
    [Show full text]
  • Profiling a Killer Transcript
    Profiling a Killer Transcript Date: Tuesday, 20 March 2012 - 6:00PM Location: Museum of London 20 March 2012 Profiling a Killer Professor Glenn D Wilson Psychological profiling is a useful adjunct to police investigations. It is not a substitute for forensic evidence but may help to focus the search by suggesting what sort of person is likely to be responsible for a crime, where they might live and work and how they might travel. The type of psychologist popularised by the TV series Cracker excites the public imagination but real profiling is both more prosaic and more scientific. Whereas Cracker brings to bear uncanny intuition into what is going on in the mind of the killer and uses artful interrogation techniques to extract confessions from suspects, modern profilers use cold logic and look to what research experience tells about a crime scene and the likely perpetrator. There is nothing mystical or magical about psychological profiling and certainly nothing “psychic”. Take the most famous of all serial killers, Jack the Ripper. This is salient in folklore because it occurred around the beginnings of “tabloid” journalism and because the case was never solved. While it is interesting to speculate about the perverted sexual motives of Jack, this would not necessarily have narrowed the search for him. However, details such as his choice of victim, the times and places at which the murders occurred and the mode of killing may have helped. The police surgeon who examined the injuries to the Whitechapel victims (Dr George Phillips) reckoned that the way in which their organs were removed so expertly suggested professional skill, pointing perhaps to a surgeon, butcher or mortuary worker.
    [Show full text]
  • EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW by KAREN SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY by NAZ ALAM Love a Good Pantomime
    11 November/December 2019 November/December Life Northern he’s behind you... EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY KAREN SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY BY NAZ ALAM love a good pantomime. ‘Oh no, ‘Same Difference’ Sean Smith as you don’t!’ I hear you all cry. Aladdin, the rather gorgeous Kelsey- I ‘Oh yes, I do!’ And was Beth Crossley, (former Emmerdale therefore delighted to be invited to actress) as Princess Jasmine and last, The Muni in Colne recently to but certainly not least, Bruce Jones, discover the magic behind one of our who many of you will recognise as country’s oldest traditions. This year’s Les Battersby from his time on panto is going to be a feast for the Coronation Street. Bruce will be playing the baddie eyes with incredible dancers, Abanazar and despite performing in amazing special effects and even a many a panto, he’s rather anxious real flying carpet! It promises to be about opening this one. I wondered Colne’s most extravagant and most how treading the boards compared magical pantomime ever! X Factor’s with performing on TV. 12 13 Bruce and the cast of Aladdin “I’m opening it, I’ve never opened a people from different rehab units. I Netflix on the Ripper, he continues, then I stay with her.” The couple panto before. You can’t stop and start. spoke about depression. I had it bad.” “when I went, I had to look at all the obviously have a lot in common, If you make a mistake you’ve got to The ‘black dog’ has stalked him pictures again, big pictures.
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of Jack the Ripper a Paradox
    The Story of Jack the Ripper A Paradox 12/9/2012 1 The Story of Jack the Ripper - a Paradox is © copyright protected to the Author 2012. No part thereof may be copied, stored, or transmitted either electronically or mechanically without the prior written permission of the author. Mr Richard.A.Patterson. Emails can be sent to the author at, [email protected]. Further resources can be found at the author’s homepage at, http://www.richard-a-patterson.com/ Readers are welcome to view other texts by the author at, http://richardapatterson17.blogspot.com/ ISBN 0-9578625-7-1 CONTENTS Preface. A Ghost Story. Introduction. Murders in the Sanctuary. Chapter One Francis Thompson Poet of Sacrifice. Chapter Two Mary Ann Nichols - Innocent in Death. Chapter Three Annie Chapman a Remedy of Steel. Chapter Four Elizabeth Stride & Catherine Eddowes; ‘My Two Ladies.’ Chapter Five Mary Kelly and the Secret in Her Eyes. Chapter Six Francis Thompson, Confessions at Midnight. Chapter Seven The Demon Haunted World. Appendix. Bibliography. Printed in A4 size with Times New Roman, and Lucida Calligraphy fonts. Of about 125 thousand words. Please Read: Although fiction, much of this text is a reconstruction of events and often only rests on witness testimonies or newspaper reports. Much of the evidence has long since been destroyed by the forces of history. For sake of expediency, when there are conflicting witnesses the author has chosen to include material namely from city and metropolitan police. For aesthetic, this book does not fully cite its sources though the author hopes little within is made up and only veritable versions are included.
    [Show full text]