Walter Sickert

Verified background

Biographical facts with sources.

• Retrieved Painted 'Jack the Ripper's Bedroom'; not suspected for 80 years. ● Well supported claim: Sickert was fascinated by the case and painted 'Jack the Ripper's Bedroom' (1905–07) on a landlady's story; he was not suggested as a suspect for over 80 years.[1][2]

Opportunity and timeline

Where the person is documented to have been, and where the record is silent.

• Retrieved In France for Chapman (8 Sep) and the double event (30 Sep) per letters; 9 November not covered. ○ Weakly supported claim: Sickert's last dated London sketch of 1888 is 4 August; his mother wrote from St Valéry-en-Caux on 6 September describing him there; Jacques-Émile Blanche described visiting him on 16 September; his wife wrote on 21 September that he had been in France for some weeks; evidence suggests he stayed near Dieppe until early October.[1][2][3][4]

Strongest supporting evidence

The best case proponents can make from the record.

• Retrieved Cornwell's mtDNA/paper links to some letters. ○ Weakly supported claim: Cornwell's mtDNA results showed only that the person who left DNA on some Ripper letters could not be excluded from a population sub-group; other experts put the matching fraction between 10% and 0.1% of the population.○ Weakly supported claim: The strongest Cornwell links (e.g. the 'Openshaw' letter) involve letters not regarded as genuine; at most they could suggest Sickert hoaxed letters, not that he killed.[1][2][3]

Strongest contradictory evidence

Evidence that tells against the theory.

• Retrieved Letters of 6, 16 and 21 September place him in France; last London sketch 4 August. ○ Weakly supported claim: Sickert's last dated London sketch of 1888 is 4 August; his mother wrote from St Valéry-en-Caux on 6 September describing him there; Jacques-Émile Blanche described visiting him on 16 September; his wife wrote on 21 September that he had been in France for some weeks; evidence suggests he stayed near Dieppe until early October.[1][2][3][4]
• Retrieved mtDNA is shared by 0.1–10% of people; the key letter is not considered genuine. ○ Weakly supported claim: Cornwell's mtDNA results showed only that the person who left DNA on some Ripper letters could not be excluded from a population sub-group; other experts put the matching fraction between 10% and 0.1% of the population.○ Weakly supported claim: The strongest Cornwell links (e.g. the 'Openshaw' letter) involve letters not regarded as genuine; at most they could suggest Sickert hoaxed letters, not that he killed.[1][2][3]

Disputed and missing

Points in dispute, and records that do not exist or were not found.

• Retrieved Whereabouts in November 1888 not established in sources accessed. ○ Weakly supported claim: Sickert's last dated London sketch of 1888 is 4 August; his mother wrote from St Valéry-en-Caux on 6 September describing him there; Jacques-Émile Blanche described visiting him on 16 September; his wife wrote on 21 September that he had been in France for some weeks; evidence suggests he stayed near Dieppe until early October.[1][2][3][4]

Assumptions required

What a reader has to accept for the theory to work.

• Inference Secret return trips from France; letters equate to murder. ○ Weakly supported claim: Sickert's last dated London sketch of 1888 is 4 August; his mother wrote from St Valéry-en-Caux on 6 September describing him there; Jacques-Émile Blanche described visiting him on 16 September; his wife wrote on 21 September that he had been in France for some weeks; evidence suggests he stayed near Dieppe until early October.○ Weakly supported claim: The strongest Cornwell links (e.g. the 'Openshaw' letter) involve letters not regarded as genuine; at most they could suggest Sickert hoaxed letters, not that he killed.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

What would change the assessment

Evidence that, if found, would move the picture.

• Inference Strengthen: evidence of him in London on 31 Aug/8 Sep/30 Sep. Weaken further: dated November whereabouts. ○ Weakly supported claim: Sickert's last dated London sketch of 1888 is 4 August; his mother wrote from St Valéry-en-Caux on 6 September describing him there; Jacques-Émile Blanche described visiting him on 16 September; his wife wrote on 21 September that he had been in France for some weeks; evidence suggests he stayed near Dieppe until early October.[1][2][3][4]

Assumption records

• Sickert returned secretly from France to London for each murder.

Bottom line

Review