Emilia Fox and Britain’s top criminologist, Professor David Wilson, cast new light on the Jack the Ripper case. Together, they examine the Ripper’s modus operandi using modern technology to recreate the murder sites to help understand the extraordinary risks the Ripper took to kill his victims. Using the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES)—a bespoke computer system used by the police to help detect patterns in criminal activity—and evidence uncovered within the investigation, results strongly indicate another woman was, in fact, the first Ripper victim.
Direction
Gething treats Whitechapel like a crime scene still active.
Cinematography
Modern London bleeding into Victorian shadow—literally.
Writing
Fox and Wilson's banter carries exposition without drowning in it.
Director
Ashley Gething
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
HOLMES was actually named after Sherlock Holmes—British police love a bit of branding irony. The system was developed after the Yorkshire Ripper investigation collapsed from information overload.
Martha Tabram's exclusion from the 'canonical' victims has long been debated; this documentary's reframing reflects a broader 2010s shift toward questioning whose deaths 'count' in true crime narratives. Fox's involvement brought Silent Witness credibility to the argument.
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