---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary…"
description: "\"“There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary Kelly was just an unusually determined suicide. Why don't we leave it there.”\" — Alan Moore"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg"
---

#  There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary Kelly was just an…

![“There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary Kelly was just an unusually determined suicide. Why don't we leave it there.” quote by Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg)

> ““There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary Kelly was just an unusually determined suicide. Why don't we leave it there.””

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Jack the Ripper may be a myth; Mary Kelly's death could be a suicide, suggesting we should stop speculation.

**In simple terms:** Question historical myths; consider alternative explanations.

Key Takeaway

Critically evaluate sensational narratives.

Themes

history myths justice

Mood

skeptical analytical

Type

historical critical

When to use this quote

- crime investigation
- historical research
- public discourse

Key Concepts

criminology media studies

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence supports the suicide theory?
- How does myth-making affect victims?

A Different Perspective

Evidence may be insufficient to overturn entrenched myths.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Determined Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined-suicide-4759045/) [Jack Ripper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jack-ripper-556572/) [Mary Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mary-kelly-4759044/) [Ripper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripper/) [Ripper Mary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripper-mary-4759043/)

## Related quotes

> [Jack the Ripper may not have had all the answers but he was always prepared to have a stab in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jack-the-ripper-may-not-have-had-all-the-answers-but-he-was-always/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It was mild monsters like these that made Jack the Ripper go after young women, she decided: who could tolerate yielding the world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/it-was-mild-monsters-like-these-that-made-jack-the-ripper-go-after/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

> [“shane:is your distant cousin jack the ripper dropping in for coffee. eve:screw you collins”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/shane-is-your-distant-cousin-jack-the-ripper-dropping-in-for-coffee/)

[Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/)

> [I'm Jack the Ripper. I love women. I'm Jack the Ripper. I caused terror throughout London-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-the-ripper/i-m-jack-the-ripper-i-love-women-i-m-jack-the-ripper-i-caused-terror/)

[Jack the Ripper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-the-ripper/)

> [Who do I think Jack The Ripper was? Do you know, I've got no idea who Jack The Ripper was. No idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-flynn/who-do-i-think-jack-the-ripper-was-do-you-know-i-ve-got-no-idea-who/)

[Jerome Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-flynn/)

> [Some nutter's gone and pulled a Jack the Ripper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/some-nutter-s-gone-and-pulled-a-jack-the-ripper/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [All English people have a fascination with Jack the Ripper. I don't know why, because it's so dreadful, but such a strange, endearing part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/all-english-people-have-a-fascination-with-jack-the-ripper-i-don-t/)

[Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/)

> [As long as he has a house with two bathrooms. I swear to God, I don't care if he's Jack the Ripper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/as-long-as-he-has-a-house-with-two-bathrooms-i-swear-to-god-i-don-t/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [“My book is extremely graphic. I make no apologies for it. But it is graphic only because I told the truth about what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-schaffer/my-book-is-extremely-graphic-i-make-no-apologies-for-it-but-it-is/)

[Bernard Schaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-schaffer/)

> [“Ripper in the front, ZZ in the back, Dirty in the mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/ripper-in-the-front-zz-in-the-back-dirty-in-the-mouth/)

[Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/)

> [“Ripper was my rainstorm, my skin-drenching frenzy, where you couldn’t tell right from left, where all you could feel was the phenomenon exploding throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/ripper-was-my-rainstorm-my-skin-drenching-frenzy-where-you-couldn-t/)

[Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/)

> [“He knew Danny, she was a fucking chatterbox. She was always rambling on and on about music and clothes and some asshat named Chan-a-something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/he-knew-danny-she-was-a-fucking-chatterbox-she-was-always-rambling-on/)

[Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/)

> [Keep calm and carry on. Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/keep-calm-and-carry-on-also-stay-in-and-hide-because-the-ripper-is/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [“Pregúntate qué sientes y qué te niegas a sentir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/preg-ntate-qu-sientes-y-qu-te-niegas-a-sentir/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [“Okay, Jack—let 'er rip!" They were able to watch the operation on a screen, from sensors left on site. The fuel-cell-powered ripper hummed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-flint/okay-jack-let-er-rip-they-were-able-to-watch-the-operation-on-a/)

[Eric Flint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-flint/)

## More by Alan Moore

> [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. I think not just for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-think-that-storytelling-and-creation-are-very-close-to-what-the/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [To some degree Satanism is purely a kind of disease of Christianity. You've got to really be Christian to believe in Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/to-some-degree-satanism-is-purely-a-kind-of-disease-of-christianity/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [There has been a rather unpleasant sensibility apparent in Frank Miller's work for quite a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-has-been-a-rather-unpleasant-sensibility-apparent-in-frank/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [I felt, if I'm going to react I might as well over react.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-felt-if-i-m-going-to-react-i-might-as-well-over-react/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [“Come, dry your eyes, for you are LIFE, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/come-dry-your-eyes-for-you-are-life-rarer-than-a-quark-and/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [Now everything is wonderful and hazardous and nothing's hypothetical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/now-everything-is-wonderful-and-hazardous-and-nothing-s-hypothetical/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [I was kind of a selfish child, who always wanted things his way, and I've kind of taken that over into my relationship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-was-kind-of-a-selfish-child-who-always-wanted-things-his-way-and-i/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [Magic is a state of mind. It is often portrayed as very black and gothic, and that is because certain practitioners played that up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/magic-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-often-portrayed-as-very-black-and/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [“Above, great constellations wheeled to which our bonfire sparks ascended in their tiny mimicry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/above-great-constellations-wheeled-to-which-our-bonfire-sparks/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [“You're my only remaining link to the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/you-re-my-only-remaining-link-to-the-world/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/nothing-ends-adrian-nothing-ever-ends/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [On the one occasion where I did try writing a screenplay, I found the rewriting just unendurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/on-the-one-occasion-where-i-did-try-writing-a-screenplay-i-found-the/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [“The clothes you're wearing, the room, the house, the city that you're in. Everything in it started out in the human imagination. Your lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/the-clothes-you-re-wearing-the-room-the-house-the-city-that-you-re-in/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

[Explore all 460 Alan Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

## More Ripper quotes

> [Jack the Ripper may not have had all the answers but he was always prepared to have a stab in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jack-the-ripper-may-not-have-had-all-the-answers-but-he-was-always/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Pregúntate qué sientes y qué te niegas a sentir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/preg-ntate-qu-sientes-y-qu-te-niegas-a-sentir/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [As long as he has a house with two bathrooms. I swear to God, I don't care if he's Jack the Ripper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/as-long-as-he-has-a-house-with-two-bathrooms-i-swear-to-god-i-don-t/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [Keep calm and carry on. Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/keep-calm-and-carry-on-also-stay-in-and-hide-because-the-ripper-is/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [“He knew Danny, she was a fucking chatterbox. She was always rambling on and on about music and clothes and some asshat named Chan-a-something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/he-knew-danny-she-was-a-fucking-chatterbox-she-was-always-rambling-on/)

[Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/)

> [“Ripper in the front, ZZ in the back, Dirty in the mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/ripper-in-the-front-zz-in-the-back-dirty-in-the-mouth/)

[Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/)

> [“My book is extremely graphic. I make no apologies for it. But it is graphic only because I told the truth about what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-schaffer/my-book-is-extremely-graphic-i-make-no-apologies-for-it-but-it-is/)

[Bernard Schaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-schaffer/)

> [“Okay, Jack—let 'er rip!" They were able to watch the operation on a screen, from sensors left on site. The fuel-cell-powered ripper hummed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-flint/okay-jack-let-er-rip-they-were-able-to-watch-the-operation-on-a/)

[Eric Flint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-flint/)

> [Some nutter's gone and pulled a Jack the Ripper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/some-nutter-s-gone-and-pulled-a-jack-the-ripper/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [“Ripper was my rainstorm, my skin-drenching frenzy, where you couldn’t tell right from left, where all you could feel was the phenomenon exploding throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/ripper-was-my-rainstorm-my-skin-drenching-frenzy-where-you-couldn-t/)

[Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/)

> [“No murderer had before or has since caused such a sensation, passed so quickly into folklore or gained an image – top hat, cape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begg/no-murderer-had-before-or-has-since-caused-such-a-sensation-passed-so/)

[Paul Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begg/)

> [Who do I think Jack The Ripper was? Do you know, I've got no idea who Jack The Ripper was. No idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-flynn/who-do-i-think-jack-the-ripper-was-do-you-know-i-ve-got-no-idea-who/)

[Jerome Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-flynn/)

> [I'm Jack the Ripper. I love women. I'm Jack the Ripper. I caused terror throughout London-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-the-ripper/i-m-jack-the-ripper-i-love-women-i-m-jack-the-ripper-i-caused-terror/)

[Jack the Ripper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-the-ripper/)

> [We keep on saying 'Jack' and 'he,' but that's one of the great things about the Ripper: its a mystery, which is part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-flynn/we-keep-on-saying-jack-and-he-but-that-s-one-of-the-great-things/)

[Jerome Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-flynn/)

> [“shane:is your distant cousin jack the ripper dropping in for coffee. eve:screw you collins”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/shane-is-your-distant-cousin-jack-the-ripper-dropping-in-for-coffee/)

[Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/)

[Browse all 21 Ripper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripper/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary Kelly was just an unusually determined suicide. Why don't we leave it there.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alan Moore"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-kelly-was-just-an-unusually/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ripper"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-kelly-was-just-an-unusually/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/alan-moore-583_quote_there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-k_1377047.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There never was a Jack the Ripper. Mary Kelly was just an unusually determined suicide. Why don't we leave…” — Alan Moore",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alan Moore",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There never was a Jack the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-kelly-was-just-an-unusually/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-never-was-a-jack-the-ripper-mary-kelly-was-just-an-unusually/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
