Some contemporary figures, including Queen Victoria, thought the pattern of the murders indicated that the culprit was a butcher or cattle drover on one of the cattle boats that plied between London and mainland Europe.
Algúns persoeiros famosos contemporáneos, incluíndo a raíña Vitoria, crían que o padrón dos asasinatos indicaba que o culpable tiña que ser un carniceiro ou un gandeiro que transportaba o gando en barco entre Londres e a Europa continental.