Elizabeth Stride

Whitechapel murder victim

Elizabeth "Long Liz" Stride (née Gustafsdotter; 27 November 1843 – 30 September 1888) was probably the third victim of the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper killed and mutilated at least five women in the Whitechapel and Spitalfields districts of London between late August and early November 1888.[2]

Elizabeth Stride
Mortuary photograph of Elizabeth Stride
Born
Elisabeth Gustafsdotter

(1843-11-27)27 November 1843
Torslanda, Sweden
Died30 September 1888(1888-09-30) (aged 44)
Cause of deathHaemorrhage due to partial severance of the left carotid artery; severance of trachea[1]
Body discoveredDutfield's Yard, Berner Street (now known as Henriques Street), Whitechapel, London
51°30′49″N 0°03′56″W / 51.5137°N 0.0655°W / 51.5137; -0.0655 (Site where Elizabeth Stride body was found in Whitechapel)
Resting placeEast London Cemetery, West Ham, England
51°31′36″N 0°00′43″E / 51.526658°N 0.012057°E / 51.526658; 0.012057 (approximate)
Occupation(s)Cleaner, casual prostitute
Known forVictim of serial murder
Spouse
John Thomas Stride
(m. 1869; sep. 1881)

Unlike the other four Ripper victims, Stride had not been mutilated after her murder. For this reason, some historians think Stride had not actually been murdered by Jack the Ripper.[3] However, Stride's murder occurred less than one hour before the murder of the Ripper's fourth victim, Catherine Eddowes. The murder occured within walking distance. It is thought that the murderer was disturbed by someone entering the crime scene on a two-wheeled cart.[4] In addition, both women had been murdered by slash wounds to the throat.[5] For these reasons, most authors and researchers consider Stride to be the third of the Ripper's five victims.[6]

Stride was nicknamed "Long Liz". Several explanations have been given for this pseudonym; some believe it sources from her married surname (a stride being a reference to a long step),[7] while others believe this is a reference to either her height,[8] or her general facial structure.

References

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  1. Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia ISBN 978-1-844-54982-5 p. 39
  2. Evans and Rumbelow, pp. 96–113
  3. The Complete History of Jack the Ripper ISBN 978-1-841-19397-7 p. 210
  4. Sherlock Holmes and The Autumn Of Terror ISBN 978-1-536-53368-2 p. 483
  5. Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia ISBN 978-1-844-54982-5 p. 98
  6. The Murder Almanac ISBN 978-1-897-78404-4 p. 91
  7. Evans and Rumbelow, p. 290
  8. At 5 ft 5 in (165 cm), Stride was taller than the average for Whitechapel women of the era (Fido, p.53).