George Chapman Polish serial killer Date of Birth: 14.12.1865 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of George Chapman
2. Love Affairs and Murders
3. Suspicion and Trial
4. Arguments and Controversies

Biography of George Chapman

George Chapman, a Polish serial killer, was convicted and executed for poisoning three women. He was long considered one of the most likely candidates to be Jack the Ripper. Chapman was born in the village of Nagórna, Koło, Poland. At the age of 15, he became an apprentice to a local surgeon, as evidenced by papers found in his possession after his arrest. Medicine was not well-developed at that time, and George assisted his mentor in treating patients with leech bloodletting. Soon, he realized his passion for medicine and enrolled in surgical courses at a hospital in Prague. After completing the short course from October 1885 to January 1886, George worked as an assistant surgeon for a while before leaving Poland in December 1886. His subsequent whereabouts are unknown, but he settled in London sometime between 1887 and 1888.

Love Affairs and Murders

George had numerous lovers, some of whom he passed off as his wives. Three of these women, Mary Spink, Elizabeth Taylor, and Maud Marsh, all met their deaths at the hands of Chapman. He used a complex concoction based on vomit to poison his "lovers," which, when misused, caused symptoms similar to cyanide poisoning. The motives behind Chapman's killings remain unclear, as only one of the three deaths resulted in an inheritance of £500. The other two deaths did not bring him any money.

Suspicion and Trial

The death of Maud Marsh raised suspicions with the police, and it was soon discovered that she had been poisoned. The bodies of the first two victims were also exhumed, but Chapman was only charged with the murder of Marsh. On March 20, 1903, he was sentenced to death, and on April 7, 1903, he was hanged at Wandsworth Prison. One of the detectives, Frederick Abberline, declared at the time of Chapman's arrest that they had finally caught Jack the Ripper. Later, Abberline confirmed this statement in newspaper interviews. In Philip Sugden's book "The Complete History of Jack the Ripper," it was shown that Chapman was indeed the most likely candidate for the role of Jack, although his guilt was never fully proven. It is worth noting that George adopted his English surname from one of his "wives," Annie Chapman, who shared the same name as one of Jack the Ripper's victims.

Arguments and Controversies

Arguments in favor of the "Chapman theory" may seem unconvincing as they are mostly based on his extreme cruelty and misogyny. While Kluszewski preferred poisoning his victims rather than dismembering them, it is known that he physically abused his partners. There was an incident where George almost strangled his wife, Lucy Kluszewska, but she was saved by the arrival of a visitor at their store. For a while, George was also suspected of the murder of a woman named Carrie Brown in New York. However, it was later proven that he could not have been in the United States at the time. Additionally, many scholars believe that Jack the Ripper targeted unknown women, while George directed his aggression solely towards his close relations - partners, mistresses, and wives.