How many women did Jack the Ripper kill?

It is unlikely, though, that the career of Jack the Ripper was launched in George Yard Buildings or Buck's Row. Two such possibilities are the knife attacks on Annie Millwood and Ada Wilson in the spring of 1888.

Melvile Macnaghten, joined the Metropolitan Police as Assistant Chief Constable of the CID in June 1889, too late to participate in the Ripper inquiry, discounted Martha, and insisted five woman died by the Ripper’s blade. Abberline, Anderson, Reid and Dew, all included her among the Ripper victims. This appears to have been a general police view in 1888.

Dr Thomas Bond (asked to give his opinion on the skill of the butchery) was sure that all five women had been slain by the same hand. The throats of the first four appeared to have been cut from left to right. Inspector Abberline and Sir Robert Anderson both opted for a tally of six by adding Martha Tabram to Macnaghten's names. Walter Dew believed that these six women were 'definite' Ripper victims. But he made the total seven because he felt that Emma Smith had been the Ripper's first victim. Dr Bond personally examined the wounds inflicted upon Mary Kelly and Alice McKenzie and studied medical notes relating to four of the earlier victims (Nichols, Chapman, Stride and Eddowes). In his view all these six had been killed by the same man.

It appears, therefore, there are five canonical victims because Macnaghten decided it was so.