Post by THE REPORTER on Jun 12, 2011 9:05:49 GMT -5
The inquest of Annie Chapman was adjourned for the second time, to be resumed in two days, due to the massive amount of evidence presented. Coroner Winnie Baxter presided over the case, along with a coroner's jury. The case includes twenty-five witnesses, something practically unheard of in an inquest until now.
Winnie Baxter spoke to the New York Times regarding her case. "It blows my mind [that] there could be so many people witnessing the lead-up to this murder, and that he still got away."
We also spoke again to Detective Philippe Javert, who watched over the case on behalf of the New York Police Department. "It wasn't like no one saw anything," he says; "There were people seeing this guy all over. Some think they can identify him, but none of the descriptions are the same."
The only witness at this segment of the inquest to give a description was Tori Labrecque, an exotic dancer, who saw the man she thinks to be the killer pass her with Annie Chapman. The time was about five-fifteen, which would peg the event as just before the murder. She stated that she was taking a shortcut through an alley, and happened to see the couple at the end of it; she describes the man as tall, almost a foot taller than Chapman, who was 5'3", with dark hair and a grey complexion. She says that he was wearing a long, dark over coat, wearing a fedora, and was carrying a small briefcase. She mentioned that he heard him say, "Maybe," in a deep voice, and that he looked like he was upper class; she confirmed that she was certain the woman with him was Annie Chapman. The official police description now tentatively matches the one she gave, because of the place and time in accordance to the time of death.
"The thing about this case," says Coroner Baxter, "is that everyone saw something, but no one saw anything."
The first witness to testify was the man who found the body, John Davis, a cab driver, who lives in the tenement where Annie Chapman was murdered. He described his routine that morning: he got up around five in the morning to get ready for his shift, and heard nothing suspicious from outside as he did so. At a quarter to six, about fifteen minutes after the murder is supposed to have taken place, he made his way down and out the back door, where he saw a strange heap near the fence, which was covered by a bloody leather apron. He was unsure to whom it belonged. He stated that he then called for help, and was answered by fellow witness James Kent.
A later witness and official suspect, a mortician named Thomas Kristofferson known by his nickname "Leather Apron", stated that he was returning home from work on Monday when he was arrested by Sergeant William Thicke. Kristofferson simply stated that he had nothing to do with the murders, and that he had seen nothing on his way home. He was released under careful police surveillance due to lack of evidence on Wednesday.
Kirstofferson was not the only official suspect that testified; Jack Richardson, gave a statement that has now put him on the authorities' official list of suspects. He stated the he went to the tenement quarter to five, to check on the latch on the yard door. He said he did so to check on his mother his mother, also a witness, who had been robbed the previous month because the back door had been unlatched. The door was closed and the latch held fine, so he went in and entered the ground-floor workshop to cut a bit of leather off of his boot. He did so and then pocketed the knife, though he admits he does not know why, as it didn't belong to him. He said that he could not have been in the house for more than three minutes, and left directly after. He did not hear anything suspicious nor did he see anyone in the yard when he went out.
There will be more information to come when the inquest is opened again, but the above is a quick run-down of all the chief witnesses and important information revealed thus far. To keep posted, go to our website, or stay tuned in to our articles.
Again, we request that anyone who has any information should turn it in to the police or the New York Times.
As Coroner Baxter put it: "It is imperative that we get whatever information someone can hand us...Whatever we're dealing with...is big."
(Written by Jill- might be editing info once I get a hold of Kay. All info collected by Jill, in an attempt to be as close to historically accurate as possible. I did modernize some of the names, and I made the coroner a woman.)
Winnie Baxter spoke to the New York Times regarding her case. "It blows my mind [that] there could be so many people witnessing the lead-up to this murder, and that he still got away."
We also spoke again to Detective Philippe Javert, who watched over the case on behalf of the New York Police Department. "It wasn't like no one saw anything," he says; "There were people seeing this guy all over. Some think they can identify him, but none of the descriptions are the same."
The only witness at this segment of the inquest to give a description was Tori Labrecque, an exotic dancer, who saw the man she thinks to be the killer pass her with Annie Chapman. The time was about five-fifteen, which would peg the event as just before the murder. She stated that she was taking a shortcut through an alley, and happened to see the couple at the end of it; she describes the man as tall, almost a foot taller than Chapman, who was 5'3", with dark hair and a grey complexion. She says that he was wearing a long, dark over coat, wearing a fedora, and was carrying a small briefcase. She mentioned that he heard him say, "Maybe," in a deep voice, and that he looked like he was upper class; she confirmed that she was certain the woman with him was Annie Chapman. The official police description now tentatively matches the one she gave, because of the place and time in accordance to the time of death.
"The thing about this case," says Coroner Baxter, "is that everyone saw something, but no one saw anything."
The first witness to testify was the man who found the body, John Davis, a cab driver, who lives in the tenement where Annie Chapman was murdered. He described his routine that morning: he got up around five in the morning to get ready for his shift, and heard nothing suspicious from outside as he did so. At a quarter to six, about fifteen minutes after the murder is supposed to have taken place, he made his way down and out the back door, where he saw a strange heap near the fence, which was covered by a bloody leather apron. He was unsure to whom it belonged. He stated that he then called for help, and was answered by fellow witness James Kent.
A later witness and official suspect, a mortician named Thomas Kristofferson known by his nickname "Leather Apron", stated that he was returning home from work on Monday when he was arrested by Sergeant William Thicke. Kristofferson simply stated that he had nothing to do with the murders, and that he had seen nothing on his way home. He was released under careful police surveillance due to lack of evidence on Wednesday.
Kirstofferson was not the only official suspect that testified; Jack Richardson, gave a statement that has now put him on the authorities' official list of suspects. He stated the he went to the tenement quarter to five, to check on the latch on the yard door. He said he did so to check on his mother his mother, also a witness, who had been robbed the previous month because the back door had been unlatched. The door was closed and the latch held fine, so he went in and entered the ground-floor workshop to cut a bit of leather off of his boot. He did so and then pocketed the knife, though he admits he does not know why, as it didn't belong to him. He said that he could not have been in the house for more than three minutes, and left directly after. He did not hear anything suspicious nor did he see anyone in the yard when he went out.
There will be more information to come when the inquest is opened again, but the above is a quick run-down of all the chief witnesses and important information revealed thus far. To keep posted, go to our website, or stay tuned in to our articles.
Again, we request that anyone who has any information should turn it in to the police or the New York Times.
As Coroner Baxter put it: "It is imperative that we get whatever information someone can hand us...Whatever we're dealing with...is big."
(Written by Jill- might be editing info once I get a hold of Kay. All info collected by Jill, in an attempt to be as close to historically accurate as possible. I did modernize some of the names, and I made the coroner a woman.)
