John Richardson - Prime Suspect in Annie Chapman's Murder
Context:
Josh Richardson was a porter living at 29 Hanbury Street with his mother at the time of Annie Chapmans murder. At 4:50AM he went into the backyard to sit on the steps of the door to cut leather off his shoe and check that his basement hadn't been broken into. He claims to have left for work a few minutes later. Annie Chapmans body was discovered by the steps of the door at 5:55AM.
The Timeline:
4:50AM - Josh Richardson says he was in the backyard sitting on the steps, and saw no body. (Richardson testified it was light enough to see all around the backyard)
5:15AM-5:25AM - His neighbor, Albert Cadosch, goes into his own backyard (separated by a fence to Richardson's). Cadosch hears two people on Richardson's side of the fence and a few minutes later the sound of something hitting the fence
5:30AM - Cadosch leaves for work
5:55AM - Body of Annie Chapman found heavily mutilated
Interesting Notes on Richardson and the case
Josh Richardson was walking around Whitechapel late at night with a knife.
"He admitted that he had a largish knife in his coat pocket, and that all he did in the yard was to glance at the padlock of the cellar, and cut a piece of leather off his boot."
His testimony:
"I had been cutting up carrots for my rabbit, and I put the knife into my pocket. I do not usually carry it about with me in my pocket. It must have been a mistake on my part."
When the coroner found out he was carrying a knife, he asked that Richardson produce it at once. They asked a potential murder suspect to retrieve his own murder weapon without supervision
"John Richardson having returned at this point, red and out of breath, produced the rusty little table knife without a handle, which was closely examined by the jury without remark."
A leather apron was found in the same backyard, belonging to John Richardson, under a tap. He said that his mother had been washing it for him because of mildew.
When the coroner asked Dr. Philip how long he estimated the killer to have mutilated a body, he said this
**"**The Coroner: Can you give any idea how long it would take to perform the incisions found on the body?
Dr. Phillips: I think I can guide you by saying that I myself could not have performed all the injuries I saw on that woman, and effect them, even without a struggle, under a quarter of an hour. If I had done it in a deliberate way, such as would fall to the duties of a surgeon, it would probably have taken me the best part of an hour."
Conclusion:
My theory hinges on Richardson's neighbor hearing two people in the backyard at 5:15AM at the earliest, and Richardson's own testimony of being at the murder scene at 4:50AM. There is (at generous) 25 minutes between Richardson being at the exact sight of the murder scene and Cadosch hearing two people on the other side of the fence, exactly where the murder took place.
If Richardson finished "cutting his shoe" and left for work at 4:55, and there were two people in his backyard (Jack and Annie) by 5:10-15AM, there is a smaller window of 15 minutes for Richardson to leave, the killer to lure Annie to the backyard, the killer to wrestle and mutilate Annie.
Then throw in Dr. Philips' testimony that the killer needed at least 15 minutes just to attack and destroy Annie. Apart from that, this is all happening during rush hour in whitechapel, so how do you leave the area without drawing attention to your blood stained clothes? You wear the leather apron that was already in your backyard and wash anything off in the sink and throw anything incriminating in your cellar, just in time to get ready for work.
And when questioned by authorities, you're delighted to hear "Run to your house and bring back the knife that you totally didn't kill anyone with."
TLDR:
John Richardson lived at and was at Annie Chapmans location of death in a 15 minute window when it occurred - with a large knife on his person and a weak alibi