The Blackout Ripper – Gordon Cummins

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Gordon Cummins - The Blackout Ripper

During World War II Gordon Cummins would become known as The Blackout Ripper. In February 1942 a predator would strike the city of London under the cover of darkness.  During the mandatory blackouts of London, one sexual sadist would take advantage of those just trying to survive in the most difficult of circumstances.

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London – WW2 1939-1945

During World War II Gordon Cummins would become known as The Blackout Ripper.

The Blitz is from the German word for lightning. The Blitz is the name given to an aerial bombardment that lasted 7 days. London had to observe blackouts to make it more difficult for the Germans to attack highly populated areas. While the death toll was high the even more pressing problem London had was homelessness. People had been bombed out of their homes with nowhere left to go.

With people never knowing which day would be their last the city moved deeper into chaos. From 1939 to 1945, crime rose by over 50%.

First Victim – February 1942 

Though the Blitz was over, blackouts were still being enforced in London to avoid further air attacks on civilians and the city itself. 

On the morning of February 9th, an electrician was walking to work and saw a torch lying on the ground outside of an air-raid shelter. When he peered inside he saw the body of a woman. She was lying on her back and the officers who arrived on the scene could see signs of strangulation. Based on the bruising they could tell the killer was left-handed. Her skirt was hiked up a showing her stockings and underwear and her vest (jacket) was torn exposing her breast. 

Detective Chief Superintendent Frederick Cherrill, known as The Fingerprint man, was on the scene to investigate. Since 1938 he had been the head of the fingerprint department but insisted on always visiting scenes himself. At this time fingerprinting was very much a new science and it was largely thanks to Frederick Cherrill that it became a recognized forensic tool.

The woman’s belongings were at the scene but there was nothing to identify her in her purse. The Police began going door to door and were soon able to identify the woman as Evelyn Hamilton, a 40 yr old pharmacist. 

Second Victim

The next day a neighbor of 35-year-old Evelyn Oatley let two-meter maids into her apartment. Evelyn was an aspiring actress who had been married to a poultry farmer. She had left the farm to pursue her career in the West End. With the war, times had been tough and she had turned to sex work to support herself. 

They found Evelyn hanging partially over the bed, blood pooling on the floor. The killer attempted to strangle her but resorted to cutting her throat. She had also been mutilated using razor blades, a torch, and a can opener, all of these items had been left on the bed. Cherrill was able to find a fingerprint on the can opener that had been used and was able to tell that both murderers had been left-handed. He used the fingerprint and began looking through records on file for a match.

The newspapers were not reporting the crimes, but the working girls in the area had all heard. Officers were out questioning potential witnesses trying to get information and hoping that the police presence would keep the killer at bay. At this time with the war and crime rates were on the rise and the police presence was scarce, to say the least. 

Third Victim

Around 1 am on February 11th, Margaret Lowe, age 43 was approached by a well-spoken man on the street. Margaret had also turned to sex work. She was a widow and was trying to support her 15-year-old daughter in boarding school. She was well-spoken and refined and the other workers had nicknamed her “The Lady.” She took him back to her apartment where he killed and mutilated her using things found in the home. Her neighbors heard nothing and he was able to sneak away quietly.

Mary Heywood

On February 12th a gentleman bought a drink for 32-year-old Mary Heywood. He tried to proposition her throwing $30 on the table, but she said she was not that kind of girl. She did walk out to the street with him. He pulled her into a doorway, kissed her, and put his hands up her skirt.

When he did this she told him to stop and tried to push away. He put her hands around her neck and tried to strangle her. She fought back but he kept squeezing until she passed out and fell to the ground. A passing night porter heard the commotion and saw the light of a flashlight. He shone his light in the doorway and called out. The man ran off, but he dropped something as he did. Laying on the ground was a respirator with a Royal Air Force number 525987 printed on it.

Other Victims

The man continued roaming the street looking for his next victim and found sex worker Catherine Mulcahy. She took him back to her place and once in the bed he attempted to strangle her but she had left her boots on. This allowed her to kick him in the stomach and get him off of her. She began to scream alerting the neighbors and making him run off, but he threw some money at her as he left.

He kept going and found Doris Jouannet. She was a housewife that used sex work for extra money. He strangled her with a silk stocking and mutilated her viciously with a razor blade. It wasn’t until the evening of the 13th that her husband returned home from work and he found the bedroom door locked. He called the police who knocked down the door to find her body.

The same evening Margaret Lowe’s mother showed up to spend the weekend with her daughter but no one came to the door. Neighbors called the police for her and kicked down the door finding the same sexual sadism. It was at the discovery of these two women that the Killer was called the “Blackout Ripper” 

Arrest

Both Heywood and Mulcahy had gone to the police about their attacks and the airman that had attacked them. At first, no connection was made to the Ripper.

That same day the police took Leading Aircraftsman Gordon Cummins into custody. He was 28 and had impressed his superiors with his efficiency and the work he had put into going from the ground crew to an airman. He was currently stationed in the Air Crew Receiving Regent’s Park for Training. The Blackout Ripper was known by some as being pretentious. He claimed to be the illegitimate son of a Royal or Noble. It had even gained him the nickname of The Duke. He bragged constantly about how he charmed women and could ‘melt their morals’ despite having a young wife, Marjorie, back home.

Trophies

When the police questioned him he was described as evasive and arrogant. In searching his possessions they discovered trophies. A pen engraved with Doris’ initials, Margaret Lowe’s cigarette case, and Evelyn’s cigarette case. 

They also found a bloodstained shirt and the money thrown at Catherine matched the records of what he was paid. The fingerprints on the can opener used to mutilate Evelyn and a glass in Margaret’s apartment were also tied to him. In the gas mask with his initials, there was also mortar dust similar to what was found in the air-raid shelter where the first victim had been found.

Trial

He was tried on April 25th for the murder of Evelyn Oatley but the jury had been shown an incorrect exhibit. The Judge ruled that the Jury had been compromised and dismissed them.

A week later, a new trial began with Cherrill as a key witness. Gordon Cummins testified stating that he was innocent and that airman shared masks. He was convicted by a jury within 35 minutes and sentenced to hang. Cummins claimed his innocence. His family attempted to appeal but it was denied. He was executed on June 25, 1942.

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