Jack the Ripper: Written In Blood – 5 key characters

Thomas Power O’Connor, also known as T.P., was the flamboyant and controversial editor of The Star, a London evening newspaper founded in 1888. Working alongside his wife Elizabeth, the fledgling newspaper aggressively pursued the Whitechapel Murders.

Under his leadership, T.P.’s young team infiltrated bars, alleyways and lodging houses of Whitechapel where the Ripper’s five victims met their tragic deaths. From bribing police officers to naming false suspects and creating hoax letters, The Star’s tactics played a crucial role in escalating the media frenzy.

As hysteria mounted, the public’s obsession with the Ripper story diverted the police investigation and may have helped the killer evade capture.

Moe Dunford, best known for his roles in the television series Vikings, stars as O’Connor in Written In Blood.

Frederick Best was a journalist who is believed to have written hoax messages that claimed to be from Jack the Ripper.

In September 1888, the infamous ‘Dear Boss’ letter was allegedly written by the notorious serial killer. The two-page letter, which was written in red ink, mocked investigative efforts and alluded to future murders. Addressed to the Central News Agency of London, it was later forwarded to Scotland Yard.

The authenticity of the letter was doubted, but it was the first piece of evidence to be signed by ‘Jack the Ripper’ – giving the previously unidentified killer a sinister name.

However, in 1931, a journalist by the name of Fred Best reportedly confessed that he and a colleague at The Star newspaper were responsible for the letter and other hoax messages. They aimed to maintain high public interest in the case to increase sales of their newspaper.

In Written In Blood, Frederick Best is played by Mark Strepan, who is best known for featuring in the 2014 feature film, Northmen: A Viking Saga.

Ernest Parke was a journalist and newspaper proprietor in Victorian London.

In 1888, Parke accepted a job offer from T.P. O’Connor to become the sub-editor of the newly formed newspaper, The Star. He quickly became known for his ability to turn sensational news into big circulations.

During his tenure at the paper, The Star became the go-to source for news about the Jack the Ripper murders. Following the murder of Mary Ann Nichols, he theorised in the 31st August 1888 edition that Jack the Ripper was a single killer.

Parke’s journalism career after Jack the Ripper was far from without controversy. Known for his support of anti-movements, such as anti-vaccination, Parke was imprisoned for libel for his reporting of the Cleveland Street scandal in January 1890.

In the series, Ernest Parke is played by Tyger Drew-Honey, best known for his role as Jake Brockman in Outnumbered and Richard Scab in Citizen Khan.

Sir Charles Warren was the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the head of the London Metropolitan Police, during the Jack the Ripper murders.

Following his appointment in 1886, Warren was universally seen as the right man for the job. However, his term would ultimately prove to be highly controversial – and his failure to catch Jack the Ripper an unfortunate lasting legacy of his time in the post.

As the murders mounted up, Warren increasingly became the target of criticism from the public and press. He was blamed for failing to track down the killer, accused of failing to offer a reward for information and criticised for assigning an inadequate number of investigators to the case.

Warren believed the criticism to be unfair, and resigned from his role – just before the fifth and final victim, Mary Jane Kelly, was murdered on 9th November 1888. He stayed on until his successor was in place before returning to a military career.

Often portrayed as a lousy cop in TV and film adaptations, Commissioner Warren was held in high regard by his peers. It’s reported that nearly every superintendent of the Met police visited his home to express their regret over his resignation.

Andrew Tiernan plays Commissioner Warren in Written In Blood.

Read more about British History

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Frederick Abberline was a chief inspector for the London Metropolitan Police. He led the on-the-ground investigation into Jack The Ripper throughout the autumn and winter months of 1888.

Described as looking like a bank manager, Abberline’s extensive knowledge of the Whitechapel area made him one of the most important members of the investigation. He was placed in charge of various detectives working on the case, and came up with several theories as to the identity of the serial killer.

One of his theories was that the crimes could have been perpetrated by a female. However, his primary suspect was Severin Antoniovich Klosowski, a Polish serial killer who went by the name of George Chapman.

The Chapman theory has continued to hold weight in recent years. He was known to have lived in the area during the murders and was later convicted of poisoning three other women.

At the time of his retirement from policing in 1892, Inspector Abberline had received 84 commendations and awards. He is played in Written In Blood by Alan McKenna, known for his various roles in Doctors, EastEnders and Emmerdale.

Read more about British History

The 5 victims of Jack The Ripper