In the early 1600s, the city of Würzburg stood at the crossroads of faith and fear. As famine, plague, and war closed in, suspicion took root... and soon, neighbor turned against neighbor. Witch trials spread like wildfire across Franconia, fueled by rumor, zealotry, and the iron grip of the Counter-Reformation.

It's London in 1888...Fear has already gripped the East End. In the wake of the “Double Event,” the hunt for Jack the Ripper intensifies, but the killings only get worse, and theories seem to multiply. In this episode, we trace the investigation through the early days until modern times.

We’ll explore the suspects who seem to have been hiding in plain sight.

Before the murders began, London was already unraveling. Poverty, overcrowding, and disease turned Whitechapel into a place of desperation...The uneasy mix of empire, industry, and inequality paved the way for darkness.

Part I explores the world of late Victorian London and the real lives of the women who became the victims in this story. This isn’t just the tale of a killer, it’s the story of the city that created him.

For the Jack the Ripper Goodreads Shelf:
True Crime of the Historical Kind’s 'jack-the-ripper' books on Goodreads (10 books)

PBS Masterpiece Theater Favorites:

Bleak House | PBS

The Mystery of Edwin Drood | PBS

Watch Tess of the D'urbervilles Season 1 | Prime Video

Little Dorrit | PBS