Jack the Ripper in Cranford? Unpacking Our Town’s Ties to a Historic Case

In 1891, a brutal homicide near Manhattan’s waterfront led New York’s coroner to announce Jack the Ripper had come to America. Amid the ensuing frenzy, police instead charged an Algerian immigrant with murder. Ameer Ben Ali finally regained his freedom more than a decade later, only after a mysterious Cranford resident came forward with an artifact from the crime scene. The killing of the woman called Carrie Brown remains unsolved today.  Recently, however, author Luke Jerod Kummer discovered evidence pointing to a fresh line of inquiry by looking more closely at the local New Jersey connection to this story, which inspired his Audible Original drama, Takers Mad.

In a special event hosted by the Cranford Historical Society, Kummer will present his new findings, while also discussing how this strange chapter in our town’s past relates to a broader reexamination of prejudices in the justice system.  Join us at 3:30 pm on Saturday, April 23rd at the Cranford Community Center!