If It Happened Now: The Austin Ripper—Who Was Protecting the Women?
Before Jack the Ripper, Austin had its own unidentified nighttime killer.
In 1884 and 1885, a series of brutal attacks terrorized Austin, Texas. Black women working as domestic servants were among the earliest victims. Their work placed them inside other people’s homes, but proximity offered little protection.
In this installment of If It Happened Now, Steph examines the Austin Ripper case, also known as the Servant Girl Annihilator murders. Who were the people behind the sensational name? How did race, gender, newspaper coverage, and investigative limitations shape the response—and the story…
The skinny
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