BBC Commissions Jack The Ripper Documentary

BBC One has commissioned a brand new one-off documentary on infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

Between August and November 1888, five working-class women were murdered in Whitechapel. A huge manhunt ensued involving hundreds of officers, but Jack the Ripper was never caught.

In the new BBC One science documentary the latest police cold case techniques will be applied to the murders. Using original crime scene photographs and a virtual reality dissection table, actor Emilia Fox and Professor David Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Criminology, will be joined by some of the country's top forensic and crime experts to re-analyse the murders.

Emilia Fox said: "Having worked on crime drama for many years this project has been a truly fascinating insight into how current real police procedure, forensics and technology can be applied to the most famous of unsolved historical crimes - the Jack the Ripper murders. Working alongside Professor David Wilson, a leading expert in the psychology of criminals, we have approached it as a cold case might be investigated now, and with the help of other leading experts, have taken another look at the mind and actions of this brutal murderer. This documentary appealed to me hugely because of my interest in crime, forensics and pathology and also because it looks at the victims - the women Jack the Ripper chose and what left them so vulnerable to his brutality. It's been an immense privilege to get this behind-the-scenes insight into real crime-solving on such a fascinating case."

Craig Hunter, BBC Commissioning Editor, added: "Jack the Ripper is synonymous with murder and intrigue - even if you don't know all the details, you will have heard of the case. It is remarkable to think that today's scientific techniques can be used to help try and tackle unanswered questions which are more than a century old."

The documentary is made by BBC Studios. The Executive Producer is Steve Crabtree and it was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director, Content and Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual. The Commissioning Editor is Craig Hunter.

It will air later this year.