Ratcliff Highway Murders - Puzzling Motivation

Puzzling Motivation

The motive for the Ratcliff Murders has remained a mystery and a cause for speculation for detectives and crime buffs. Colin Wilson theorized that Williams was syphilitic and harbored a grudge against humanity. Therefore, he was acting out against people in general and would have continued to do so; the fact that the murders stopped after his capture and death was further proof. Wilson concludes that Williams had told a friend who later reported that after the Marr massacre, Williams was out of sorts, indicating, "I am unhappy and cannot remain easy."

P.D. James and Critchley, however, believe that the proceedings were performed too quickly in order to close the case and appease the frightened public. An early eyewitness insisted that the two men seen on the road outside the Kings Arms tavern had spoken, and one had called out what sounded like a name — possibly "Mahoney" or "Hughey". Williams' name did not sound like that, but once he was in custody, that report was ignored. While Williams had misrepresented himself on occasion and could have been using an alias, following a lead about two men walking up the street together, who were not proven to have had anything to do with the murders, ignored the facts about the open tavern window and the footprint in the mud outside. They believe that it was possible someone else had perpetrated the assaults, making Williams merely a tragic and unfortunate pawn.

In January 1812, the authorities still felt a need to conclusively prove that Williams had committed the murders. The weapon, either a razor or knife, that was used to cut the throats of the victims, and clearly linked to Williams, became the sought-after piece of evidence. A police officer stated that he had originally found a knife like that in the pocket of Williams' coat, but had not seen it since. Newspaper accounts of this testimony shifted from calling the weapon a razor, which they took from the surgeon's reports, to claiming that the wounds had been clearly made with a sharp knife. Eventually a knife was indeed found, and was said to have blood on it, but whether it had actually belonged to Williams or had been planted in his room to confirm his guilt is still unknown.