Jack the Ripper was the first well-known case of a serial killer. There were previous serial killers, but their killings did not have the international publicity that Jack the Ripper had. It was perfect newspaper fodder given the seedy location of urban London and the lurid details of the murders of prostitutes coupled with things like telegraph cables covering the world and crossing the oceans. And, as others have said, it was never solved.

So obviously people have wanted a resolution to something like that for decades.