What is the name of the murderer in 'A Study in Scarlet'?

The murderer in “A Study in Scarlet” is Jefferson Hope. He tracks down Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson in London after pursuing them for more than two decades over crimes committed in Utah.

Hope had been in love with Lucy Ferrier, the adopted daughter of John Ferrier. Religious leaders in the Salt Lake Valley force Lucy to choose between Drebber and Stangerson, and she is ultimately taken by Drebber after Hope’s attempted escape fails. John Ferrier is killed, and Lucy dies soon afterward.

Hope vows revenge and later finds both men in London. He makes Drebber choose between two pills, one harmless and one poisoned. When Stangerson attacks him, Hope kills him with a knife. He is eventually arrested, but an aortic aneurysm causes his death before trial.

A common mistake is to name Drebber or Stangerson, who are the victims, or Lucy Ferrier, whose death motivates Hope’s revenge. The red word “RACHE” means “revenge” in German and is intended to mislead the police while hinting at the motive.