Who is Kearns?

Doctor John Kearns is a surgeon, but as Warthrop notes, he is something all together more sinister as well. Having hunted Anthropophagi, Kearns has experience in the matter and yet, he is also a dangerous man. When Kearns arrives, he appears jovial enough, charismatic, and overall genuinely kind. However, he also seems to have an odd sense of humor, and even Warthrop seems wary of the man. In time, Kearns shows his jovial nature can turn quickly into malevolent joy at others' expense. Kearns is not kind, or caring, but reveals himself to be a void of emotion. He has little sympathy for anyone, including young Malachi, and his demeanor rapidly changes to take charge of the Anthropophagi hunt. It is during this hunt that Kearns reveals who is really is. Kearns kidnaps a young prostitute from Baltimore, and guts her in front of the men, baiting the Anthropophagi. Later, he also kills Dr. Starr, and is believed to become Jack the Ripper. John Kearns is the character in the novel who proves the point that humankind can be just as, if not more, monstrous than the monsters these men hunt. Kearns has little humanity in him, and yet his cold, calculating nature makes him a severe threat to mankind.