Key piece of evidence that finally identified Jack the Ripper with 100% DNA match, historian claims
A fresh piece of evidence has finally identified Jack the Ripper with a 100 percent DNA match, according to an historian.
Almost 140 years ago, an unidentified man, dubbed the 'Leather Apron' and 'Jack the Ripper', wreaked havoc on the streets of London, murdering at least five women in cold blood.
His victims became known as the 'Canonical Five', made up of women believed to be sex workers called Elizabeth Stride, Mary Jane Kelly, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman and Catherine Eddowes.
The brutal murders took place in the slums of East End London with each of the victims' throats being cut before they were mutilated and had their organs removed.
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Despite the widespread fear at the time, Jack's identity has remained a mystery for more than a century.
Dozens of men have been put forward as potential suspects, ranging from everyday blokes to royalty.
The problem is, evidence linking suspects to the crimes has been scarce - up until recently.
Historian Russell Edwards took to the task by bringing a shawl owned by Catherine Eddowes to put through DNA testing.
Writing in 2024's Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Revel - the sequel of his original book Naming Jack the Ripper - Edwards revealed how he unmasked the serial killer.
The blood was a match of one of Eddowes' descendants, and subsequent tests on semen found a distant relative of the man who Edwards has claimed was a distant relative of one of the Ripper suspects, Aaron Kosminski.
“He is no longer just a suspect. We can hold him, finally, to account for his terrible deeds," Edwards wrote.
"My search is over: Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper."
The Daily Mail reports Edwards has since hired a legal team in the hope of an inquest after an 100 percent DNA match.
The analysis also suggests the killer likely had brown hair and brown eyes, which corresponds with witness reports, according to Science.org.
"These characteristics are surely not unique," the authors confessed in their paper.
Some sceptics also argue that the results aren't watertight.
Hansi Weissensteiner, an expert in mitochondrial DNA , takes issue with the mitochondrial DNA analysis, writing that the evidence only 'excludes a suspect'.
Weissensteiner says the DNA from the shawl could be from Kosminski, but it could also have been from thousands of other people who lived in London at the time.
Furthermore, critics say there's no evidence that puts the shawl at the scene of the crime, meaning it could have become contaminated over the years.
Meanwhile, descendants of both Eddowes and Kosminski are happy for further investigation to take place to try and legally name Kosminski as the serial killer, which should hopefully bring clarity to the families.
Karen Miller, who is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Eddowes, told the Mail: "The name Jack the Ripper has become sensationalized. It has gone down in history as this famous character.
"What about the real name of the person who did this? Having the real person legally named in a court, which can consider all the evidence, would be a form of justice for the victims. We have got the proof. Now, we need this inquest to legally name the killer."
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