Jack the Ripper's identity revealed after 137 years
<p>A major breakthrough in the Jack the Ripper case could have identified the notorious serial killer after 137 years of mystery. </p>
<p>Jack the Ripper terrorised the streets of London in 1888, with police believing he was responsible for the brutal rape and murders of at least five women – known as the Canonical Five – but could very well have committed at least six more.</p>
<p>The victims, who were all brutally slain between August and November 1888, were Mary Nichols, 43, Annie Chapman, 47, Elizabeth Stride, 44, Catherine Eddowes, 46, and Mary Jane Kelly, 25.</p>
<p>Police, historians and crime buffs have long questioned the real identity of the serial killer, and despite a long list of potential suspects, investigators have not been able to definitively pin down a single suspect to the crimes.</p>
<p>However, new evidence has emerged in the case, leading to a possible answer. </p>
<p>Self-proclaimed ‘Ripperologist’ and British author Russell Edwards purchased a shawl belonging to one of the victims, Catherine Eddowes, which contained blood and semen back in 2007.</p>
<p>Years later, the shawl was put through rigorous forensic testing where it was found to contain DNA from two separate people.</p>
<p>One of them matched a descendant of the female victim, while the other matched the descendants of a Polish immigrant, who would have been around 23 at the time of the murders.</p>
<p>Upon discovering this male’s name, Edwards was able to reveal the true identity of the infamous‘Jack the Ripper’: Aaron Kosminski.</p>
<p>“Considering his DNA is on the shawl that was at the murder scene and he was named, I have never considered anyone else to be the Ripper,” Edwards told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/we-may-finally-know-the-true-identity-of-jack-the-ripper-after-137-years-of-mystery/news-story/14f22046597546a64113567752d972c9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p>
<p>“I have, however, looked into every other suspect in order to eliminate them. The DNA work was a huge four-year process. We had to bypass the issue of contamination, plus many other hurdles."</p>
<p>“It was a voyage of discovery, with many twists and turns. The adventure was thrilling from beginning to end and I was lucky to experience it.”</p>
<p>Edwards said that when he discovered the DNA from the shawl matched, he was absolutely elated to have made such a breakthrough.</p>
<p>“When we matched the DNA from the blood on the shawl with a direct female descendant of the victim, it was the singular most amazing moment of my life at the time,” he said.</p>
<p>“We tested the semen left on the shawl. When we matched that, I was dumbfounded that we actually had discovered who Jack the Ripper truly was.”</p>
<p>Born in Kłodawa in central Poland, Kosminski moved to England with his family as a child and eventually began working as a barber in London’s Whitechapel district.</p>
<p>Medical records show that he had suffered from mental illness since at least 1885 and had spent time in various ‘lunatic asylums’ around London, with his condition reportedly taking the form of auditory hallucinations, a fear of being fed by other people, as well as a refusal to wash or bathe.</p>
<p>He later died in 1919 at age 53.</p>
<p>The descendants of Jack the Ripper’s victims are now calling for police to do an immediate investigation into Aaron Kosminski to make Edwards’ findings official.</p>
<p>Karen Miller, the great-great-great-granddaughter of victim Catherine Eddowes, said that it would “mean a lot” to her and her family to put an end to this 137-year-old mystery.</p>
<p>“The name Jack the Ripper has become sensationalised, it has gone down in history as this famous character,” the 53-year-old told the <em><a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14234461/Descendants-Jack-Rippers-victims-DNA-breakthrough.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></em>.</p>
<p>“It has all been about him, this iconic name, but people have forgotten about the victims who did not have justice at the time."</p>
<p>“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."</p>
<p>“It would mean a lot to me, to my family, to a lot of people to finally have this crime solved.”</p>
<p>Despite the excitement over the new evidence, some have cast doubt on the findings.</p>
<p>The research has not yet been published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal, which means that the claims cannot be independently verified or the methodology scrutinised.</p>
<p>Under UK law, it is up to the attorney general to approve a further inquest into the Jack the Ripper case, with Attorney-General Michael Ellis refusing the request two years ago, saying there was “not sufficient new evidence” to support an inquest.</p>
<p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>
