Jack the Ripper’s identity ‘revealed’ through DNA evidence

Sagaya Fernando | 19 February 2025

A historian claims to have solved the 137-year-old mystery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity using forensic DNA analysis.

Key Findings

Historian Russell Edwards asserts that DNA from a shawl linked to one of the Ripper’s victims identifies the killer as Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish immigrant who worked as a barber in London’s Whitechapel district.

The shawl, allegedly recovered from the crime scene of victim Catherine Eddowes, was purchased by Edwards in 2007.

DNA analysis matched blood on the shawl to a direct female descendant of Eddowes.

Semen found on the shawl was also tested and linked to Kosminski, Edwards claims.

The Crimes

Jack the Ripper murdered at least five women between 1888 and 1891 in London’s East End, though the real death toll may be higher.

The confirmed victims:

Mary Nichols (43)

Annie Chapman (47)

Elizabeth Stride (44)

Catherine Eddowes (46)

Mary Jane Kelly (25)

Three victims had their internal organs removed, deepening the mystery of the killer’s methods.

Kosminski’s Background

Kosminski moved to England as a child and later worked as a barber in Whitechapel. He showed signs of mental illness by 1885 and was eventually institutionalized. Records describe him as suffering from auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and extreme self-neglect before his death in 1919 at the age of 53.

Calls for Reopening the Case

Relatives of the Ripper’s victims have urged Scotland Yard to conduct an official inquest to confirm Kosminski as the killer.

Edwards claims, “We have got the proof, now we need this inquest to legally name the killer.”

Skepticism and Controversy

Some critics dispute the findings, questioning the reliability of forensic testing on a century-old piece of evidence. Edwards’ credibility has been challenged due to past allegations, including claims he falsely reported discovering a skull fragment linked to the Moors Murders case in 2022.

The debate over Jack the Ripper’s identity remains unresolved, but Edwards’ findings add a compelling new chapter to the infamous case.