Jack the Ripper victim’s family demands new investigation |
The family of one of Jack the Ripper’s victims has called for a police investigation into claims that DNA has finally identified the notorious serial killer.
In a 2019 study, forensic scientists alleged that Aaron Kosminski, a Polish immigrant, was responsible for the gruesome murders of five women in London’s Whitechapel district between 1888 and 1891.
The identification was made using DNA found on a shawl discovered at the scene of Catherine Eddowes’ murder. The DNA allegedly matched both Kosminski’s descendants and Eddowes’.
However, the claim has sparked fresh controversy, as experts continue to question the integrity of the evidence.
The shawl, which was reportedly found at the crime scene, has changed hands numerous times over the past 130 years. Russell Edwards, who purchased the shawl in 2007 and later commissioned the DNA tests, has strongly supported the theory that Kosminski was the killer.
Yet many forensic scientists remain skeptical, citing the lack of chain-of-custody documentation.
Despite this, the descendants of Catherine Eddowes have launched a media campaign demanding that the Metropolitan Police reopen the case. They argue that the DNA evidence provides a strong lead, and they want an official resolution to the case.
Kosminski, who was committed to a mental asylum in 1891 for allegedly threatening his sister with a knife, remains one of the primary suspects in the ongoing debate over the identity of Jack the Ripper. Numerous other suspects have been proposed over the years, but the identity of the killer remains shrouded in mystery.
Jack the Ripper: Infamous killer who shook London
Jack the Ripper is one of history’s most infamous and elusive serial killers. In the autumn of 1888, the murderer took the lives of five women in the impoverished Whitechapel district of London. The victims – Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly – were all killed within a nine-week period, each having their throats slashed and suffering horrific post-mortem mutilations.
Murders that sparked worldwide attention
The killings shocked London and the world, and the brutal nature of the murders inspired countless theories, books, and films. While the killer was never caught, the name “Jack the Ripper” gained notoriety after the Central News Office in London received a letter from someone claiming responsibility for the killings, signing off as “Jack the Ripper.”
Who was Jack the Ripper? Theories on the killer’s identity
The Ripper’s true identity has remained a source of speculation for over a century. One of the more recent theories, supported by author Russell Edwards, points to Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish barber who was living in London at the time of the murders.
Kosminski was known to have been institutionalized for schizophrenia and was considered a suspect during the investigation. Police reports from 1894 cited his “great hatred of women, especially of the prostitute class” and his “homicidal tendencies” as reasons for suspicion.
Unanswered questions and continued debate
Though police at the time concluded that the victims were all prostitutes, the claim has never been fully substantiated, leaving room for ongoing debate and investigation into the true identity of the notorious killer.
