A contemporary sketch of Aaron Kosminski, a Jack the Ripper suspect.Evans Skinner Archive
Posted on 03/19/2019 6:50:39 AM PDT by Red Badger
Researchers tested blood and semen found on a shawl near the body of the killer's fourth victim, a woman whose mutilated body was found in September 1888.
The identity of Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer from the late 1800s in England, may finally be known.
A DNA forensic investigation published this month by two British researchers in the Journal of Forensic Science identifies Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish barber and prime suspect at the time, as the likely killer.
The "semen stains match the sequences of one of the main police suspects, Aaron Kosminski," said the study authored by Jari Louhelainen of Liverpool John Moores University and David Miller of the University of Leeds.
The murderer dubbed Jack the Ripper killed at least five women from August to November 1888 in the Whitechapel district of London.
The study's authors conducted genetic testing of blood and semen on a shawl found near the body of Catherine Eddowes, the killer's fourth victim, whose badly mutilated body was discovered on Sept. 30, 1888.
The brutal murders and the mystery behind the killer's identity and motive inspired countless novels, films and theories over the past 130 years.
Kosminski, who apparently vanished after the murders, has previously been named as a possible suspect, but his guilt has been a matter of debate and never confirmed.
The researchers said they have been analyzing the silk shawl for the past eight years and that to their knowledge "the shawl referred to in this paper is the only piece of physical evidence known to be associated with these murders."
Through analysis of fragments of the victim and suspect's mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down solely from one's mother, researchers were able to compare that with samples taken from living descendants of Eddowes and Kosminski.
The paper also states that the suspect's "observable" characteristics, derived from DNA, match the only eyewitness account to the murders, which law enforcement had ruled "considerably reliable."
The study said its findings represent the first "systematic, molecular level analysis of the only surviving physical evidence linked to the Jack the Ripper murders."
A contemporary sketch of Aaron Kosminski, a Jack the Ripper suspect.Evans Skinner Archive
His “identity is confirmed via DNA” seemingly every year.
Perhaps a book to be called ‘Great Stains through History’ can be started based on this. Bubby Clinton of course would be there as well.
Someone I know had a baby as a teenager and gave it up for adoption. This was many decades ago.
A couple of months ago, her sister gave her DNA to one of those ancestry sites and they gave her back a list of possible hits as ancestors as well as current relatives. Well, a name came up that was not a known family member. She went to the person’s web page and he looks just like the first woman’s son, born of her husband whom she married a few years after the teenage indiscretion.
He has the same birthday as the baby boy given up for adoption.
There is a show on Travel Channel called Legend Hunter. The host did a very detailed and interesting investigation and it looks like the killer was a American doctor (can’t remember his name) who Scotland Yard had in custody as a suspect and jumped on a ship back to America when released on bail. They matched his writing and signature to the letters that were sent to the police at the time. It is worth a watch if you see the show.
Good ole Grant Money.
Hmmm ... I thought DNA degraded after a time, so to be no useful. I don’t know ... could be wrong.
Kosminski, who apparently vanished after the murders...
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Wait, if they matched his DNA to that found on a shawl, but he vanished, how did they get *HIS* DNA to match up with?
I’m going to get scolded for not reading the article. Just asking for someone who read it to day. I’m going to guess they tested living relations of his.... maybe?
Yes. They tested his descendants...................
Gah, it’s there. Living decedents.
Sounds like they got him.
Books and movies to ensue
They tested fragments.............
This is nothing! I just watched a youtube video called, Frankenstein, The True Story!
Seriously, I have great faith in science when it is managed properly and hope this is true and brings closure to this great mystery.
Living decedents?
Isn’t that an oxymoron?.....................
What happened to the guy?
A family member, by marriage, just found her birth mom year before last via DNA. The test led to a first cousin who agreed to help - remembered something about an aunt who had given up a child. When she asked the aunt, yes she had given up a daughter and all the data matched up. They requested confirmation from the unwed mother’s home (which would give no info out until after they found each other) & they also confirmed the adoption details, etc. Sometimes these reunions don’t work out/are unhappy, but this turned out to be a good one. They’d both been looking for each other for years.
So the DNA doesn’t turn totally to trash, after this long of a time. I guess you’re saying there’s still “something” there, enough to do an identification ... obviously. That means that DNA lasts longer than I thought.
It fragments like a broken piece of spaghetti...............
He vanished..................not difficult to do in 1888................
Around 20 years ago there was a TV special where they had some of the top retired agents of the world’s best police agencies try to determine who he was.
They included FBI, Interpol etc.
None had studied the case before and all were provided all known info about the case.
At the end each revealed who he had determined was Jack. None had any contact with each other. When they did the reveal, every single one had selected Kosminski.
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