Jack the Ripper mystery ‘solved’ as genetic link to suspect uncovered

A researcher claims to have solved the 136-year-old mystery of Jack the Ripper, revealing a “100 per cent” DNA match linking the infamous serial killer to a long-standing suspect.

Russell Edwards, who has spent years investigating the case, says DNA extracted from a bloodstained shawl found at the crime scene of one of the Ripper’s victims, Catherine Eddowes, matches that of Polish-born barber Aaron Kosminski.

“It’s very difficult to put into words the elation I felt when I saw the 100 per cent DNA match,” Edwards said. “This brings closure and a form of justice for the descendants.”

Kosminski has long been a prime suspect in the brutal murders of five women in London’s Whitechapel district between August and November 1888. The killer, who was never identified, terrorised Victorian England, mutilating his victims and earning the moniker that has since become one of history’s greatest mysteries.

Edwards, working alongside genealogists, traced a living relative of Kosminski, who agreed to provide a DNA sample. When tested against the genetic material found on the shawl, it reportedly yielded a match.

Now, the descendants of Eddowes and Kosminski are calling for an official inquest to legally confirm the killer’s identity.

“We have the proof,” said Karen Miller, a descendant of Eddowes. “Now we need this inquest to legally name the killer.”

The shawl, which was purchased at an auction in 2007, was believed to have been found near Eddowes’ body. Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of DNA from both the victim and Kosminski, further strengthening the case against him.

Kosminski, an immigrant from Poland, was known to suffer from mental illness and was eventually placed in an asylum, where he died in 1919.

While many historians and experts remain sceptical of DNA evidence from such an old crime scene, supporters of the breakthrough believe it marks a turning point in the case. Edwards has assembled a legal team to push for an inquest, arguing that modern forensic science has finally unmasked the Ripper.

Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror left London in a state of fear, prompting widespread criticism of the police’s failure to catch the killer. Numerous theories and suspects have emerged over the decades, including aristocrats, doctors, and even the American serial killer H.H. Holmes.

If accepted in court, Edwards’ findings could finally bring an end to one of history’s longest-running crime mysteries.