Identity of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper finally revealed

London Evening Standard ^ | 09/08/2014

[SeekAndFind]

Vital DNA evidence has finally uncovered the identity of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper.

The man behind the grisly killing spree in London’s East End has been unveiled as Aaron Kosminkski, a 23-year-old Polish immigrant who ended up dying in an asylum.

A blood soaked shawl, purchased by author Russell Edwards, led to the breakthrough when a scientist matched DNA evidence left on it to descendants of Kosminski.

Mr Edwards, 48, from Barnet, north London, was "captivated" by the murder mystery and had been investigating it in his spare time, but had come to the conclusion it could never be solved.

But then in 2007 he saw a shawl found by the body of Catherine Eddowes, one of the Ripper's victims, was up for sale.

He said the shawl had been taken by acting Sergeant Amos Simpson, who was on duty the night of Eddowes's death and wanted it for his wife.

But horrified at the blood-soaked wrap, she never wore it, and it was stored away and passed down through the generations until it came to auction seven years ago.

[Calvin Locke]

Now if the article had been a blue dress from the Gap...

Seriously, DNA from a prostitute's clothing????

There are a few threads on this "revelation" starting at the end of last week.

I was much more impressed with an effort a few years ago to recover DNA from the stamp on a probable actual Ripper letter.

(As opposed to the hoax and "Let's keep the story going to sell more papers" efforts by "reporters" and editors.

[22202NOVA]

I’m afraid it was Bill Clinton....

[mass55th]

An earlier article gives much more detailed info on the testing:

Daily Mail

[mass55th]

"Seriously, DNA from a prostitute's clothing????"

I've posted a link on this thread to a different article from the Daily Mail. The item of clothing was a shawl left at the scene. The guy who bought it didn't think it belonged to Eddowes because she was so poor she had pawned her shoes the day before she died. He believes that the shawl was left at the scene by the killer. They tested blood spatter and what they believe was sperm found on the shawl. The article said they were able to extract six complete DNA samples from the shawl. The samples were compared to blood samples from Eddowes' 3rd great-granddaughter, and a British descendant of Kosminkski's sister. The testing was conducted over a three year period.

[KC_Conspirator]

Interesting if true. This does need some peer review though.

Kosminski has always been a suspect at the top of the list.

[Cyman]

Chain of evidence is about as strong as for Urkel’s birthplace.

[minnesota_bound]

Scotland Yard says we knew it all along......

[a fool in paradise]

Catherine Eddowes was a known prostitute. The DNA was not blood evidence, but was semen which had been deposited on the shawl. I think it merely proves that Kosminkski frequented prostitutes. As I understand it, the DNA results have not been submitted for peer review in any event.

That was something I suggested on another thread. Prostitutes are not in monogamous relationships. Now, if the same man had DNA (hair, semen, blood, skin) on articles from the other crime scenes, that would be a bit more damning evidence.

[SunkenCiv]

• Report: How the scientist who 'unmasked' Jack the Ripper made a 'serious' error

[uncitizen]

Wasn’t it one of the royals whose remains they supposedly found buried under a parking lot a few years ago? Oh and then there was the one about one of the Jamestown settlers was murdered ....I don’t believe this stuff so far after the fact...