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."
It was Trump!!!
Well, one challenge is your children by your marriage. If those kids don’t know about the illegitimate child from her teens, how are they going to react to discovering a big brother/sister?
Isn’t that an oxymoron?
No. I am a living descendant of my dead grand father.
Good movie..................
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.
...
I’d prefer to call them infamous or disgraceful.
Descendant, yes.
Decedent, no.................
We all know that it was really Toby from The Office.
“Does a new genetic analysis finally reveal the identity of Jack the Ripper?”
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/does-new-genetic-analysis-finally-reveal-identity-jack-ripper
Hansi Weissensteiner, an expert in mitochondrial DNA also at Innsbruck, also takes issue with the mitochondrial DNA analysis, which he says can only reliably show that people—or two DNA samples—are not related. “Based on mitochondrial DNA one can only exclude a suspect.” In other words, the mitochondrial DNA from the shawl could be from Kosminski, but it could probably also have come from thousands who lived in London at the time.
Other critics of the Kosminsky theory have pointed out that there’s no evidence the shawl was ever at the crime scene. It also could have become contaminated over the years, they say.
The new tests are not the first attempt to identify Jack the Ripper from DNA. Several years ago, U.S. crime author Patricia Cornwell asked other scientists to analyze any DNA in samples taken from letters supposedly sent by the serial killer to police. Based on that DNA analysis and other clues she said the killer was the painter Walter Sickert, though many experts believe those letters to be fake. Another genetic analysis of the letters claimed the murderer could have been a woman.
“We all know that it was really Toby from The Office.”
—
Professor Plum, in the library with a rope, I say.
There was enough to create Serpentor.
I couldn’t resist the lame attempt at humor.
That would be Dr. Tumblety, who was in London during the murders, arrested, then left for New York.
Good movie.
The Loch Ness monster as shown by Henry Silva.
An immigrant who stabbed people to death in London.
It was Colonel Mustard, in the Library with a candlestick....................
Disappeared.
Probably kept killing until stopped. Perhaps he was arrested on another crime or died an otherwise early death.
Just like today’s headlines..........
I’m more curious as to what he and Plum were up to, alone in the library!
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