Jack The Ripper’s true identity unmasked – maybe

Updated Feb. 17, 2025, 8:06 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

After centuries of mystery and speculation, the true identity of Jack The Ripper has finally been revealed. Well… maybe.

For over a century, the name Jack the Ripper has haunted history. In case you didn’t know, Jack The Ripper was a shadowy figure who stalked the streets of Victorian London, brutally murdering women and disappearing without a trace.

Despite endless theories, investigations, and speculation, no one has ever been able to say, with absolute certainty, who he was – until now.

British author and "Ripperologist" Russell Edwards claims he has definitive proof that finally unravels the mystery. And the key? A nine-foot-long bloodstained shawl, discovered at the scene of one of the Ripper’s most infamous murders.

Using modern DNA testing, Edwards says he has identified Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish barber and a longtime suspect, as the true face of Jack the Ripper.

As much as the case seems to finally be closed, not everyone is convinced.

The infamous killer who terrorized London women has largely been referred to as simply “Jack the Ripper” — until now. @TVAshleigh has the latest. #Banfield

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— NewsNation (@NewsNation) February 14, 2025

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The most infamous unsolved murder case in history

The legend of Jack the Ripper isn’t just about the murders. No, it’s about the fear, the mystery, and the many unanswered questions.

In 1888, a ruthless killer terrorised Whitechapel, a poverty-stricken district of London. All his victims were women (many of them struggling to survive) and their bodies were found mutilated and left as gruesome messages to a city gripped by fear.

The police also received taunting letters, signed “Jack the Ripper”. Despite their best efforts, the killer was never caught.

Over the years, countless suspects were named (from doctors to artists, and even royalty) yet no one was ever proven guilty.

However, in 2007, a single forgotten object changed everything.

The mystery shawl that held a secret for over a century

In 2007, Edwards bought a bloodstained shawl at an auction. It was said to have been found next to the body of Catherine Eddowes, one of the Ripper’s victims. For decades, it had been passed down, stored away, and almost forgotten.

Edwards wasn’t a detective. He wasn’t even a scientist. He was just a man obsessed with finding the truth, and he had a hunch.

He handed the shawl over to forensic experts, who extracted DNA from the dried blood and semen that still clung to the fabric.

That DNA was then compared to living relatives of the original Whitechapel murder suspects.

The result? A 100% match to Kosminski, a man who lived just a few streets away from the crime scenes.

Edwards was stunned. The evidence, he says, is undeniable.

Kosminski was already a known suspect. The Polish immigrant worked as a barber in Whitechapel, right in the heart of the Ripper’s hunting ground. He was later institutionalised for schizophrenia and spent the rest of his life in a mental asylum before dying in 1919.

Yet, until now, there was never enough proof to connect him directly to the crimes.

This is a composite drawing of Kosminski – created by an expert from family photos.

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Has the mystery finally been solved? Well, maybe not. Not everyone is convinced by Edwards’ discovery.

Forensic expert Jarrett Ambeau argues that the DNA evidence isn’t as bulletproof as it seems. The testing relied on mitochondrial DNA, which can only trace maternal lineage and isn’t as conclusive as nuclear DNA.

Then there’s the contamination issue. The shawl wasn’t preserved as official evidence. For over a century, it’s been handled, stored, and passed down through multiple people. How can anyone be sure the DNA on it really dates back to 1888?

“What about all the other people that touched this item in the 137 years between the murder and the date it was tested?” Ambeau asks.

But Edwards believes he’s cracked the case. He even wrote a book about it in 2014 (“Naming Jack the Ripper”) detailing how modern science finally uncovered the truth.

However, the debates rage on. Was Kosminski really Jack the Ripper? Or is this just another theory in an endless hunt for the truth?

One thing is certain: Jack the Ripper’s legend is far from over.