Jack the Ripper is an infamous serial killer from the 1880’s. He has always been an intriguing, yet mysterious character within the topic of crime. This is because no one has been able to figure out his identity for over a century. His secretive persona has made him very popular, and there have been many attempts to find out who he is. Unfortunately, no one has been successful. Though, as of recent years, his identity has been supposedly identified.
Background
Jack the Ripper was a serial killer known for his brutal murder tactics. These killings are said to have all happened near the Whitechapel district of London’s east end between August and November of 1888. His confirmed victims are Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddows, and Mary Jane Kelly, all of whom had been mutilated.
How was his identity discovered?
Jack the Ripper has been tied to at least five confirmed murders, all of which were sad, but brutal. One of these women, Catherine Eddowes, was suspected to have been killed by a man named Aaron Kosminski, who was a major suspect in the case, according to CBS News. This is because his DNA was found on her shawl. After finding this out, a man named Russel Edwards got a hold of the shawl that contained Aaron’s DNA on it. This DNA was later tested and proved to have been connected to a woman related to Aaron, named Karen Miller, with almost a 100% match.
All this evidence strongly shows how Aaron can definitely be Jack the Ripper, but even so, many people still don’t believe it. Duaa Syed states that “I think it’s hard to believe because it’s been over a hundred years, and we don’t know what that shawl has been through”. Many people doubt that Aaron could be Jack the Ripper because of his problems with his mental health and schizophrenia, though some people believe this could be a supporting factor, such as Syed. Syed states that “I believe that his mental issues actually supports his chance of being a suspect, as it could mean that he didn’t know what he was doing at the time of the killings.”
A lot of controversy has surrounded the idea of Aaron being the suspect. There are a number of people who have come out and said that the whole thing is a scam for money. Others say that it can’t be accurate because of how old the DNA is and where the shawl has been. Though there are still many people who believe it, and who think that the research must be accurate considering the kind of tests they have done.
So, has Jack the Ripper’s identity been found? In technical terms, you could say no, as it hasn’t been officially declared by the British government. Furthermore, there is still a lot of debate about whether Edward’s findings are accurate or not. Thus, Jack the Ripper will remain a mystery for now.
