The infamous identity of Jack the Ripper is believed to have been uncovered thanks to a crucial piece of evidence.
Jack the Ripper’s crimes have stood as one of the most famous unsolved cases in British history.
The perpetrator, widely assumed to have been male, brutally killed five women in 1888: Elizabeth Stride, Mary Jane Kelly, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, and Catherine Eddowes.
These murders were not just killings; the bodies were horribly mutilated and had their organs removed. The victims were all thought to be sex workers.
Over a century later, historian Russell Edwards claims to have identified the infamous killer—possibly one of the suspects the police had during that period.
In 2007, Edwards acquired a shawl that once belonged to Eddowes, subjecting it to DNA analysis that revealed blood and semen stains.
The blood was matched to one of Eddowes’ descendants, whereas the semen corresponded to a distant relative of the man Edwards asserts was Aaron Kosminski, one of the Ripper suspects, according to a report by the Mirror.
These findings are detailed in Edwards’ book, Naming Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Reveal, which follows his initial book Naming Jack the Ripper.
“He is no longer just a suspect. We can hold him, finally, to account for his terrible deeds,” Edwards wrote.
“My search is over: Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper.”
Following his discoveries, Edwards expressed a desire to see the decades-old case reopened.
As of February 2025, Edwards had written a letter to the attorney general seeking permission to go to the high court and begin the legal proceedings, according to Newsweek at the time.
Edwards commented: “We now know the name and we’ve placed the murderer at the murder scene. Now we want that to be public knowledge though, accepted by the courts.”
Relatives of one of Jack the Ripper’s victims have also advocated for the case to be reopened.
Karen Miller, a direct descendant of Eddowes, seeks to have Kosminski officially named in court.
“The name Jack the Ripper has become sensationalized. It has gone down in history as this famous character,” she said to the Daily Mail in January. “People have forgotten about the victims, who did not have justice at the time. Now we need this inquest to legally name the killer.”
Miller further stated: “Having the real person legally named in a court which can consider all the evidence would be a form of justice for the victims.”
As of the current writing, it appears the case has not yet been reopened.