Jack The Ripper’s Identity Revealed After 130 Years Thanks To DNA Testing

We might finally know the identity of the notorious killer, Jack the Ripper, and we might even have a DNA result for reference.

Over 130 years after his gruesome murders in East London, England, the descendants of his victims are looking to unmask the identity of the serial killer popularly known as Jack the Ripper. 

Jack the Ripper’s identity may be revealed thanks to DNA tests

Lab technician using DNA testing equipment, holding a pipette and test tube.

Image credits: freepik (Not the actual photo)

The infamous serial killer who terrorized Victorian Era London women back in the day has primarily been referred to as simply “Jack the Ripper” up until now. Historian Russell Edwards claims that he has identified Jack the Ripper as Aaron Kosminski, one of the prime suspects for Jack the Ripper, through a DNA test done on a shawl possibly belonging to one of his victims from over a century ago.

Close-up of DNA strands.

Image credits: freepik (Not the actual photo)

Edwards explained that he purchased the shawl back in 2007 after it was marketed to be at the scene of the murder of Catherine Eddowes, on “TODAY Show Australia.” Surprisingly, the DNA found on a shawl found at the crime scene of one of Jack the Ripper’s victims, Catherine Eddowes, matches a DNA sample provided by one of Kosminski’s living relatives, according to findings published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences in 2019. 

“It’s very difficult to put into words the elation I felt when I saw the 100 percent DNA match,” Edwards told The Sun in an interview published on January 31. And adds, “This brings closure and a form of justice for the descendants.” Edwards and some of the victims’ descendants are now asking Britain’s High Court to officially name Kosminski as the killer.

Great-great-great-granddaughter of one of Jack the Ripper’s victims states, “Having the real person legally named would be a form of justice”

Illustration of Jack the Ripper on a dimly lit street.

Image credits: Wikimedia

One of Eddowes’ biological descendants Karen Miller, is waiting for further investigation to make the findings official. Speaking to Daily Mail, she outlines, “The name Jack the Ripper has become sensationalized. It has gone down in history as this famous character. It has all been about him, this iconic name, but people have forgotten about the victims who did not have justice at the time.”

Illustration Catherine Eddowes' portrait in vintage attire.

Image credits: Wikimedia

“What about the real name of the person who did this? Having the real person legally named in a court, which can consider all the evidence, would be a form of justice for the victims. We have got the proof. Now, we need this inquest to legally name the killer,” Miller, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Eddowes, explains. Now the eyes are on the High Court’s decision to make Kosminski the official.

Scientists have doubts about the study results, need genetic sequences to be sure

Illustration of Jack the Ripper holding a knife, depicted in a shadowy alley, representing the infamous criminal.

Image credits: Wikimedia

As tangible as it sounds, some experts still have questions about the validity of the results. Walther Parsons, a forensic scientist from the Innsbruck Medical University in Austria, criticized the study for not including actual genetic sequences of the involved parties, which were instead represented by a graphic in the report, causing doubts about the reliability of the results. Parsons told Science.org in 2019 after the journal was published, “Otherwise, the reader cannot judge the result.”

Illustration from Puck magazine showing Jack the Ripper.

Image credits: Wikimedia

Following Edwards’ initial DNA tests in 2019, molecular biologist Walther Parson and DNA researcher Hansi Weissensteiner, of the Innsbruck Medical University, expressed doubt over the shawl’s authenticity and the methods of its genetic testing. 

They argued that genetic sequences from Eddowes and Kosminski’s living relatives were not included in the testing, in addition to questioning whether the shawl may have been contaminated due to the way it was stored. Kosminski’s brother’s great-great-granddaughter has since provided a genetic sample for testing.

Prime Jack the Ripper suspect Aaron Kosminski was a barber-surgeon in London

Sketch of Aaron Kosminski, related to Jack the Ripper identity revelation through DNA testing.

Image credits: Wikimedia

Who was Aaron Kosminski? He was a Jewish Polish immigrant who came to Whitechapel, England, back in 1881 with his brother. He became a barber once he made it to London. He was 23 at the time of the murders and was a prime suspect in the five murders which took place in 1888 but was never actually charged in the case. He then spent his life in an asylum where he was kept for his diagnosed schizophrenia until his death. 

Jack the Ripper’s most notable victims include Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly in 1888, who were brutally murdered in the Whitechapel area. These women are called “canonical five” by Jack the Ripper researchers, the reason being they are most likely murdered by a single killer.

Scientists in a lab conducting tests.

Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels (Not the actual photo)

According to the Express, the killer needed to have anatomical knowledge in order to commit the murders. Coincidentally, an intake form from the asylum where Kosminski died in 1919 described him as a “barber-surgeon,” hinting at the anatomical knowledge needed for the gruesome nature of the Ripper’s murders, which involved slitting his victims’s throats and masterfully removing their internal organs. Despite his notorious story, the police were never able to capture him, and his identity remained locked away in the pages of history. 

Netizens are stunned by DNA findings that could finally name Jack the Ripper

Tweet about Jack the Ripper identity reveal, user comments "better late than never" on February 13, 2025.

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Tweet by Optify about finding Jack the Ripper after 137 years, with skull emoji.

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James MacKelan tweet expressing relief for closure in Jack the Ripper case, dated February 13, 2025.

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Tweet questioning the DNA testing method used to possibly reveal Jack the Ripper's identity.

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Tweet by Donald E Beane Jr discussing Jack the Ripper's skills as a barber with a razor.

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Tweet calling for post-conviction DNA testing before death penalties, referencing Jack the Ripper case resolution.

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Tweet discussing Jack the Ripper possibly being a barber, contradicting surgeon or butcher theories due to gruesome murders.

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Tweet from username000513 on February 14, 2025, about Jack the Ripper's identity.

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Tweet reacting to Jack the Ripper's identity possibly revealed through DNA, expressing disbelief over lack of arrest.

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Tweet discussing Jack the Ripper's identity reveal through DNA testing, expressing a wish for justice.

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Tweet by user commenting on the year 2025, unrelated to Jack the Ripper’s identity and DNA testing.

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Tweet reaction to Jack the Ripper's identity possibly revealed, comparing it to the Titanic discovery.

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Tweet by user discussing Jack The Ripper's identity, responding with "dont mean nothing now.

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Tweet questioning why Jack The Ripper's identity took so long to uncover using DNA testing.

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Tweet humorously discussing Jack the Ripper's identity and age, referencing DNA testing.

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Tweet joking about Jack the Ripper's identity revealed before GTA 6 release, gaining 22.9K likes.

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