The mystery surrounding the identity of Jack the Ripper may have finally been solved, according to a researcher who believes DNA evidence has identified the notorious Victorian-era serial killer more than a century after the murders.

Historian and self-described "Ripperologist" Russell Edwards has spent years investigating the infamous case of the unidentified murderer who terrorized London's Whitechapel district in 1888.

Jack the Ripper is believed to have killed at least five women between August 31 and November 9 of that year.

The victims were Mary Ann Nichols, 43, Annie Chapman, 47, Elizabeth Stride, 44, Catherine Eddowes, 46, and Mary Jane Kelly, 25. Most of the women were sex workers, while three of the victims were found with internal organs removed.

What does the expert claim?

Now, Edwards claims the mystery has been solved after what he describes as a "100 per cent DNA match" was discovered on a piece of evidence linked to the case.

According to Edwards, the DNA testing identified Aaron Kosminski, a Polish-born barber who emigrated to London, as the man responsible for the killings.

Jack the Ripper terrorized the East End of London in 1888. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Kosminski was already considered a suspect by investigators during the original murder inquiry, but no definitive evidence was ever produced.

Edwards said he located a living relative of Kosminski and arranged DNA testing, which he believes conclusively connects the suspect to evidence recovered from the crime scene.

Reflecting on his investigation, Edwards described the experience as "a voyage of discovery, with many twists and turns."

He added: "The adventure was thrilling from beginning to end and I was lucky to experience it."

The researcher is now calling for an official legal ruling to formally identify the killer.

"We have got the proof, now we need this inquest to legally name the killer," Edwards said. "It would mean a lot to me, to my family, to a lot of people to finally have this crime solved."

Despite Edwards' confidence, several experts have questioned whether the evidence is strong enough to definitively close the case.

Criticism over DNA analysis

One major criticism centres on the shawl used in the DNA analysis. Skeptics argue there is no conclusive proof that the item was ever present at a Jack the Ripper crime scene.

Questions have also been raised about the DNA findings themselves, as the genetic sequences used in the study have not been publicly released. According to reports, the data was withheld due to concerns relating to "UK law."

Walther Parson, a forensic scientist at the Institute of Legal Medicine at Innsbruck Medical University in Austria, has argued that the DNA data should be published so other experts can independently assess the findings.

"Otherwise the reader cannot judge the result," Parson said.

He also expressed concern about the lack of transparency surrounding the research, adding: "I wonder where science and research are going when we start to avoid showing results but instead present colored boxes."

As debate continues, the question of whether Aaron Kosminski was truly Jack the Ripper remains disputed, despite Edwards' belief that the century-old mystery has finally been solved.

Featured Image. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Scientists have claimed to have proven the identity of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper with new DNA evidence.

Polish barber Aaron Kosminski has been named as the notorious murderer who brutally killed and mutilated a number of women in Whitechapel, London in the 19th century.

The claims come from researchers at Liverpool John Moores University, who found both Kosminski's DNA and that of one of his alleged victims, Catherine Eddowes, on a shawl belonging to her.

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The tests compared fragments of mitochondrial DNA—the portion of DNA inherited only from one’s mother—retrieved from the shawl with samples taken from living descendants of Eddowes and Kosminski, with researchers claiming the DNA matches that of a living relative of Kosminki.

In the Journal of Forensic Sciences, the scientists behind the investigation stated the shawl "enhances the statistical probability of its overall identification".

"We describe for the first time systematic, molecular level analysis of the only surviving physical evidence linked to the Jack the Ripper murders," they wrote. "Finding both matching profiles in the same piece of evidence enhances the statistical probability of its overall identification and reinforces the claim that the shawl is authentic."

Experts were able to take DNA tests from the shawl after they were contacted by the owner of the historical item, author Russell Edwards. The 48-year-old bought the item of clothing, which was found next to Eddowes' body and stained with her blood, at an auction in 2007.

However, the new findings have been placed under scrutiny, with critics arguing that key details on the specific genetic variants identified and compared between DNA samples are allegedly not included in the paper.

In addition, according to Science Mag, Hansi Weissensteiner, an expert in mitochondrial DNA at Innsbruck Medical University in Austria, takes issue with the mitochondrial DNA analysis, which he says can only reliably show that people—or two DNA samples—are not related.

Other critics of the Kosminsky theory have asserted that there’s no evidence the shawl was ever at the crime scene, adding that it could have also become contaminated over the years.

It's not the first time Kosminski, who was 23 at the time of the killings, has been suggested to be Jack the Ripper; the Polish hairdresser was a prime suspect at the time, but not enough evidence was found to incriminate him. From 1891, he was institutionalised in an insane asylum and he died at age 53 in 1919.

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His links to the crime were scrutinised in 2014 when Dr Jari Louhelainen, one of the authors in this week's paper, studied the same shawl. However, these claims were shunned by other scientists who said made he made an "error of nomenclature" in his analysis.

Eddowes was slaughtered by Jack the Ripper on the night of September 30, 1888, in Mitre Square, Whitechapel, where her kidney was hacked out and her cheeks ripped apart. The killer is rumoured to have eaten her kidney afterwards.

The 46-year-old prostitute was the second person killed in the early hours of Sunday 30 September 1888, with the murder of fellow prostitute Elizabeth Stride less than an hour earlier.

Five victims overall —Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly — are said to have been murdered by the same man between 31 August and 9 November 1888. However, the Whitechapel Murders file, which covers the Ripper's killing spree, includes eleven murders, covering a period from 1888 to 1891.

An expert on Jack the Ripper has unveiled a sixth victim and has also shared who he believes the Ripper was.

Despite over 100 potential suspects, no one has ever been convicted for the gruesome murders that terrorized the streets of East London in the late 1800s.

The Enduring Mystery of Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper’s killing spree between 1888 and 1892 has been a subject of global fascination, sparking theories, books, films, and a whole field of study called “Ripperology”.

The killer’s five victims were slaughtered in a brutal fashion, with their throats cut and their bodies horribly mutilated.

As each crime became more grisly, police believed a single, deranged murderer was behind it all.

Frenzied speculation about the identity of Jack the Ripper continues to this day, with theories ranging from the killer being Queen Victoria’s grandson to a post-Impressionist painter, or even former British Prime Minister William Gladstone.

But criminologist David Wilson has recently shared a theory that could finally put an end to the speculation.

The Ripper’s Potential Identity: Aaron Kosminski

Wilson, who has dedicated his career to studying serial killers, has used modern criminological techniques to narrow down the suspect list, per The Sun.

By inputting eleven murders into a computer system, Wilson’s research led him to one primary suspect: Aaron Kosminski, a Polish barber who lived near the crime scenes.

“It is absolutely easy to tell you who Jack the Ripper is. It's Aaron Kosminski,” Wilson said.

Kosminski, who was in his mid-20s at the time of the murders, was known to have severe mental health issues, including paranoia and auditory hallucinations.

He lived in the heart of Whitechapel and, according to Wilson’s profiling, was a single man who had a deep disdain for women, especially sex workers. His mental state, combined with his local residence, fits the profile of the killer.

Why Kosminski Is the Prime Suspect

Despite some historians dismissing Kosminski due to his lack of medical training, Wilson argues that there is no evidence to suggest the Ripper had any formal surgical knowledge.

The brutality of the murders, he explains, likely came from an untrained but deeply disturbed individual - someone who could have been “the bloke next door.”

Wilson’s analysis also suggests that the killer may have been a local, unskilled worker with a routine that kept him busy during the week.

The attacks, which occurred in the early hours of Fridays or weekends, support this theory. Kosminski lived just a short distance from the crime scenes, which further reinforces the likelihood that he was the perpetrator.

A Shocking Sixth Victim: Martha Tabram

In addition to identifying Kosminski as the killer, Wilson has made another groundbreaking claim: there was a sixth victim of Jack the Ripper, a woman named Martha Tabram.

Tabram was discovered on August 7, 1888, nearly three weeks before the first widely recognized victim, Mary Ann Nichols.

Tabram’s body was found with 39 stab wounds, and while some may not have initially connected her death to the Ripper, Wilson’s research shows that she fits the pattern of the other murders.

By inputting eleven Whitechapel murders from 1888 into the HOLMES system, Wilson found that Tabram’s death matched the Ripper’s profile.

Wilson explained: “For one of the documentaries I did for the BBC with Amelia Fox, I got the entire Whitechapel docket run through HOLMES... and that lead trainer identified six murders, not five murders.”

This revelation, combined with geo-profiling (a method used to predict a criminal’s likely area of residence based on crime locations), helped Wilson confirm that Kosminski was the likely culprit.

Kosminski’s Background and His Suspected Role in the Murders

Born in 1865 near Warsaw, Poland, Aaron Kosminski moved to London in 1882 to escape rising antisemitism.

By the time the murders began, he was living with his brother and sister in Whitechapel. Police at the time believed Kosminski had a “great hatred of women” and strong homicidal tendencies, but they lacked sufficient evidence to arrest him.

However, his history of mental health issues, including paranoid delusions and a breakdown in 1890, made him a prime suspect. He was eventually committed to an asylum, where he remained until his death 28 years later.

Though some experts believe that his mental state rules him out of being the Ripper, as women would have been aware of him and kept their distance.

DNA Evidence and Further Confirmation

Earlier this year, DNA analysis brought new attention to Kosminski’s potential role in the murders.

DNA was extracted from a bloodstained shawl found at the scene of Catherine Eddowes’ murder.

The shawl was tested against a sample of Kosminski’s family DNA, and the results reportedly showed a “100 percent match.”

Some experts have questioned the methodology behind the test, claiming that the DNA could belong to many people.

In Conclusion

Despite there being a strong case for Aaron Kosminski being the Ripper, we will never really know.

Various 'Ripperologists' have differing opinions on who the killer may have been, and the evidence provided could be seen as inconclusive.

It could have easily been a member of the community who was never under any suspicion.

Featured image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty

For whatever reason, there's something about serial killers that fascinates us. There's a reason that true crime documentaries and movies based on real-life serial murders are so successful - and that's because we're all watching. Usually, there is at least some comfort in knowing that eventually the killer in question was arrested and brought to justice, but that isn't always the case.

In fact, just as many homicides go unsolved, there are some serial murders whose culprit the police never managed to catch. Check out this list of the serial killers that were never caught, if you've got no problem with a sleepless night...

1. The Servant Girl Annihilator

Operating between 1884 and 1885 in Austin, Texas, an axe-wielding maniac killed seven women and one man, with six women and two men surviving attacks. At the dead of night, the killer would drag his victims out of their home before killing them.

In 1885, the New York Times claimed that up to 400 men were interrogated in connection to the attacks, but no one was charged. There are plenty of unsubstantiated theories about the identity of the killer, including some who believe that Jack the Ripper honed his craft in the US before his famous murders in London a few years later.

2. The Zodiac Killer

This serial killer claimed to be responsible for 37 murders over the 60s and 70s in Northern California, but investigators only confirmed 7 victims. He attacked a cab driver and three different couples, with two men surviving the attacks. He made a name for himself after he toyed with the authorities by sending letters and cryptograms to the press, daring the public to crack the codes to find him.

According to one of these decoded messages, he killed in order to 'collect slaves for the afterlife'. Many have obsessed over these murders, with many claiming to have solved the case, but there has been no confirmation, and some of the key suspects have since passed away.

3. Freeway Phantom

In Northeast Washington DC between 1971 and 1972, six black women between the ages of 10 and 18 were murdered. Each one was abducted while on their way home, raped and strangled to death, before their bodies were dumped along the highway.

The second-to-last victim was found with a note that was signed by the 'Free-way Phantom'. "This is tantamount to my insensitivity to people especially women," the note read. "I will admit the others when you catch me if you can!" The police had their suspects, including a gang operating in the area, but no convictions were made. Years later, the case files were lost, making the case nearly impossible to solve today.

4. Alphabet Murders

Also in the early 1970s, three women were raped and strangled around Rochester, New York. Each girl's name was alliterative, and their bodies found in towns which started with the same letter as their names. Carmen Colon was found in Churchville, Michelle Maenza in Macedon, and Wanda Walkowicz in Webster.

A man named Joseph Naso did commit similar murders, but his DNA did not match that which was found at the crime scene, so the case remains unsolved.

5. The Babysitter

Also known as The Oakland County Child killer, this murderer took the lives of at least four children in Michigan in the late 70s. He received the name because each of his victims were discovered fully-clothed and bathed, killed after being held anywhere between four to 19 days. There were some promising leads, including one witness who saw a man talking to a victim the night of the murder, but the case remains open.

6. Colonial Parkway Murderer

In the late 80s, three couples were found dead in their cars along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia, while a fourth couple went missing in the area and are presumed dead too. There are many theories about the case, including one that the culprit was a police officer who could pull over their victims, but nothing conclusive.

7. Highway of Tears Murders

Many people have disappeared on Highway 16 in British Columbia, with 16 to 40 of the victims potentially being killed by the same person. The frequency of the murders suggested one killer, but the large stretch of time (1969-2011) suggests more than one. Many of the victims were First Nations women, leading locals to assume that racism played a part in both the attacks and the lack of progress in each case.

Royal Canadian police suspected Bobby Jack Fowler was responsible for 10 to 20 of the victims, while Canadian serial killer Cody Legebokoff was convicted of one of them. However, that still leads dozens more unsolved cases on that highway.

8. The Craigslist Ripper

Also known as 'LISK,' this killer is responsible for the deaths of between 10 and 16 women in Long Island, New York, between 1996 and 2011. Many of the victims were sex workers who advertised their services on Craigslist, leading authorities to believe that the killer arranged to meet up with them, before raping and killing them, then dumping their bodies along the Ocean Parkway.

A key suspect was James Burke, the former police chief of Suffolk County, who had previously used the services of one of the victims. Burke had obstructed an FBI probe into the case during his time as the police chief, but was only convicted of obstruction.

With important physical files no longer needed, and with more advanced technology at their disposal, there is less chance of serial killers of this magnitude getting away with it in quite the same way. But I'm betting that won't make it any easier to get to sleep tonight.