After 137 years, expert has named Jack the Ripper's 'true identity' following breakthrough DNA testing

After more than a century of mystery, speculation, and countless theories, the identity of Jack the Ripper — the infamous serial killer who terrorized London’s East End in 1888 — may have finally been uncovered.

Jack The Ripper's 'true identity' has been revealed following DNA testing. Credit: Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images

Thanks to a forensic DNA breakthrough, British author and self-proclaimed "Ripperologist" Russell Edwards claims to have identified the man behind the legend.

And if his findings hold up, the world may finally have an answer to one of the most notorious murder mysteries in history.

The Chilling Crimes That Defined an Era

Jack the Ripper is believed to be responsible for the brutal murders of at least five women — known as the "Canonical Five":

• Mary Nichols, 43
• Annie Chapman, 47
• Elizabeth Stride, 44
• Catherine Eddowes, 46
• Mary Jane Kelly, 25

Between August and November of 1888, these women were murdered in Whitechapel, a poverty-stricken district in London. The killer’s gruesome methods—slashing throats, mutilating bodies, and in some cases, removing internal organs—sparked theories that he had surgical knowledge.

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

For decades, police, historians, and crime experts have tried to unmask the killer, with theories ranging from surgeons and royals to writers and deranged psychopaths.

But despite countless books, movies, and investigations, no one could prove the true identity of Jack the Ripper — but a new breakthrough may have changed that.

DNA Evidence Leads to a Name

Russell Edwards' journey to solving the case began in 2007 when he purchased a shawl that reportedly once belonged to victim Catherine Eddowes.

The fabric contained both blood and semen stains.

London police were openly mocked at the time for failing to catch the Ripper. Credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Years later, forensic testing was conducted on the shawl, revealing DNA from two people—one linked to Eddowes' descendants and the other to a Polish immigrant who lived in London at the time of the murders.

That immigrant? Aaron Kosminski.

“Considering his DNA is on the shawl that was at the murder scene and he was named, I have never considered anyone else to be the Ripper,” Edwards told News.com.au.

“I have, however, looked into every other suspect in order to eliminate them.”

Who Was Aaron Kosminski?

Born in Kłodawa, Poland, Kosminski moved to London with his family as a child and worked as a barber in Whitechapel — the heart of Jack the Ripper’s hunting ground.

Records show that Kosminski suffered from severe mental illness, including auditory hallucinations. He was institutionalized in various asylums across London and was known to exhibit paranoid behaviors, including refusing to eat food prepared by others and neglecting basic hygiene.

Aaron Kosminski was a Polish barber. Credit: Instagram

Kosminski was considered a suspect at the time of the murders but was never charged.

He later died in an asylum in 1919 at the age of 53.

The Science Behind the Discovery

Edwards' forensic breakthrough took four years to complete due to concerns over contamination and the challenge of extracting usable DNA from 19th-century evidence.

“When we matched the DNA from the blood on the shawl with a direct female descendant of the victim, it was the singular most amazing moment of my life at the time,” Edwards said.

“We tested the semen left on the shawl. When we matched that, I was dumbfounded that we actually had discovered who Jack the Ripper truly was.”

A Lifelong Obsession with the Ripper

Edwards has been dedicated to solving the Jack the Ripper case for over 11 years. His fascination began after watching the film From Hell, which depicts the killings.

“I saw the movie From Hell and then did a Jack the Ripper tour,” he said.

“It was then I realized I had been walking in his footsteps all that time and didn’t know. After that, I called Scotland Yard and asked where the case files were. I was told they were in the National Archives at Kew," Edwards continued.

“I went and conducted some research and found quite quickly that nobody would ever know the identity of Jack the Ripper as there was not any evidence. It was only when I bought the shawl that my journey really began.”

Victims’ Families Demand Justice

Now that Kosminski has been named as the killer, the descendants of Jack the Ripper’s victims are calling for an official police investigation to confirm the findings.

Karen Miller, the great-great-great-granddaughter of victim Catherine Eddowes, says it would bring long-overdue justice to her family.

“The name Jack the Ripper has become sensationalized, it has gone down in history as this famous character,” Miller told The Daily Mail. “It has all been about him, this iconic name, but people have forgotten about the victims who did not have justice at the time.”

She is urging authorities to hold an inquest into Kosminski, saying: “We have got the proof, now we need this inquest to legally name the killer.

"It would mean a lot to me, to my family, to a lot of people to finally have this crime solved.”

Could the Case Finally Be Closed?

Despite Edwards' confidence in his findings, not everyone is convinced. The research has not yet been published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal, meaning the DNA results cannot be fully scrutinized or independently verified.

Two years ago, Attorney-General Michael Ellis refused to open a new inquest into the case, citing “not sufficient new evidence.” Whether Edwards’ latest discovery will change that remains to be seen.

For now, after 137 years of dead ends and speculation, the world finally has a name — and it may just be the end of one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

Featured image credit: Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images