A descendant of a Jack the Ripper victim is urging for a new investigation into the infamous case after new DNA evidence emerged.
London: A relative of one of Jack the Ripper’s victims is pushing for a new inquest. This comes after DNA evidence pointed to a Polish barber as the killer.
Jack the Ripper’s identity has puzzled people since the gruesome murders in 1888. Many suspects have been named over the years, from royals to commoners.
In 2014, a researcher named Russell Edwards claimed that DNA from a shawl found at a crime scene linked the murders to Aaron Kosminski, a Polish immigrant who was a barber.
This shawl was supposedly from the murder of Catherine Eddowes, one of the Ripper’s victims. Edwards had a scientist, Dr. Jari Louhelainen, analyze the DNA from the shawl.
They found a match with the blood of Karen Miller, a direct descendant of Eddowes. The results showed a 99.2% match, and further testing confirmed a perfect match.
DNA from other stains on the shawl also matched a descendant of Kosminski. Edwards believes this evidence is strong enough to warrant a new inquest.
Miller supports this call, saying the victims deserve justice. She feels the name Jack the Ripper has overshadowed the real people affected by these crimes.
She wants the killer’s name to be legally recognized in court, which she believes would bring some closure to the victims’ families.
Interestingly, Kosminski’s descendants are also backing the inquest. His great-great-great-niece, Amanda Poulos, is eager to uncover the truth.
However, some experts are skeptical about Edwards’ findings since they haven’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal, leaving room for doubt.
Legally, the attorney general must approve any new inquest. Two years ago, the request was denied due to a lack of new evidence.
Miller feels now is the right time to revisit the case, expressing that solving this crime would mean a lot to her and many others.
Kosminski was born in Poland in 1865 and moved to London in the early 1880s. He lived near the murder sites and was even brought in for questioning at one point.
Despite a witness identifying him, the police had to let him go due to a lack of incriminating evidence. He later ended up in a workhouse and then a mental asylum, where he died in 1919.
Former FBI agent John Douglas described the Ripper’s murders as “lust murders,” suggesting the killer had a twisted fantasy involving domination and cruelty towards women.
