The true identity of Jack the Ripper has, over the decades, become one of the most unsettling mysteries—not only for criminologists but also for thousands of people around the world who have been captivated by the case.
Now, 136 years after the grisly murders, it appears that the answer to this enigma has finally been unveiled, thanks to recent and astounding technological advances.
The case took an astonishing turn when a team of scientists potentially identified the killer through a series of DNA tests.
Who Was Jack the Ripper?
Jack the Ripper was a serial killer who terrorized London’s Whitechapel district in 1888. His victims, mostly vulnerable women, were brutally murdered and mutilated. However, the lack of concrete evidence and the police’s inability to capture him turned the killer into a dark legend—a puzzle that, for decades, fueled countless theories.
The crimes were so horrifying that they marked a turning point in criminological history, transforming the identity of the murderer into a mystery that seemed impossible to solve.
What Is the True Identity of Jack the Ripper?
The breakthrough came with the discovery of a handkerchief near the body of Catherine Eddowes, one of Jack the Ripper’s victims. Leveraging modern technology, experts extracted mitochondrial DNA from the object and compared it to the genetic material of descendants of the era’s suspects.
The results showed a 100% match with Aaron Kosminski, a Polish Jewish barber who, in 1890, was arrested for his alleged involvement in the murders. At the time, a witness had claimed to see him with one of the victims before the crime, although this statement was later retracted, allowing Kosminski to remain free.
The investigation also uncovered several details about the killer’s appearance, such as having brown hair and brown eyes—characteristics that align with contemporary eyewitness descriptions. However, experts caution that these traits are not unique to Kosminski, leaving some room for doubt regarding the absolute certainty of the conclusion.
Nonetheless, this finding represents the most significant breakthrough in over a century of investigations into the Jack the Ripper case.
This article was originally written in Spanish by Mariana Martell in Cultura Colectiva.
