Summary Of Jack the Ripper: Has notorious serial killer’s identity been revealed by new DNA evidence? by Steve Connor

Recently, DNA evidence has been found that could possibly reveal the identity of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Aaron Kominski, a Jewish immigrant from Poland who died at age 53 in an insane asylum and was 23 during the Ripper’s killing rampages, was, and had been for a while now, the main suspect for the murders. The author of multiple books about Jack the Ripper, Russell Edwards, bought a bloody shawl at an auction in 2007, which apparently was found at the spot of Catherine Eddowes’ murder and had both her blood and the Ripper’s semen on it. Though the shawl had been around for 126 years, it had never been washed or worn, so the DNA from the blood and the semen that was found on the shawl should have been able to be tested. After tracking down family of both Eddowes and Kominski, it was discovered that their DNA matched what was found on the shawl. Jari Louhelainen, the scientist who conducted the experiment, has faced some criticism by skeptics, though. Most labs work with “blind samples” and “duplicate blinded experiments,” but neither of these things has been done by Louhelainhen. This has led to some saying that the shawl could have been cross-contaminated. (Connor, 2014).

Whether the shawl was cross-contaminated or not, I think that this is a remarkable twist in the tale of Jack the Ripper. Though it’s hard to imagine that someone kept a bloody shawl for 126 years and never washed it, I think that this could possibly be the answer to the age-old question “Who was Jack the Ripper?” Even if the evidence isn’t too convincing, it’s the best evidence to be brought to the table so far. Also, Kominski had already been thought of as the leading suspect, so I think that the bloody shawl with his DNA on it has pushed it over the edge; I think the Polish immigrant was the well-known serial killer. This article was fascinating and I’m amazed that it took so long for the shawl to come out of the shadows and be tested. Now, the identity of one of the most famous serial killers in history has been, in my opinion, discovered.

Citation:

Jack the Ripper: Has serial killer's identity been revealed by new DNA evidence? 
     (2014, September 7). Retrieved September 8, 2014, from The Independent 
     website: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ 
     has-jack-the-rippers-identity-really-been-revealed-using-dna-evidence-9717036.htm 
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