Unmasking Jack the Ripper: How Russell Edwards Used DNA to Solve a 130-Year-Old Mystery

Photo credit: The New Republic

For more than a century, the identity of Jack the Ripper—arguably the most infamous serial killer in history—remained a chilling mystery. Operating in the Whitechapel district of London in 1888, the killer is known to have brutally murdered at least five women, leaving behind a trail of horror and speculation. Over the years, hundreds of suspects have been proposed, but none conclusively proven—until amateur detective and author Russell Edwards made a groundbreaking discovery using modern DNA technology.

The Breakthrough Discovery

Russell Edwards, a businessman with a deep interest in criminal history, reignited the investigation into Jack the Ripper in the early 2000s. His journey took a dramatic turn when he acquired a Victorian-era shawl said to have been found near the body of Catherine Eddowes, one of the Ripper’s canonical victims. The shawl had reportedly been passed down through generations of a police officer’s family, never washed, and preserved as a macabre relic of the crime scene.

Skepticism surrounded the shawl for decades. Some dismissed it as a hoax or irrelevant, but Edwards believed it held vital clues. He enlisted the help of Dr. Jari Louhelainen, a Finnish biochemist and expert in molecular biology at Liverpool John Moores University, to test the fabric for traces of DNA.

DNA Testing and the 100% Match

Using a technique known as mitochondrial DNA analysis, Dr. Louhelainen extracted genetic material from the shawl, specifically from both bloodstains and what was believed to be seminal fluid. Mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mother to child and changes very slowly over generations, can be used to identify maternal ancestry with a high degree of accuracy.

The researchers compared the mitochondrial DNA from the shawl to samples provided by living maternal-line descendants of both Catherine Eddowes and one of the key suspects in the Jack the Ripper case: Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish barber who lived in Whitechapel at the time of the murders.

In a stunning revelation, the DNA found on the shawl yielded a 100% match to the living descendant of Kosminski, as well as a match to Eddowes’ descendant. This indicated that the shawl had been in contact with both the victim and her killer—offering the most compelling forensic link ever discovered in the case.

Who Was Aaron Kosminski?

Aaron Kosminski had long been suspected by contemporary investigators. He was known to suffer from severe mental illness and was committed to an asylum shortly after the murders ceased. Police at the time believed he was responsible, but lacked the evidence to charge him. Chief Inspector Donald Swanson even named Kosminski in his personal notes as the prime suspect, though this was never made public during his lifetime.

With the DNA evidence now in hand, Russell Edwards declared in his 2014 book, Naming Jack the Ripper, that the case was closed. “This is the only piece of forensic evidence in the case,” Edwards said. “I’ve spent 14 years working on it, and we have definitively solved the mystery of who Jack the Ripper was.”

Controversy and Skepticism

While Edwards’ claims made headlines around the world, some experts in forensic science and Ripperology (the study of Jack the Ripper) expressed reservations. Critics questioned the provenance of the shawl, whether it could truly be tied to the original crime scene, and the rigor of the DNA testing methods.

Nonetheless, the DNA results and historical context presented a compelling case for Kosminski’s guilt—stronger than any previously put forward. While debate still lingers in academic circles, Edwards’ work stands as the closest the world has come to conclusively identifying Jack the Ripper.

Russell Edwards’ pursuit of the truth, combined with modern DNA science, has transformed the way the world views one of history’s darkest mysteries. Whether universally accepted or not, his investigation offers a powerful example of how science can shine light into even the deepest shadows of the past. If Aaron Kosminski was indeed Jack the Ripper, then a mystery that haunted the Victorian era has finally been laid to rest.