True crime junkies and history buffs listen up! VALLEY is answering all your questions about the recent social media buzz surrounding Jack the Ripper. In the past few weeks, there have been many popular Tik Toks about the Jack the Ripper murders being solved with new DNA evidence after almost 137 years including one by The Daily Mail’s “CrimeTok” page, @dailymailcrime, which currently has 12.2 million views. However, some experts and true crime fans are skeptical about these findings. This begs the question, has the case truly been solved, or is this the latest social media hoax?
Who Was Jack The Ripper?
Jack the Ripper was a serial killer who killed at least five women in Britain in 1888. This case has been sensationalized because of the brutality of the murders and the unknown identity of the murderer. The infamous piece of British history has become the basis of many films and books including “Stalking Jack The Ripper” by Kerri Maniscalco.
New Evidence?
On Feb. 1, 2025, Russell Edwards, a Jack the Ripper historian, went on the TODAY Show Australia to claim that he uncovered the identity of the killer through DNA evidence found on a shawl that was allegedly at the crime scene of the murder of Catherine Eddowes. While there have been many suspects and theories over the years, Edwards believes that it was Aaron Kosminski, a Polish barber. Edwards said that at the time, barbers had anatomical knowledge, and based on the details of the murders, this knowledge would have been necessary. A composite drawing of Kosminski commissioned by Edwards has been floating around social media.
Despite the recent social media buzz, Edwards has argued for over a decade that Kosminski was Jack the Ripper. In 2014, he published a book titled “Naming Jack the Ripper”, where he detailed his theory. His investigation began in 2007 when he purchased a shawl believed to be linked to one of the victims. Edwards then enlisted a biochemist to analyze DNA from the shawl and compare it to samples from descendants of both the victim and Kosminski.
The results of this analysis were published in a paper titled “Forensic Investigation of a Shawl Linked to the ‘Jack the Ripper’ Murders.” However, the study has faced significant criticism and in September 2024, an “expression of concern” was issued regarding its findings. Doubts about the reliability of the evidence continue to fuel debate over Edwards’ claims.
Criticism
Forbes published an article in 2019 that discussed the initial backlash from geneticists to the research paper.
“It doesn’t warrant discussion in the press, let alone in an academic journal,” said Adam Rutherford, a genetics expert
Rutherford noted that the DNA analysis is problematic because the shawl has been photographed with people holding it in their bare hands.
Science Magazine released an article around the same time that discussed different criticisms of the research paper. One critic of the paper, Walther Parson, a forensic scientist, said that mitochondrial DNA evidence that was omitted for the privacy of the descendants being tested should have been included to accurately judge the results. The authors stated in the paper that they didn’t include the information to abide by The Data Protection Act, but Parson said releasing the sequences doesn’t pose a risk to the participants.
Why Now?
If this alleged evidence has been available for years, why is it gaining attention now? According to CBS News, Karen Miller, a descendant of Catherine Eddowes, one of Jack the Ripper’s victims is advocating for justice and pushing for an inquest to have the courts officially recognize the killer. Interestingly, descendants of Kosminski have also voiced their support for the inquest, further fueling public interest in the case.
What’s Next?
For the discovery to be legally recognized, Edwards explained that the Attorney General must approve a request for a second inquest through the courts. He stated that he had already sent a letter to the current Attorney General seeking this approval. However, according to CBS News, a similar request was denied two years ago by former Attorney General Michael Ellis, who cited insufficient evidence.
Although some news sources have reported on Edwards’ claims, the story hasn’t gained a lot of attention outside of social media. This serves as a reminder to stay curious and do your research.
Do you think they’ve already found the identity of Jack the Ripper? Or are you unconvinced? Let us know what you think @VALLEYMag on X
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