Jack the Ripper Identified as Aaron Kosminski

Historian Russell Edwards claims to have identified the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper as Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish immigrant and barber, based on DNA evidence from a shawl found at the crime scene of victim Catherine Eddowes. The shawl contained DNA that matched Kosminski and a direct female descendant of Eddowes. Kosminski, a suspect during the original investigation, suffered from mental illness and was committed to an asylum, where he died in 1919. The discovery is seen as a significant breakthrough in solving the century-old mystery, with Edwards seeking legal acknowledgment of Kosminski as the Ripper to offer closure to the descendants of the victims and the public. This identification highlights Kosminski's anatomical knowledge as a barber, suggesting he had the skills necessary for the murders.