Five known victims, three cities, one murder weapon, no evidence, and over 100 suspects. The Jack the Ripper case is one of the most debated and notorious serial killer cases and since the beginning of his accused murders in London over 140 years ago, he has been unidentified. But finally on February 1st, 2025, with a 100% DNA match, using a victim’s shawl, Aaron Kosminski was found guilty.
The story of Jack the Ripper is a very intriguing and terrifying story that took London by storm. Jack the Ripper was a serial killer in 1888 between August and November in the Whitechapel area in London where his five known victims were killed. According to BBC the first murder occurred on August 31st and the victim was Mary Ann Nichols, who was a prostitute. Prostitutes were a common target for Jack the Ripper and it’s still a mystery why today. His second target was Annie Chapman, who was killed on the 8th of September. Then on September 30th, he killed both Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddoweson. Yes, two people in one day. Lastly, Mary Jane Kelly was killed on the 9th of November. Those were the definite known victims, but police suspected a woman named Martha Tabram and many other murders as victims of Jack the Ripper’s killing spree. “Jack the Ripper” had also sent many different letters to the police taunting them, although some suspect these letters may have just been hoaxes.
Back in March of 2019, scientists at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom took the blood and semen DNA found on a shawl of Jack the Ripper’s fourth victim, Catherine Eddowes, brought in from one of her descendants ten years prior and compared the genetic sequence with samples taken from Aaron Kosminski, a prime suspect. Though the match was strong, the scientists had used mitochondrial DNA, meaning the DNA could be attached to any of Kosminski’s family, so they couldn’t officially make a claim. Then, in October 2024, the case resurfaced using new-age DNA technology, and historian/researcher Russel Edwards confirmed it was without a doubt.
There were many theories on who the killer was, as all of London lived in fear. There were over 100 suspects, one of them even being royalty, Queen Victoria’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor. Out of all of these crazy theories, one was correct, and this ended up being the true killer, Aaron Kosminski. Aaron was a Jewish immigrant from Poland. Aaron’s father had come to London before him in 1871 – 1873, but it is assumed that Aaron came to London around 1880 – 1881. During his time in London, Aaron Kosminski was a hairdresser, but it was explained he did not actually work. His skills as a barber most likely helped him committing his murders with meticulous execution.
Aaron was probably considered as a suspect because of his mental health record. According to Jack the Ripper 1888 there was a situation in February 1891 where Aaron threatened his sister with a knife, which caused him to end up in a mental hospital called Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum for three years. On April 19th, 1894 he was then transferred to Leavesden Asylum where he would end up dying at 25 on March 24th, 1919. That was the end of his story and legacy but we will most likely find out much more in the future.
Besides the main question of who Jack the Ripper was, a big inquiry many people have had over the years is: “How has he never been caught?” There are many reasons for this including the fact that murder or serial killers weren’t as common back in 1888 or in London in general as they are now. Investigators were unprepared for the lack of evidence Jack the Ripper left, along with none of the innovative DNA testing we luckily have today and the absence of CCTV. Nevertheless, even in those times, investigators would look for scratches or bruises on an attacker or pieces of DNA under the victim’s fingernails to signify the victim tried to fight back. Still, neither the suspects nor victims had the telltale signs. Aaron Kosminski was meticulous with his crimes, but if he lived in our times, his chances of being caught would be much higher.
There are still so many unanswered questions that may stay unanswered; however, there are also many questions being answered. It is really important to spread awareness around this story because it shows how interesting and remarkable new technology that is used today and how lucky we are to have it. Freshman Morgan Fisher explained, “I think it’s very interesting, a mystery that went unsolved for years finally being concluded. The technology used to solve it is constantly improving, Jack the Ripper’s identity being discovered being only proof of this improvement.”
Fisher also stated, “At the end of the day, this case finally coming to an end showcases how advanced our technology is constantly getting, and that over time we can expect many more cases and mysteries like the Jack the Ripper case to be solved efficiently and accurately. The future of this technology is very uncertain, but more advanced with every new trial using it. If I had to guess, the near future would continue to hold more technological advancements, including more forensic, medical, social, and in everyday life.” While Jack the Ripper took place over 100 years ago there is still so much interest in the topic and it is interesting to learn more about. While Aaron Kosminski may have seemed like a normal hairdresser, underneath, he was a killer that threatened the lives of many and caused fear throughout the streets.
