Has the Jack the Ripper case been solved using DNA evidence? In Russell Edwards’ Naming Jack the Ripper (September 9, 2014), he claims that DNA evidence shows beyond reasonable doubt that Aaron Kosminski, a popular Jack the Ripper suspect, was the infamous killer of at least five prostitutes during the Victorian era. Edwards reached his conclusion based on DNA collected from a shawl reportedly found next to the body of Catherine Eddowes, who was discovered in Mitre Square in the City of London on September 30, 1888, with her throat cut, abdomen ripped open and the left kidney and part of the womb removed. Of course, claims of solving the 125-year-old murder mystery have surfaced many times before.  Still, if confirmation of the DNA evidence comes forth, Kosminski certainly moves to the top of list as the primary Jack the Ripper suspect.

The discovery of Catherine Eddowes shawl

Russell Edwards, an amateur ripperologists, purchased the shawl in March 2007 at an auction in Bury St. Edmunds after noticing the shawl was patterned with Michaelmas daises, indicative of the Christian Feast of Michaelmas which was a popular holiday during the Victorian era. The Christian Feast of Michaelmas was celebrated annually in the Eastern Orthodox Church on September 29 and November 8, two quarter dates when rents and debts were typically due. Edwards says he noticed that both dates coincided with days during which two of Jack the Ripper’s victims were murdered. September 29 was the night on which Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were killed, and November 8 was the night of the final, most horrific of the murders, that of Mary Jane Kelly.

Edwards reasons that the shawl was not owned by Catherine Eddowes, who was poor and could not have afforded such a frivolous piece of clothing, but rather was brought to the scene by Jack the Ripper himself. The shawl was reportedly collected as evidence in the Eddowes murder and taken by a police officer, Sergeant Amos Simpson, who had been present at the murder scene. The shawl remained in the family for over 100 years until it was finally sold by its owner, David Melville-Hayes. Incredibly, the shawl had been stored without ever being washed (reportedly, the Simpson’s wife thought the gift was macabre and never wore it).

Catherine Eddowes shawl is examined for DNA evidence

To reach his conclusion, Edwards first examined the shawl using infrared photographic analysis which showed dark stains on the shawl to be arterial blood spatter – consistent with the way Catherine Eddowes had met her end (throat cut). Next, he used UV photography which revealed a set of fluorescent stains consistent with the characteristics of semen. This provided Edwards enough reason to believe expensive DNA analysis should be conducted on the clothing. According to the Daily Mail UK:

“It was impossible to extract DNA from the stains on the shawl using the method employed in current cases, in which swabs are taken. The samples were just too old. Instead, he used a method he called ‘vacuuming’, using a pipette filled with a special ‘buffering’ liquid that removed the genetic material in the cloth without damaging it.”

The DNA sample was far too old to use genomic DNA (the “primary” DNA used in modern-day criminal investigations). Instead, mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA), which is passed down through the female line and survives far longer, was used. DNA collected from the shawl was compared to the DNA of Karen Miller, a three-time great granddaughter of Catherine Eddowes. The DNA samples matched perfectly. This was the first time any physical evidence had been conclusively tied to the Jack the Ripper murders.

Next, DNA tests were conducted on the semen traces found on the shawl. Surviving cells were found that were believed to be from the epithelium, a type of tissue which coats organs. In this case, it was likely to have come from the urethra of Jack the Ripper during ejaculation. DNA from the shawl were compared to DNA collected from a young Australian female descendant of Aaron Kosminski, one of the primary suspects in the Jack the Ripper murders. Again the DNA matched perfectly.  It appeared as if Aaron Kosminski was the infamous Jack the Ripper.

For A Complete Very Well Done  Histoy Of Kosminski go to:

http://altereddimensions.net/2014/dna-evidence-proves-aaron-kosminski-jack-ripper-case-closed