Incredible facts
One of the biggest murder mysteries in history was solved when an amateur detective and molecular biologist identified Jack the Ripper through DNA testing.
It turned out to be Aaron Kosminski, a Polish Jewish immigrant, whose family emigrated to London to avoid pogroms.
Kosminski has been considered one of the main suspects before, but his involvement has not been proven.
Jack the Ripper: photo
The discovery came about by accident when businessman Russell Edwards bought a shawl found near the body of Catherine Eddowes, a fourth victim, at auction in Bury Saint Edmunds in Great Britain.
The shawl was found near the victim's body in London's East End in September 1888 with traces of blood on it.
Edwards gave the shawl to genetics expert Dr. Jari Louhelainen, who was able to extract DNA from the material.
Scientists first established the authenticity of this garment by comparing the samples with the DNA of the victim's descendants.
Traces of seminal fluid were also found on the shawl, which corresponded to Kosminski's relative's DNA.
Jack the Ripper Story
Aaron Kosminsky was only 23 years old and lived with his two siblings on Greenfield Street near where Jack the Ripper's third victim Elizabeth Stride was killed.
He was not a member of the royal family, a famous surgeon, or a politician, as many assumed. According to notes by London Police Chief Melville Macnaghten, the suspect Kosminsky had a strong hatred for women obsessed with murderous thoughts.
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According to documents, he was a hairdresser in Watchapel, a district of London. Kosminsky died at Leavesden Psychiatric Hospital from gangrene at the age of 53.
From August 7 to September 10, 1888, an unknown man named Jack the Ripper committed five murders in London's East End. He killed five prostitutes, mutilating their bodies in an unusual way, which suggested that he was well versed in human anatomy.
More than 100 suspects have been named, including Queen Victoria's grandson Prince Albert Victor, but the killer has never been caught.