Historian Russell Edwards has played a crucial role in solving one of history’s greatest mysteries: the identity of Jack the Ripper.
The breakthrough came after Edwards purchased a shawl believed to belong to one of the Ripper’s victims, Catherine Eddowes, and subjected it to DNA testing.
In an interview with “Today Show Australia,” Edwards explained that he acquired the shawl in 2007 at an auction.
The artifact was reportedly discovered at the crime scene where Eddowes was murdered. DNA analysis confirmed that blood found on the shawl matched a direct descendant of Eddowes—her great-great-great-granddaughter.
Further testing revealed semen on the shawl, which was traced to Aaron Kosminski through his oldest brother’s great-great-granddaughter.
The DNA analysis provided a 100% match, definitively linking Kosminski to the infamous serial killer.
“He is no longer just a suspect. We can hold him, finally, to account for his terrible deeds,” Edwards wrote.
“My search is over: Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper.”
