By Tim Binnall
A promising new forensic study conducted by researchers in England may have finally determined the identity of Jack the Ripper. The project reportedly looked at blood stains and other genetic material found on a shawl recovered near the body of one of the infamous serial killer's victims. According to the scientists behind the investigation, the cloth is " the only piece of physical evidence known to be associated with these murders."
After subjecting the stains on the shawl to a "systematic, molecular level analysis," researchers were able to connect mitochondrial DNA on the cloth to a living descendant of one of the prime suspects in the case: a Polish barber named Aaron Kosminski. Bolstering their conclusion was the fact that the genetic information obtained from the study suggested that the eyes and hair color of the individual also matched witness descriptions of the killer and were also the same characteristics of Kosminksi.
Although longtime students of Ripper lore may roll their eyes at yet another 'breakthrough' in the case claiming to have finally unmasked the killer, this latest development is particularly encouraging because, unlike many other 'game changers' surrounding the case, the results of the study were published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. This would suggest that the research has held up to some scrutiny and is more than merely a matter of armchair conjecture. That said, considering the cash cow that the killer has become in modern times, it remains to be seen whether or not the project will be credited with solving the case or if, for the purposes of the tourism industry, the Ripper saga will conveniently remain a mystery.