London: DNA analysis revives a well-known hypothesis on the identity of Jack the Ripper
The case has inspired cinema, literature, and continues to fascinate audiences today: that of Jack the Ripper, the nickname of the famous serial killer who sowed terror in the streets of London in 1888. More than 137 years later, DNA traces could help identify the killer.
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After 137 years of mystery, will the famous faceless killer Jack the Ripper finally have a name? In the autumn of 1888, the serial killer sowed terror in East London. His victims? At least five women, strangled and mutilated. The police of the time were held in check, but could today's science have finally revealed his identity? DNA analysis on an item of clothing relaunches the longest-running investigation in British history. When night falls on the small streets of the Whitechapel district (London, United Kingdom), a parade of groups and guided tours follow in the footsteps of the famous killer.
Accompanied by a French guide that day, Parisian tourists all had the same question on their minds. " Who is this? Of course, that's THE question ," asks a man. " Who was it? Why did he do that? " asks a young girl.
And for Maxime Rolaz, it's impossible not to mention the latest theory on the identity of the murderer: " We're going to talk about this famous theory that's really making headlines right now. This is the third time it's happened. We'll see it again in a few years, and again, and again. It's the one about Aaron Kosminski. He was a Polish Jew who was a barber. This man was 23 years old. He suffered from a serious mental condition: paranoid schizophrenia that manifested itself in auditory hallucinations."
The man was already a suspect at the time of the murders, but some amateur detectives are now certain: Kosminski's DNA was found on a shawl that allegedly belonged to the killer's fourth victim. A theory that has been widely criticized. " With these mitochondrial DNA analyses, we really can't arrive at the identity of an individual. At best, we can rule out suspects. We can't say that Aaron Kosminski was the killer. And on top of that, even if we were sure that it was Aaron Kosminski's DNA on this shawl, that doesn't make him the killer," says Maxime Rolaz.
Yet another twist, yet another name. For 137 years, the list of suspects has been a bit of a battle of the profiles: a hairdresser, a cigar maker, the grandson of Queen Victoria, second in line to the British throne at the time... and even the writer Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland.
Another hypothesis put forward by Australian researchers is that the killer is actually a female killer. There is currently no consensus on a single profile. For eight years, the great-great-granddaughter of one of the detectives of the time has also been investigating the identity of Jack the Ripper. Her theory, that of the cigar maker, is based on eyewitness accounts. For her, it is impossible to rely on science to unravel the mystery. " To my knowledge, there is no object that has been authenticated as being directly linked to the crime, and that has survived all these years. So I think it is unlikely that the case will ever be solved with the help of science," comments Sarah Bax Horton, also author of One-Armed Jack: Uncovering the Real Jack the Ripper.
More than 130 years after the murders, several voices are now calling for the reopening of an official investigation. The hope is to lift the veil on the mystery of Jack the Ripper, an enigmatic figure who still arouses interest and generates revenue.
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