by Bob Walsh
The is distinctly possible that a cold case from 1888 has been solved by modern forensic science. The murder victim was Catherine Eddowes, who was murdered on September 30. 1888. She is generally believed to be the fourth victim of Jack the Ripper.
The only physical evidence still available from the Ripper murders is a shawl believed to have been worn by Eddowes immediately prior to her death. They compared the mitochondrial DNA with known descendants of Eddowes and Aaron Kosminski, a 23-year old Polish barber who was a strong suspect at the time and who disappeared shortly after the last Ripper murder.
Obviously the test can not be considered 100% conclusive. There is no way of knowing how many people may have handled the scarf in the last 130 years. There is no way of knowing absolutely that it is even the actual scarf. Never the less the fact that the DNA does track to one person who is known to be associated with the crime (the victim) and another who was, at the time, a strong suspect would tend to lead a reasonable person in that direction.
I wonder if that means Scotland Yard will close the file?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Probably not. Several forensic experts poo poo this finding.
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