Evidence published in amateur historian Russell Edwards’ soon to be released book, Naming Jack the Ripper, claims to have identified Kosminski as the killer based off DNA matches from a now infamous blood-soaked shawl from one of Ripper’s victims.
Edwards’ interest for the case came about after watching the 2001 horror mystery starring Johnny Deep, From Hell.
The shawl was bought by Edwards from a public auction in 2007, where he then sought the help of genealogists to expose the murderer once and for all.
Not everyone is convinced as Edwards at the validity of these claims. “Literally, we see articles like this a couple of times a year, but this one has gone viral,” said Stephen Ryder, editor of online forum devoted to uncovering the man behind Ripper, Casebook: Jack the Ripper. “There’s kind of a CSI Effect going on, people hear “DNA” and they think it’s 100 percent solved.”
In 2002, Ripper was declared by crime novelist Patricia Cornwell to be painter Walter Sickert due to DNA evidence from a licked stamp.