According to a WORLD EXCLUSIVE at The Daily Mail, the mystery of Jack the Ripper's identity has been solved by businessman Russell Edwards and forensic expert Jari Louhelainen using DNA evidence. The alleged culprit? A 23-year old Polish barber and longtimer Ripper-suspect Aaron Kosminski.
You can read the lengthy, two-part piece (the first part written by Edwards, the second by Louhelainen) over at The Daily Mail. While there are plenty of criticisms to be made here, the three most important things to keep in mind right now are as follows:
- Wouldn't you know it, Edwards has a new book to promote. Naming Jack The Ripper comes out Tuesday, and is the latest in a long line of books that speculate on the identity of the infamous killer.
- Edwards and Louhelainen saw fit to announce their discovery to the world – a discovery based on a "DNA breakthrough" that Edwards describes as "innovative," "amazing," and "incredible" – not in the pages of a reputable, peer-reviewed scientific publication, but the Daily Mail.
- The discovery hinges on a 126-year-old, unwashed, blood-and-semen-soiled shawl said to have been recovered from the scene of one of Jack the Ripper's murders, though the shawl's actual provenance remains far from certain.
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Right. Sure, this is fun and exciting, but take with salt and all that. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing these claims independently verified.