The DNA of Karen Miller, a direct descendant of Eddowes, was found to be a match, confirming that her blood was present on the shawl. “On the testing, the first result showed a 99.2% match. Since the DNA has two complementary strands, we went on and tested the other DNA strand, which gave a perfect 100% match,” Louhelainen shared with the Liverpool Echo newspaper. DNA from semen stains on the garment was linked to a descendant of Kosminski.
Edwards has called for an inquest into the unsolved killing, citing the DNA evidence as justification. Miller echoed this sentiment in an interview with the Daily Mail published on Monday. “The name Jack the Ripper has become sensationalized. It has gone down in history as this famous character,” she told the paper. “People have forgotten about the victims, who did not receive justice at the time. Now we need this inquest to legally name the killer.” Miller emphasized the importance of officially naming the perpetrator through a court in order to provide a sense of justice for the victims.
The descendants of Kosminski have also expressed support for the inquest, as reported by the Daily Mail. Kosminski’s great-great-great-niece, Amanda Poulos, stated, “I’m more than happy to finally establish what really happened.”
However, some have raised doubts about Edwards’ findings. The research has not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, which means the claims cannot be independently verified or the methodology scrutinized. Approval for a further inquest lies with the attorney general as per the law.
Two years ago, the then attorney general, Michael Ellis, declined the request, citing insufficient new evidence. Miller stressed on Monday that the time is ripe to revisit the case. “It would mean a lot to me, my family, and many others to finally have this crime solved,” she added.
Kosminski, born in Klodawa, central Poland on September 11, 1865, fled with his family from imperial Russian anti-Jewish pogroms and settled in east London in the early 1880s. He resided near the murder scenes and was reportedly taken in by the police for identification by a witness who had seen him with one of the victims. Despite a positive identification, the witness declined to provide incriminating evidence, leading to Kosminski’s release. Subsequently, he entered a workhouse in 1889, described upon admission as “destitute,” and later discharged, only to end up in a mental asylum where he eventually passed away from gangrene on March 24, 1919. He was laid to rest three days later at East Ham Cemetery in east London.
Former FBI agent John Douglas characterized the homicides as “lust murders,” indicating that the killer targeted the genital areas of the victims. Douglas believed this behavior was a manifestation of the perpetrator’s fantasy of dominance, cruelty, and the mutil
