Official: Jack the Ripper identified

[Azure]

Scotland Yard has taken possession of a policeman’s memoirs which names the serial killer

PRIVATE handwritten notes by the man who led the hunt for Jack the Ripper naming the chief suspect were given to Scotland Yard’s Black Museum yesterday.


Chief Inspector Donald Swanson kept quiet for years but in retirement, frustrated that the murderer had escaped justice, could not resist scribbling notes in the margin of his boss’s memoirs, naming the man that they both believed had become the world’s most famous serial killer.

The man he named was Aaron Kosminski, a Polish-Jewish hairdresser living in Whitechapel, East London, who was eventually committed to a lunatic asylum, where he died.

Very interesting, especially after all the theories that were out there.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...269526,00.html

[troutman]

No, everyone knows John Ritter played Jack Tripper on Three's Company.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by troutman

No, everyone knows John Ritter played Jack Tripper on Three's Company.

[Burninator]

Chief Inspector Donald Swanson kept quiet for years but in retirement, frustrated that the murderer had escaped justice, could not resist scribbling notes in the margin of his boss’s memoirs, naming the man that they both believed had become the world’s most famous serial killer.

Doesn't really sound official, no evidence really.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

Interesting but I think that it's kind of sad sometimes when we find out the answers to the big mysteries of history.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by PowerPlayoffs06

Interesting but I think that it's kind of sad sometimes when we find out the answers to the big mysteries of history.

Why?

[PowerPlayoffs06]

They lose some of their magic and things relating to the mysteries lose their significance.

Stonehenge wouldn't be the same if they discovered it was meant to be the house of some clan chief and had nothing to do with druids or paganism.

Would Easter Island hold the same appeal if we knew for sure who built the Moai statues and why?

How about the Sphinx of Giza?

Finding out that Jack The Ripper, whos notoriety stems from having never been caught despite the calibre of his crimes, was probably some Polish-Jew hairdresser who died in a mental asylum sort of casts a lackluster sheen over the myth, dont' you think?

[La Flames Fan]

Too true PP06...When they found out who "Deep Throat" was, I kind of felt disappointed. The mystery, lustre just disappeared...

[CaptainCrunch]

I remember reading a ton of stuff on Jack the Ripper, and the theories that lead to the royal family, or to the secret society of the free masons. Or a disgruntled butcher with Syphillis.

But the one thing that remained true was that The Ripper was a true urban legend, he was never caught, and he taunted the police with hideous notes (one that was real). He was what modern society based the boogy man on. He was the thump outside of the window.

Now he's a hairdresser, a modern day Sweeny Todd. Its a huge letdown.

[J pold]

When I was in London I went on a Jack the Ripper tour, it was extremely interesting and even more Eire, we visited the actual crime scenes and went into detail about what happened, where the Killer entered and what he did to his victims, some of the descriptions of the murders where so dark and evil it left me shaking for days we also went over about 3 different theories on who it could have been, and I believe this guy was one of the guys our tour guide mentioned pretty impressive because it was his own theory that he derived after writing 3 books on the Ripper

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Doesn't really sound official, no evidence really.

The guy has long been known as a very probable suspect and they just couldn't question him because of his lack of mental fitness. They had a witness that did identify him but didn't want to give evidence. Had that witness given evidence and the suspect fit enough to undergo a trial it's safe to say that he probably would have been found guilty in a trial even today. Back then if you didn't catch a murderer in the act or get him to confess it was difficult to put the guy in jail.

That said there is nothing in this newest article that sheds any light on the case since the 1990's. The margin notes etc have been known for some time. As far as I can tell in this newest story there is no new information coming out. What is known is that Aaron kominski was indeed in an insane asylum but that he was known to be a harmless, docile inmate.

Jack the Ripper became popular not just because the crimes were never "solved" but also because it was really the first serial killer that came to light in a large metropolis that was documented and followed by the print media. The murders were also particularily grizzly, occurred in very quick succession (5 in 3 months including 2 on the same day) and victims left in plain site that terrified a city which led to greater print coverage outside of the city and country.

A good site on this case.
http://www.casebook.org/intro.html

But basically unless there is something else in those liner notes that weren't known before this isn't really anything new. The news story is simply that a family member turned this memorobilia over to a museum. Individual officers had strong opinions on who it was to be sure and some suspects are more likely than others but had there been anything close to unanimous opinion among the officers someone would have been charged or the case closed. The police have the most likely suspects but I believe much of it is still confidential/destroyed during the war...the details only leak out when personal notes from people involved with the case get brought to light.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I remember reading a ton of stuff on Jack the Ripper, and the theories that lead to the royal family, or to the secret society of the free masons. Or a disgruntled butcher with Syphillis.

But the one thing that remained true was that The Ripper was a true urban legend, he was never caught, and he taunted the police with hideous notes (one that was real). He was what modern society based the boogy man on. He was the thump outside of the window.

Now he's a hairdresser, a modern day Sweeny Todd. Its a huge letdown.

Look for the Sweeny Todd movie next year, starring Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by J pold

When I was in London I went on a Jack the Ripper tour, it was extremely interesting and even more Eire, we visited the actual crime scenes and went into detail about what happened, where the Killer entered and what he did to his victims, some of the descriptions of the murders where so dark and evil it left me shaking for days we also went over about 3 different theories on who it could have been, and I believe this guy was one of the guys our tour guide mentioned pretty impressive because it was his own theory that he derived after writing 3 books on the Ripper

Not sure I believe you tour guides story of it being his theory. Kominski's name came out from the Swanson scribblings of the Anderson memoirs in the 1990's. Because of that memoir I believe it is now known that he was the second suspect that Chief Constable Melville Macnaghten wrote about in a confidential report in 1894. The only reason the name "kominski" came to light was because of these margin scribblings by Swanson from what i understand.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Look for the Sweeny Todd movie next year, starring Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton.

Wasn't there already a Jack the Ripper movied staring Johnny Depp?

Edit: Yes there was.

[ernie]

A more detailed article.
http://www.lse.co.uk/ShowStory.asp?s...ting_detective

Nevertheless the identification of the ripper is still not confirmed

DCS Steve Lovelock said: "The Ripper Murders were far from solved and remained open. This case has not been solved conclusively - but perhaps people don't want it to be solved.

"What I find most interesting is that we have the officer in charge at the time putting forward the name of the person he believed was the main suspect after he had retired."

Keith Skinner, a historical researcher who has worked on the Ripper case for 20 years, said: "Swanson was in a position to claim to know who the Ripper was.

"But unfortunately the evidence against Kosminski is non-existent. In the Swanson marginalia he is not referred to as Aaron specifically, just as Kosminski.

"I am not even sure Aaron Kosminski is the right person. There is no evidence against any of the 100 plus suspects in the Whitechapel murders.

"And there are contradictions and conflicts about the Swanson notes. They are not as clear as one would like them to be. There doesn't seem to be any clear evidence pointing to any suspect we don't even know why many of the names came into the frame."

Alan McCormick, the Crime Museum curator added that despite new DNA technology it was unlikely the police would ever find conclusive proof as to the identity of Jack the Ripper.

He said: "The only example of an exhibit that could give DNA samples was a knife that was found that may have belonged to Jack the Ripper there is absolutely nothing else. There is no possibility of any forensic evidence being found at all."

The emergence of Aaron Kosminski as a suspect is not new it has been in the public domain since 1981 but the Swanson book will now be displayed at the Crime Museum.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Bump after a long time

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...solved-4179383

Forensics expert Dr Jari Louhelainen was able to extract 126-year-old DNA from a shawl found by the body of Catherine Eddowes, one of the Ripper’s victims.

The shawl, bought at auction by businessman Russell Edwards in 2007, was found to contain DNA from her blood as well as DNA from the killer.

...
So began the three year scientific analysis of the shawl and the search for the descendants of Catherine Eddowes and Kosminski. In the end, it was DNA coding that confirmed the authenticity of the shawl and the identity of the killer.

Looks interesting, the scientist is renowned and well published.

[Street Pharmacist]

That's really cool

[StrykerSteve]

Fascinating stuff.

[dissentowner]

I can't believe I missed this thread, I looked up and down.

[icecube]

Aaron the Ripper just doesn't have the same ring to it.