Over 130 years since Jack the Ripper terrorized the foggy, dimly lit streets of Victorian London, forensic scientists believe they may have finally unmasked the infamous killer.

The name that has emerged from recent genetic tests is one long associated with the grisly murders - Aaron Kosminski.

The findings published this week suggest that the notorious murderer was indeed Kosminski, a 23-year-old Polish barber and one of the prime suspects of the Metropolitan Police at the time.

As a barber in Whitechapel, he resided right in the heart of the Ripper's killing zone and exhibited early signs of severe mental illness.

In 1891, just a few years post the murders, Kosminski was committed to Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum following a diagnosis of paranoia, hallucinations, and an aversion to washing or eating food prepared by others.

Despite his clear mental disturbances, staff did not perceive Kosminski as violent, and he spent the remainder of his life in institutions until his death in 1919.

Police officials later identified him as a significant suspect, with one high-ranking officer alleging that an eyewitness had even recognized him but declined to testify.
While the findings linking Kosminski to the murders have made headlines worldwide, experts caution that the evidence still falls short of conclusively solving Britain's most infamous cold case, reports the Mirror.

The latest development revolves around a silk shawl reportedly found next to the mutilated body of Catherine Eddowes, Jack the Ripper's fourth victim who was killed in 1888. Forensic teams examined DNA from blood and semen on the fabric and compared it with samples from living relatives of both Eddowes and Kosminski.

According to the recent study, the DNA presents what is referred to as a genetic match with some of Kosminski's descendants. If accurate, this would be the most compelling scientific connection yet between Kosminski and the gruesome murders that claimed five women's lives.

However, several experts have noted that the study does not actually publish the discovered genetic sequences, instead representing them as colored blocks on a chart, making them hard to verify.

The authors claim that UK privacy laws prevented them from disclosing more details. Yet, forensic experts have dismissed this reasoning, highlighting that mitochondrial DNA poses no privacy threat and could certainly have been included.

And that's not the only issue. Some historians argue there's no evidence the shawl was ever at the crime scene, while others suggest it may have been contaminated multiple times over the past century.

And yes, he was.