Descendants of Jack the Ripper's victims are backing a legal application for a new inquest into the death of Catherine Eddowes, one of the five women murdered in Whitechapel in 1888. The notorious killer was never caught, but a DNA breakthrough has renewed calls for justice.
A bloodstained shawl said to have been found on Eddowes' body was purchased at auction in 2007 by author Russell Edwards. DNA testing revealed the shawl contained genetic material from both Eddowes and Aaron Kosminski, a Polish barber who was a suspect at the time but never arrested due to lack of evidence.
Edwards has hired a legal team to apply for a new inquest, arguing that the DNA evidence warrants further investigation. The campaign is supported by descendants of both Eddowes and Kosminski, who hope to finally name the killer in court.
Karen Miller, Eddowes' three-times great-granddaughter, said: 'Having the real person legally named in a court which can consider all the evidence would be a form of justice for the victims.' Kosminski's three-times great-niece Amanda Poulos also backed the campaign, stating she is 'more than happy to finally establish what really happened.'
The original inquest in 1888 returned a verdict of 'wilful murder', but police were still investigating. A previous application for a new inquest was refused by the Attorney General in 2023. Barrister Dr Tim Sampson has now written to Attorney General Richard Hermer, arguing that the new DNA evidence would have justified prosecuting Kosminski for all five murders.
