New DNA methods could at last reveal identity of Jack the Ripper

SLEUTHS have spent nearly 140 years trying to prove the identity of the world's most notorious killer.

- BY VIKKI WHITE

Now, the mystery of Jack the Ripper could be solved by pioneering DNA techniques developed in the US.

They have been used to name people from decades-old remains that have been burned, thrown in the sea or treated with chemicals.

Forensic genealogy company Othram has been clearing up child murder cases across the US and is set to work with King's College London.

It is hoped Texas-based Othram's techniques could help solve cold cases here.

Funded by grants and crowdfunding, Othram's 75-strong team combines advanced genetic sequencing with their own algorithms.

This is a unique way of comparing DNA data with samples uploaded to ancestry sites, to create highly accurate genetic profiles from DNA fragments.

Former Scotland Yard chief Peter Kirkham says the methods could even reveal the identity of Jack the Ripper. He told us: "I think probably Jack the Ripper samples are still there from victims, so there is scope for all manner of things really."

There have already been attempts to use DNA to identify Jack the Ripper, who cut the throats of five women and mutilated them in Whitechapel, East London, in 1888.

In 2019, a silk shawl said to have been found next to the body of one, Catherine Eddowes, 46, was examined.