The infamous letter written by Jack the Ripper in which he mocked police in London trying to identify him has resurfaced after his identity was reportedly 'revealed'.
Terrifying the streets of Whitechapel in 1888, the Ripper murdered and mutilated the bodies of at least five women. Targeting prostitutes living in the slums of London's East End, he shock and fear running through the community as darkness fell every night.
Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly were all murdered by the Ripper between the dates of 31 August and 9 November.
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And while his identity has finally been revealed through a reported '100 per cent DNA match', it doesn't take away from the genuine fear he struck in to the minds of women across London during this murderous streak.
'Dear Boss' letter from Jack the Ripper
The seriousness of the situation was heightened when Jack the Ripper himself allegedly sent a letter to journalists at the Central News Agency in London.
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Dated 25 September, 1888, it was published after the first two murders and days before the Ripper struck twice on the same night.
In it, the killer mocks police and their inability to catch him as well as reveal his sinister intentions, including mutilating his next victim and sending her body parts to detectives 'for fun'.
The Ripper almost seems fuelled by his kills so far, saying he 'shant quit ripping them' until he is arrested.
What did the letter actually say?
The letter in full reads:
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"Dear Boss,
"I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was.
"I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now. I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ha. ha.
"The next job I do I shall clip the lady's ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good Luck.
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"Yours truly, Jack the Ripper.
"Dont mind me giving the trade name. PS Wasnt good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands curse it. No luck yet. They say I'm a doctor now. ha ha."
DNA match
It comes as researcher Russell Edwards says he has found a 'perfect' DNA match for the Ripper while working with Jari Louhelainen, a biochemist at Liverpool John Moores University.
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The duo took a DNA sample from a shawl recovered from the scene of one of his victims, Eddowes.
Edwards said the results identified 'Aaron Kosminski', a barber from Poland who emigrated to London, as the man behind the murders.
He was a suspect at the time but was never formally charged.
To firm up their research, the duo located a living relative of Kosminski, who was happy to be DNA tested against the shawl. There was a positive match with Edwards now thinking he has finally cracked the case.
His legal team are now asking for an inquest to be opened to present their evidence, with the families of the victims also asking for answers.
Topics: Jack the Ripper, Crime, UK News, History
Tom Earnshaw