The Ripper Case Solved? We’ve Waited This Long…

After this weekend's “revelation” of Jack the Ripper's identity (was he really a local Polish hairdresser?) in the Daily Mail, we waited. It took mere hours for the first sets of questions to arise, some most pointedly about the DNA-tested shawl, such as whether or not it really was intact after so much handling and owned by the victim Catherine Eddowes to begin. (Be warned, sensitive readers, all discussions must include frank reference to the DNA-bearing material on the shawl—it's not blood, IYKWIMAITYD.) Also, given that Dr. Louhelainen's novel method called “vacuuming,” which he developed to acquire enough DNA to test, hasn't been vetted in scientific peer review yet, there are questions about that, too. Here are a few cautious, preliminary thoughts from Smithsonian and many more with verve from our own pal Lyndsay Faye, if you're interested. We at CrimeHQ are fascinated, without doubt, but as we've got more than enough tree rings to remember the last time the Ripper case was “solved,” we'll spectate with our bags of popcorn until the forensics settle.