Jack the Ripper's identity revealed by Jack Sommers 7th September 2014 In 1888, “Jack the Ripper” terrorized the Whitechapel district and was never captured. According to various theories, he could have been a member of the Royal family, a butcher, a doctor... Russell Edwards, author and businessman, devoted decades of his life to finding Jack the Ripper's identity. First he purchased a shawl that was found next to the corpse of Catherine Eddowes, one of the victims. Then, he worked with scientist Jari Louhelainen to analyze the DNA that was found on it. He was able to persuade descendants of both the victim and suspects to donate and compare their DNA. Two types of DNA were found on the shawl: the victim's (Catherine Eddowes) and Aaron Kosminski's, one of the suspects. Aaron Kosminski was a Polish immigrant who arrived in England in the 1880s. He worked as a hairdresser in Whitechapel in the East End of London. He was on a list of police suspects but there was never enough evidence to bring him to trial at the time. Later, Kosminski was sent to an asylum where he died at the age of 53 of gangrene of the leg in 1919. In his book, Edwards writes: “ He is no longer just a suspect. My search is over: Aaron Kosminski is Jack the Ripper. ” The most famous serial killer in history has been unmasked, 126 years later. & Reading comprehension: 1. Document : Who is the author of the document? .................................................................................................................. When did he write it? ........................................................................................................................................... Who unmasked Jack the Ripper? ....................................................................................................................... Which piece of evidence did he buy? ................................................................................................................. 2. Investigation : Who did he work with? ...................................................................................................................................... What did they find on the piece of evidence? ................................................................................................... What is Jack the Ripper's identity? .............................................................................................................. What was his nationality and his job? .......................................................................................................... 3. Jack the Ripper : Where did he work? ..................................................................................................................................... When and where did he die? ........................................................................................................................ ! Find the following vocabulary in the text: consacrer: coiffeur: décennie: assez: acquérir, acheter: preuve: châle: procès: ! TIME FOR SCIENCE! DNA is the acronym for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It's the molecule that contains the genetic code of organisms. The DNA in a person is a combination of the DNA from each of their parents. In French, it is called: ................. .