# DNA evidence unmasks Jack the Ripper. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783 "2014-09-07T17:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/141 "2014-09-13T12:35:44Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Actually, they are not very expensive at all. [A full mtDNA analysis costs anywhere from $199 to $339 at commercial labs.](http://www.isogg.org/wiki/MtDNA_testing_comparison_chart) (The $999 price includes the full genome.) > > The cost would not be a consideration for a lab like Louhelainen would have. > > I would assume this would be the major limitation. I suspect, for example, the Royal Family is not eager to be tested. I dont think it would be the lab that ultimately paid for the test, rather the shawl owner. The shawl owner is the author of the book I believe. One more test of a suspects descendant may not be prohibative, but a few tests possibly would be - depending upon the financial health of the shawl owner. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/142 "2014-09-13T15:13:28Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I’m sorry to hear that. Is SO feeling better yet? Minor elective surgeries, but painful. She’s fine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/143 "2014-09-13T17:53:30Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > I dont think it would be the lab that ultimately paid for the test, rather the shawl owner. The shawl owner is the author of the book I believe. One more test of a suspects descendant may not be prohibative, but a few tests possibly would be - depending upon the financial health of the shawl owner. We don’t know what the financial arrangements between Edwards and Louhelainen might be. It’s possible Edwards simply paid Louhelainen for the tests. It’s possible that Louhelainen was sufficiently intrigued by the case that he agreed to do the extraction and analysis pro bono. It’s possible that Edwards might have cut Louhelainen in for part of the profits for the book, which would of course call into question his objectivity (and could also perhaps jeopardize his ability to publish the research in a peer-reviewed journal due to conflict of interest). I’ve worked closely with molecular biologists who analyze both mtDNA and nuclear DNA, and am a co-author on a number of papers with them. Based on what I know, I don’t think the cost of analysis is going to be a major factor in limiting the number of tests you can do these days. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/144 "2014-09-13T20:27:59Z")
Podcast interview with Louhelainen: [BBC Sounds - BBC Inside Science - Available Episodes](http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/inscience) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/145 "2014-09-13T21:34:04Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I’ve worked closely with molecular biologists who analyze both mtDNA and nuclear DNA, and am a co-author on a number of papers with them. Based on what I know, I don’t think the cost of analysis is going to be a major factor in limiting the number of tests you can do these days. Since you know what you are speaking off, what would be the point in testing other suspect’s descendents? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/146 "2014-09-13T21:49:38Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Since you know what you are speaking off, what would be the point in testing other suspect’s descendents? For one thing, to exclude them. As has been said, unlike a nuclear genome mtDNA is shared by more than one individual. While Louhelainen says that he found a “100% match” between Kosminski and his modern relative, without the technical data it’s not completely clear what he means by that. If he were in fact speaking of the entire mtDNA genome, it statistically suggests a common maternal ancestor within 5 generations. However, since this is statistical it’s possible for the ancestor to have been further back, or even to have a chance match. Louhelainen indicates that the mtDNA is of a type common in Russian Jews. Since several of the other suspects were from eastern Europe, they could conceivably also have been matches. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/147 "2014-09-14T02:01:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Since several of the other suspects were from eastern Europe, they could conceivably also have been matches. Thank you. I believed that the results were unique to a family. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/148 "2014-09-14T03:36:01Z")
For that matter, there were several members of his immediate family in Whitechapel/Spitalfield. I like his brother Woolf as a better suspect, simply because Woolf is a better serial killer name than Aaron. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/149 "2014-09-14T10:31:01Z")
Nope, **_Aaron_ the Ripper** just doesn’t cut it for me. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/150 "2014-09-14T12:16:47Z")
What kind of Jewish Mother would name her son Wolf? Obviously, that is the guy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/151 "2014-09-14T15:08:05Z")
That, of course, depends on Wolf actually existing. It could be clearer. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/152 "2014-10-19T21:50:12Z")
Oo, look, it turns out the case [may not actually be](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2798856/claim-jack-ripper-unmasked-dna-evidence-polish-immigrant-barber-wrong-say-experts.html) OMG SOLVED!!! after all. Who woulda thunk it. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/153 "2014-10-20T00:26:47Z")
Gasp. What a twist. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/154 "2014-10-20T00:42:37Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/155 "2014-10-20T02:43:30Z")
Not the Jewish guy. Cool. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783/156 "2014-10-20T02:48:27Z")
I think most of the participants in this thread had more or less decided that it was in no way _proven_, although not so much because we suspected laboratory or mathematical error but rather that, even if the science is correct, it still wouldn’t be ironclad proof that Kosminski was the murderer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-evidence-unmasks-jack-the-ripper/697783.md?page=7)