Jack the Ripper mutilated and murdered at least five women in the British capital at the end of the nineteenth century. His identity has never been traced and the mystery regularly spawns new theories. Dozens of people have already been identified as possible perpetrators, even in royal circles.
But now a great-great-granddaughter of one of the original sleuths, Sarah Bax Horton, claims to have finally unmasked the serial killer. In a new book she writes that Hyam Hyams is the real Jack the Ripper. Horton says he relies on testimonials. Hyams was an alcoholic who lived near where the women were killed. He had mental problems and regularly stayed in psychiatric institutions. He was crippled as a result of an accident.
Witnesses at the time describe Jack the Ripper as a man, in his thirties, with a stiff arm and a knee that he could not straighten. According to Horton, the descriptions match the medical records of Hyams, who also suffered from seizures. When the man was arrested by the police at a certain point, the murders stopped, according to the writer.
Paul Begg, an expert on the mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper and the author of several books about the serial killer, also supports the hypothesis. In 2014, another book pointed in the direction of Aaron Kosminski, a Polish barber who had moved in. Kosminski has long been considered a prime suspect.