Here’s what Jack the Ripper looked like – according to AI
It used images of a leading suspect's relatives to imagine the killer.
This is what Jack the Ripper looked like – according to AI.
Jeff Leahy, 63, has been fascinated by the infamous serial killer for decades and even produced a mini-series on the murderer in 2011.
Now, 13 years later, has made an image of what could be the Ripper.
Mr Leahy, from Carmarthen, Wales, used AI to create a face for Aaron Kosminski, a well-known suspect.
Kosminski was a Polish-born barber who worked in Whitechapel in London’s East End when the notorious murders took place.
He has been previously named by experts as the Ripper – although his guilt has never been proven.
Mr Leahy used Midjourney software and photographs of Kosminski’s relatives to build the picture.
‘It’s astonishing to finally have an image of him. I was surprised by how striking the picture is,’ said TV worker Mr Leahy.
‘There’s never been a picture of him and this is the best we’re ever going to get. It’s very exciting to finally put a face to the world’s most notorious serial killer.
‘I had two pictures of his sister Matilda, one of his uncle and another of a close relative. I had one of his brother-in-law too, and the families were closely related – cousins marrying for generations – so that’s still useful.’
Grandad-of-three Mr Leahy first became hooked hooked on the Ripper case aged ten when his aunt took him on a tour of the East End.
An unidentified serial killer murdered prostitutes in 1888 by cutting their throats and mutilating their abdomens.
Jack the Ripper: the victims
Although the identity of Jack the Ripper has never been 100% confirmed, we do know the names of his five ‘canonical’ victims who, until recently, were often overlooked in this tale of horror.
Now, however, the focus is shifting onto the women who lost their lives.
- Mary Ann Nichols (neé Walker), also known as Polly by her friends and family, was found on August 31, 1888. She was thought to be a domestic servant and sex worker
- Annie Chapman, a flower seller, crocheter and sex worker, was found on September 8, 1888
- Elizbeth Stride (neé Gustafsdotter) is thought to be his next victim. She was born in Sweden, and worked as a cleaner and sex worker
- The next canonical victim, found just 45 minutes after Stride, was Catherine Eddowes.
- Widely believed to be the last victim, Mary Jane Kelly, was found on November 9, 1988
There may have been more, but Mary, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary are those historically thought to have been linked, all victims of the same killer.
The name Jack the Ripper originated a letter written by someone claiming to be the murderer.
Many names have been linked to the murders over the years – including royals, authors and artists. It is thought the Ripper might have been an educated upper-class man who was likely in regular employment.
Mr Leahy studied photography and then broadcasting as he grew up but kept researching the murders.
‘I’ve always been fascinated by the case. I keep on top of all the research,’ he said.
Kosminski was admitted to a mental asylum in the early 1890s, according to information online. He died in hospital in 1919 aged 53.
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