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Monday May 06, 2024

Jack the Ripper: AI finally puts face on notorious serial killer of London prostitutes

"Jack the Ripper" is said to have enthralled Rippermania after tour at slasher's famous haunts

By Web Desk
February 19, 2024
An AI-generated image of Jack the Ripper. — Phil Gaspard
An AI-generated image of "Jack the Ripper". — Phil Gaspard

Jack the Ripper, the notorious 19th-century murderer of women coerced and involved in prostitution, has been identified with the recently published AI-generated images.

Jeff Leahy, a longtime fan of Jack the Ripper from Carmarthen, Wales, is the creator of the dangerously surreal illustrations, according to New York Post.

He has spent decades researching the legend surrounding one of the most notorious criminals in history and produced a miniseries on the murderer.

Leahy was able to create a pretty amazing depiction of the lead suspect Aaron Kosminski using Midjourney software, information, and publicly available photos of the man's family.

An AI-generated image of the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper. — Jeff Leahy
An AI-generated image of the notorious serial killer "Jack the Ripper". — Jeff Leahy

“It’s astonishing to finally have an image of him. I was surprised by how striking the picture is,” Leahy told SWNS.

An AI-generated image of the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper. — Jeff Leahy
An AI-generated image of the notorious serial killer "Jack the Ripper". — Jeff Leahy

Kosminski was a barber in Whitechapel, London's East End, who was born in Poland. He committed the murders there in the late 1800s.

Many experts have identified Kosminski as the Ripper, but no one has ever been able to establish his guilt or prove his crimes.

“There’s never been a picture of him and this is the best we’re ever going to get,” Leahy said.

“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,” he said.

The newly discovered portrait hardly resembles the one and only facial composite ever discovered, which was found in a UK police facility archive back in 2022.

He is said to have become enthralled with Rippermania, when a relative gave him a tour of the slasher's famous haunts while he was only 10.

In 1888, Jack the Ripper terrorised London by slitting the throats and disfiguring the corpses of several prostitutes in a destitute area of the city.

The renowned nickname first appeared in a letter written by the person who claimed to be responsible for the murders. Many people, including writers, painters, and royals, have been suspected.