2019 "What on Earth" episode on Jtr identified "Cohrn"/Kaminsky

[Pcdunn]

Finding Jack the Ripper https://g.co/kgs/7QXGyD9

I stumbled on this program recently, a rebroadcast from 2019 of a series called "What on Earth" which usually looks at satellite images of apparent oddities on Earth. These generally have archaeogical or natural explanations.

The episode "Finding Jack the Ripper" focused on an American gentleman named Guy English, a crime profiler specializing in historic serial murders. He used satellite photos of London's East End, as well as historic images and on-the-ground investigation with a Ripper expert named John Bennett.

English's angle seems to be geographic profiling, which I've heard a little about, but don't know very much. He identified Jack as a marader type killer, murdering within a safe known area to his home neighborhood. Starting with the known murder sites of the Five, he established a Kill area, separted by a Buffer zone, then looked at addresses of known suspects. He narrowed the field to 7 possibles within his data, then found the center of the area led to the dwelliing of Nathan Kamisky (aka David Cohen), the violent man who ended up in Colney Hatch.

Very interesting program. Did anyone catch this? Any thoughts?

[I1ariusz]

Hello Pcdunn

Like with criminal profiling - geographical profiling is not an exact science. Not sure also if it wasn't proven that Nathan Kaminsky and David Cohen (Aaron Davis Cohen) are not the same person. Next thing is that Cohen gave his place of residence. Was it not a retreat for poor and homeless Jews?

I guess it might also be difficult to know what is the exact place where Ripper lived as we don't really know (or we aren't sure) who was the first victim and even how many victims there were. Criminal profiling often points that for this kind of killer - he will live in close proximity to first crime. It could be either Polly Nichols or Martha Tabram. In both cases Black Lion Yard (it's the address isn't?) is very very close. So on the other end it's this.

[Lewis C]

Hello Pcdunn

Like with criminal profiling - geographical profiling is not an exact science. Not sure also if it wasn't proven that Nathan Kaminsky and David Cohen (Aaron Davis Cohen) are not the same person. Next thing is that Cohen gave his place of residence. Was it not a retreat for poor and homeless Jews?

I guess it might also be difficult to know what is the exact place where Ripper lived as we don't really know (or we aren't sure) who was the first victim and even how many victims there were. Criminal profiling often points that for this kind of killer - he will live in close proximity to first crime. It could be either Polly Nichols or Martha Tabram. In both cases Black Lion Yard (it's the address isn't?) is very very close. So on the other end it's this.

My understanding is that Kaminsky and Cohen weren't proven to be two different people, but Martin Fido, who was the one who discovered them and theorized that they were the same person, later decided that there wasn't enough evidence for that to even be a good theory, and withdrew the theory. Since then no one seems to have pursued the idea that they were the same person.

[I1ariusz]

My understanding is that Kaminsky and Cohen weren't proven to be two different people, but Martin Fido, who was the one who discovered them and theorized that they were the same person, later decided that there wasn't enough evidence for that to even be a good theory, and withdrew the theory. Since then no one seems to have pursued the idea that they were the same person.

Then why we have full name - Aaron Davis Cohen? Fido suggested that David Cohen was a bit like John Smith in English but i don't think it would fit to Aaron Davis Cohen. I think that story of Cohen is a bit more refined. I think this can be useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uIdC-ENk54

[Lewis C]

Then why we have full name - Aaron Davis Cohen? Fido suggested that David Cohen was a bit like John Smith in English but i don't think it would fit to Aaron Davis Cohen. I think that story of Cohen is a bit more refined. I think this can be useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uIdC-ENk54

I believe that you're saying that because we have the full name of Aaron Davis Cohen, that suggests that Fido's initial idea that David Cohen could be a generic name for a Jew was probably not the case here, and Fido was right to walk away from that theory. Is that right?

[I1ariusz]

I believe that you're saying that because we have the full name of Aaron Davis Cohen, that suggests that Fido's initial idea that David Cohen could be a generic name for a Jew was probably not the case here, and Fido was right to walk away from that theory. Is that right?

Well, rather I'm saying that with full name Aaron Davis Cohen we don't have as anonymous suspect as it was before. I'm not sure why Fido left his theory. It could be because of what I'm saying or for some other reason. And yes it was Fido's idea that David Cohen was generic name given to a man because he was unable to give his identity when found by police. He suggested Kaminsky - i think - because his name was close to Kosminsky and because he found out that Kaminsky was treating syphillis in nearby Whitechapel Hospital (which suggested relations to prostitutes).

[Pcdunn]

I believe the tv program did mention Kaminsky had syphillis, as a possible motive for killing streetwalkers.

I thought it was interesting that Kaminsky isn't listed here, but Cohen is. Will need to read up more on this idea.

[Lewis C]

I believe the tv program did mention Kaminsky had syphillis, as a possible motive for killing streetwalkers.

I thought it was interesting that Kaminsky isn't listed here, but Cohen is. Will need to read up more on this idea.

I think that's because the only reason Kaminsky was ever suspected was as an alternative identity for Cohen, so with Cohen listed, there was no point in listing Kaminsky.

For anyone interested in the evolution in Martin Fido's research and thought processes on Kaminsky and Cohen, check out the chapter on David Cohen in this book:

https://zoboko.com/book/wdmwex5l/who-was-jack-the-ripper-all-the-suspects-revealed

[Elamarna]

Hi all, here is a little something I have drafted on the Cohen was Kaminsky theory

Back in 1987 when Martin Fido wrote his book on the Ripper, he found 3 people.


1. David Cohen.
2.Nathan Kaminsky.
3. Aaron Kosminski

On the scant info he had at the time Martin rejected Aaron as Anderson's suspect .

He however thought David Cohen was a very good suspect for Anderson's suspect, he was violent and fitted some of what Anderson said( at this point the Swanson Marginlia was unknown). However, he was stumped on why he might be called Kosminski by Macnaghten. It should be noted that one of the prime reasons for the book was to show that Macnaughten's Kosminski could be the same person as Anderson's suspect.

At this point he found one Nathan Kaminsky, who was approximately the same age as Cohen.

Martin now formed a theory, David Cohen was a John Doe, used for Jewish men, he was really Nathan Kaminsky, and the police mixed the names up Kaminsky and Kosminski

So that was the theory, however research since 1987 as exposed flaws in this thinking.

Cohen appeared in court under the name Davis Aaron Cohen.
It's never been really shown that David Cohen was a John Doe.
We then had the Marginlia surface soon after Martin's book, where Swanson provides the name Kosminski.

Despite research There is no evidence of any sort to link Cohen to Kaminsky,( a man known only from his treatment for syphilis. )
They were roughly the same age that was all there was.

No one called Nathan Kaminsky was ever placed in an asylum so far as is known.

Cohen however is still favoured as the killer on his own right by several respected researchers.

Some years later, Martin reconsidered the Theory.
In a Ripperologist magazine article called "Rethinking Cohen and Kosminski." Issue 129.

In this he accepted that that Aaron Kosminski could have killed Stride, been seen and the police mistakenly linked the Stride murder to the other Ripper Victims.

Few of those who researcher Anderson's suspect or Kosminski( that includes Cohen) now accept the Kaminsky link, It's generally rejected as early flawed theorizing.

It's a tribute to how influential Martin's book was that people are still quoting it.
.

I did a chat with Richard Jones on the Cohen/Kosminski/Kaminsky issue last year

https://youtu.be/0uIdC-ENk54?si=21DBI8nCKxTCSjLB

[The Rookie Detective]

Hi all, here is a little something I have drafted on the Cohen was Kaminsky theory

Back in 1987 when Martin Fido wrote his book on the Ripper, he found 3 people.


1. David Cohen.
2.Nathan Kaminsky.
3. Aaron Kosminski

On the scant info he had at the time Martin rejected Aaron as Anderson's suspect .

He however thought David Cohen was a very good suspect for Anderson's suspect, he was violent and fitted some of what Anderson said( at this point the Swanson Marginlia was unknown). However, he was stumped on why he might be called Kosminski by Macnaghten. It should be noted that one of the prime reasons for the book was to show that Macnaughten's Kosminski could be the same person as Anderson's suspect.

At this point he found one Nathan Kaminsky, who was approximately the same age as Cohen.

Martin now formed a theory, David Cohen was a John Doe, used for Jewish men, he was really Nathan Kaminsky, and the police mixed the names up Kaminsky and Kosminski

So that was the theory, however research since 1987 as exposed flaws in this thinking.

Cohen appeared in court under the name Davis Aaron Cohen.
It's never been really shown that David Cohen was a John Doe.
We then had the Marginlia surface soon after Martin's book, where Swanson provides the name Kosminski.

Despite research There is no evidence of any sort to link Cohen to Kaminsky,( a man known only from his treatment for syphilis. )
They were roughly the same age that was all there was.

No one called Nathan Kaminsky was ever placed in an asylum so far as is known.

Cohen however is still favoured as the killer on his own right by several respected researchers.

Some years later, Martin reconsidered the Theory.
In a Ripperologist magazine article called "Rethinking Cohen and Kosminski." Issue 129.

In this he accepted that that Aaron Kosminski could have killed Stride, been seen and the police mistakenly linked the Stride murder to the other Ripper Victims.

Few of those who researcher Anderson's suspect or Kosminski( that includes Cohen) now accept the Kaminsky link, It's generally rejected as early flawed theorizing.

It's a tribute to how influential Martin's book was that people are still quoting it.
.

I did a chat with Richard Jones on the Cohen/Kosminski/Kaminsky issue last year

https://youtu.be/0uIdC-ENk54?si=21DBI8nCKxTCSjLB

What is the most recent data that we have on a Nathan Kaminsky?

When was he treated for syphilis?

[Elamarna]

We have absolutely nothing other than what Martin Fido found back in 1987.

"Diagnosed syphilitic, 24 March 1888, and treated in Ward BB, Whitechapel Workhouse Infirmary. Discharged, cured, six weeks later."

Nathan Kaminsky for me is a total red herring , that does not mean that Cohen is, only that Cohen was not the same person as Kaminsky.

Steve

[The Rookie Detective]

We have absolutely nothing other than what Martin Fido found back in 1987.

"Diagnosed syphilitic, 24 March 1888, and treated in Ward BB, Whitechapel Workhouse Infirmary. Discharged, cured, six weeks later."

Nathan Kaminsky for me is a total red herring , that does not mean that Cohen is, only that Cohen was not the same person as Kaminsky.

Steve

Interesting...


Do we have a photo/visual evidence of the original document found by Martin Fido?


I ask this because i believe I have found Nathan in a document much later than 1888.


And based on what I have found; there's a relatively simply explanation as to why he has remained somewhat of an enigma thus far.

[Scott Nelson]

Still people will not accept the possibility that an immigrant Kosminski family may have simply changed their last name to Cohen. It was easy to do and there probably wasn't a lot of cumbersome paperwork they had to deal with.