For several months spanning from August to November of 1888, a serial killer known only as Jack the Ripper tormented the Whitechapel area of London. During that time, the Ripper murdered five prostitutes, savagely mutilating all but one, a woman by the name of Elizabeth Stride. Now, nearly 130 years later, the identity of Jack the Ripper is still unknown, and the mystery surrounding the killer who became a legend has become among the most contemplated and enduring ever, both in Britain and around the world.

As TheTelegraph reports, a long list of possible Jack the Ripper suspects has been compiled and pored over in the dozen or so decades since the unidentified serial killer stalked and brutalized his victims. However, researchers now say that they may be one crucial step closer to unmasking the identity of the notorious Ripper once and for all.Roughly 25 years ago, researchers investigating the Jack the Ripper case discovered a diary that turned the mystery of Jack the Ripper on its head. Penned by Liverpool cotton merchant, James Maybrick, the 9,000-word Victorian tome claimed to have been written by Jack the Ripper himself. However, at the time of the discovery of the diary in 1992, it was widely discounted as a hoax by many prominent scholars and researchers, reports The Telegraph [ . .  ]More : Identity of Jack The Ripper Revealed? Researchers Say Disputed Diary Is Authentic