 Is it possible to apply modern day forensic science techniques such as DNA testing to an 1888 criminal case to prove beyond reasonable doubt the identity of Jack the Ripper?
The legal system of the U.K., as well as that of the U.S., grants the accused the right to face his/her accuser, and to examine the prosecution witnesses as well as the evidence offered. The accused must be given the opportunity to refute that evidence, and to present exculpatory facts if they exist. Therefore, if the suspect has been dead for over a century, and cannot exercise these basic rights, one can not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt within the proper meaning of the term.
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