DNA helps identify skull found in the wall of an Indiana teenager who died in 1866

Skull found in the wall of the street Illinois the house belongs to a teenager who died of illness birth complications in 1866, officials announced at a news conference after a public fundraising event to identify the remains.

Investigators said Thursday that the girl, Esther Granger, was from Merrillville, Indiana, and died at age 17 when Andrew Johnson was president.

Earlier this month, professional photographer Thomas Doggett of 3D Resin Solutions in South Elgin, Illinois, and forensic artist Natalie Murray collaborated to create an artistic version of what Granger may have looked like.

According to the Kane County coroner’s office, the girl’s skull was found in November 1978 in Batavia, Illinois, about 70 miles west of Chicago.

Property owner James Skinner was renovating his home when he found a skull and several items behind a baseboard. He told police what he found, allowing them to collect the items and the skull and begin an investigation, the coroner’s office said.

Here’s what else you need to know about this case.

Why did it take so long to identify the skull?

Although the skull was found in 1978, authorities were unable to identify Granger. In 2021, the Kane County Coroner’s Cold Case Team learned about Othram Laboratories, a Texas-based forensic sequencing lab that tracks genetic genealogy.

Eventually, Othram managed to create a DNA profile. Investigators created approx DNASolves crowdfunding campaign and raised $7,500 in donations to complete the trial and trace the DNA.

In February 2024, Othram matched the profile and discovered that the skull likely belonged to Granger.

Still, Othram had to confirm the match by testing a biological relative, so the organization contacted someone they believed was Granger’s second great-grandchild.

The coroner’s office said the DNA match was confirmed on June 17.

Researchers have spent decades trying to find answers

In 1978, researchers sent the skull to the anthropology department at Northern Illinois University.

There, investigators determined that the remains belonged to a woman who was probably around 20 years old at the time of her death and died some time before 1900.

In 1978–1979, researchers contacted national laboratories, museums and genealogical societies to find clues. They were unable to find them, so the skull was sent to the Batavia Depot Museum for safekeeping.

Museum supervisors were auditing items in March 2021 when they found the skull. They called the Batavia Police Department, which referred it to the Kane County Coroner’s Office to continue the investigation.

New methods lead to the identification of the victim

This time, Deputy Coroner Gabriela Allison was named lead investigator. When Allison found out about Othram Laboratories, she contacted us. She learned more about forensic genetic genealogy, a process Othram could use to match DNA profiles even though the items were decades old.

In May 2023, workers at the Othram lab decided to try to create a DNA profile from the skull. From there, investigators could crowdfund and raise money for the rest of the identification process.

In December 2023, Othram contacted the Kane County Coroner’s Office and agreed to raise funds for the trial.

By January 2024, the funds had been raised, and the following month, Othram informed the coroner’s office that he had found a match, Esther Granger.

The next step was to test the DNA of living relatives to confirm the match. The coroner’s office made contact with Wayne Svilar, a possible Granger descendant. He submitted his DNA and on June 17, Othram confirmed that he was Granger’s second great-grandson.

In August, Granger was buried in a private ceremony at West Batavia Cemetery. There was Svilar, the coroner’s office, the coroner’s office and the Batavia Police Department.

Who was Esther Granger?

The girl, whose full name is Esther Ann Granger, was born on October 26, 1848. She was one of six children, Othram said in a press release. After her death in 1866, she was buried in Lake County, Indiana.

Although investigators aren’t sure how her remains ended up in Batavia, Othram said it may have been the result of grave robbery. The coroner’s office also said that in the 19th century, doctors “paid for fresh cadavers” because they wanted to learn more about human anatomy.

“Esther’s identification is the oldest unidentified human remains case solved by Othram and the ninth successful forensic genealogy identification case in Illinois using Othram technology,” Othram said.

“Through persistent investigation and the use of modern DNA technology, we have finally been able to give a name to a skull found many decades ago,” Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said in a statement. “This person has regained his identity.”

“For decades, the identity of this person was unknown,” Russell said during the ceremony. “Decades later, thanks to the tireless work of those gathered here today, advances in science and technology, and some divine intervention, we can confidently say that Jane Doe is Esther Granger,” he said.

Saleen Martin is a reporter for USA TODAY’s NOW team. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia – 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Case solved: skull found in wall of Indiana teenager who died in 1866