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    • The skull found in the wall is of an Indiana teenager who died in 1866
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    The skull found in the wall is of an Indiana teenager who died in 1866

    Online Niel Posted on

    A skull found in the wall of a Illinois the house is that of a teenage girl who died from complications at birth in 1866, officials announced in a press conference following a public fundraiser to identify the remains.

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

    Earlier this month, professional photographer Thomas Doggett, 3D Resin Solutions of South Elgin, Illinois, and forensic artist Natalie Murray were able to work together to create an artist’s rendering of what Granger might have looked like.

    The girl’s skull was found in November 1978 in Batavia, Illinois, about 43 miles west of Chicago, according to the Kane County Coroner’s Office.

    Property owner James Skinner was doing renovations on his home when he found the 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 the 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 forensic sequencing lab in Texas that tracks genetic genealogy.

    Finally, Othram was able to create a DNA profile. The investigators created a DNASolves crowdfunding campaign and raised $7,500 in donations to complete the trial and trace the DNA.

    By February 2024, Othram matched the profile and realized that the skull likely belonged to Granger.

    However, Othram needed to confirm the match by testing a biological relative, so the organization contacted someone they believed to be a second great-grandson of Granger.

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

    Investigators have spent decades trying to find answers

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

    There, researchers determined that the remains belonged to a woman who was probably in her 20s when she died, and that she died sometime before 1900.

    Between 1978 and 1979, investigators contacted national laboratories, museums and genealogical societies for leads. They were unable to find any, and 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 forwarded it to the Kane Coroner’s Office to continue the investigation.

    The new methods lead to the identification of the victim

    This time, Deputy Coroner Gabriela Allison was assigned as the lead investigator. When Allison heard about Othram Laboratories, she reached out. She learned more about forensic genetic genealogy, a process Othram could use to match DNA profiles, despite the articles being decades old.

    In May 2023, workers at the Othram lab decided to try to do a DNA profile using 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 gave them permission to raise funds for the trial.

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

    The next steps involved DNA testing of living relatives to confirm a match. The coroner’s office contacted Wayne Svilar, a possible descendant of Granger. He submitted his DNA and on June 17, Othram confirmed that he was Granger’s second great-grandson.

    In August, Granger was laid to rest during a private ceremony at West Batavia Cemetery. Svilar, the coroner’s office, the coroner’s office and the Batavia Police Department were there.

    Who was Esther Granger?

    The girl, whose full name is Esther Ann Granger, was born Oct. 26, 1848. She was one of six children, Othram said in a news release. After she died 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 due to grave robbing. The coroner’s office also said that during the 19th century, doctors “would pay for fresh cadavers” because they wanted to learn more about human anatomy.

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

    “Through careful investigation and the use of modern DNA technology, we have finally put a name to the skull found so many decades ago,” Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said in a statement. “This individual is recovering his identity.”

    “For decades, the identity of this individual has been unknown,” Russell said at the ceremony. “Decades later, thanks to the tireless work of those gathered here today, advances in science and technology, and divine intervention, we can say with confidence that Jane Doe is Esther Granger,” he said.

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

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