Daywatch: Human bones found 45 years ago in Batavia home spark new investigation
Good morning, Chicago.
A couple remodeling their rented home in Batavia 45 years ago found some interesting items behind the walls — old bottles, shoes and corncobs. But one discovery was the stuff of nightmares.
While ripping out a plaster wall, the wife spotted human bones in the debris, including a piece of a skull and a lower jawbone, according to a 1978 article from the Batavia Chronicle. The couple called Batavia police, who eventually sent the remains to an anthropology professor from Northern Illinois University. He determined they were likely from a woman in her mid-20s, and could have been in the home for decades.
But the investigation didn’t turn up any answers, and the case went cold.
Now the police and the Kane County coroner’s office are reevaluating the case with the help of modern DNA testing and genetic technology. They’re hoping to raise $7,500 from donations to fund the investigation.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Rebecca Johnson.
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