Kane County Coroner Announces Crowdfunding Effort to Solve a Decades Old Mystery from Batavia

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Kane County Coroner Rob Russell is seeking the public's help in identifying a skull discovered during a house renovation in Batavia in 1978.  Initially, the skull underwent testing at the Northern Illinois University Anthropology Department where it was determined it belonged to a female in her mid-twenties. The initial tests also indicated the skull was decades older than the 1978 finding.

Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Despite the efforts of investigators, the case went cold, and the woman was classified as Jane Doe.    

As part of a recent cold case review, the Batavia Police Department reached out to the Kane County Coroner's Office to help bring closure to the decades old case.  Utilizing modern DNA technology, unavailable in 1978, the Kane County Coroner's Office hopes to provide new leads about the woman's identity. 

Coroner Russell has chosen Othram Inc, a private DNA lab, to conduct the necessary tests for generating a DNA profile.  The process is costly, and individuals interested in helping give Jane Doe her identify back can help defer the cost by donating through the social media platform, DNAsolves.com.

“I feel this offers people a chance to be part of something meaningful this holiday season," said Coroner Russell.  “To help identify an individual who may have been thought to be forgotten, captures the essence of the holiday season.  Every individual is precious and deserves to be remembered, regardless of how much time has passed." 

If you are interested in helping solve this case with a donation,  visit  https://dnasolves.com/articles/kane-county-jane-doe-1978/ and follow the instructions at that link.

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