WI KENOSHA JOHN DOE: M, 39-60, found near train tracks near Pleasant Prairie, WI - 27 Aug 1993 *Identified*

In August 1993 the mostly decomposed body of a middle-aged white male was discovered by a photographer near the Soo Line tracks near Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County, Wisconsin. He stood 5′ 11″ and had a medium to slender build. He had long black hair and a black and grey mustache. On his left forearm he had a large distinctive tattoo consisting of leaves, overlapping panther claws, and a snake.

DNA Doe Project: Status
Research in Progress

Kenosha John Doe 1993 - DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

Date of Discovery: August 27, 1993
Location of Discovery: Kenosha County, Wisconsin
Estimated Date of Death: Four months prior
State of Remains: Partial skeletal
Cause of Death: Unknown

Estimated Age: 39-60 years old
Race: Unknown, possibly Hispanic, Native American, White or an admixture.
Gender: Male
Height: 5'11" to 6'1"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Black with black/gray mustache.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Tattoo on left forearm of a dragonfly, bear claw and a face. Slender, medium build.

Dentals: Available. Had four upper front teeth.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing: White T shirt (appeared dyed red), grey Jordache jeans, one heavy sock on left foot.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

The decedent's remains were found in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1993.

1769UMWI

www.doenetwork.org

*CLICK THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU'D LIKE THIS CASE MOVED TO THE GENERAL DISCUSSION AREA TO BE OPENED FOR COMMENTING.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Circumstances of Recovery: The decedent was found near the Soo Line railroad tracks.

Isotope analysis completed in November 2018 suggests the decedent may have been from the following locations: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and southern regions of the Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec). There is also a slight possibility for a region of origin in Colorado, New Brunswick (Canada), and New Foundland (Canada).

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ronnie Dodge

Ronald Louis[1] "Ronnie" Dodge was a man found murdered near the Soo Line railroad in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. He was identified in May 2024 after his brother stated Ronald had been missing since May 1993. Ronald was a member of the Menominee Nation, and law enforcement is now searching for...

unidentified.wikia.org

In 2020, the Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office announced new DNA information on January 14, 2020. This new information suggests that the man may have ties to the Catawba Nation of South Carolina and relatives in Sonora, Mexico.

 

[Windstorm]

Kenosha John Doe 1993 was added to Gedmatch by the DNA Doe Project. As of February 22, 2021, he had over 8,000 DNA matches. His highest match is 105.3 cM - this is not a substantial match. He is on the Google Drive spreadsheet at:

 

[Summer_Breeze]

1993 John Doe case continues in Kenosha County

It's been nearly 30 years, but the case continues in the quest to find the identity of a man near Pleasant Prairie. The case began on August 27th, 1993,

wtmj.com

by Patrick Caine
October 23, 2022

It’s been nearly 30 years, but the case continues in the quest to find the identity of a man near Pleasant Prairie.

The case began on August 27th, 1993, when a photographer walking on a section of the Soo Line railroad tracks found a deceased male’s body. However, the body had already begun to deteriorate. Later, the Pleasant Prairie Police and the Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) responded to the scene to investigate.

After an extensive investigation, including an autopsy, forensic anthropology exam, forensic dental exam, and a reconstruction of the decedent’s tattoo, the information did not give the decedent’s identity nor other leads in the case, identifying the body as John Doe.


The case remained untouched from the time of the initial investigation until January 2009, when investigators entered John Doe’s case information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) database. Even with the entrance into the system, no additional leads were produced, leaving the decedent’s
identity unknown.

In December 2014, the KCMEO and the Pleasant Prairie Police agreed to send John Doe’s skull to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) for several other examinations, including secondary forensic anthropology examination, forensic odontology examination, and DNA extraction.


In June of 2016, upon the completion of the examination, the body was described to be a male between 40 and 60 years of age with Hispanic, Native American, or Caucasian ancestry. With the DNA analysis complete, those results were uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) through the FBI. With that information learned, in 2018, the KCMEO partnered with the DNA Doe Project, which allowed for advanced genetic genealogy that identified the John Doe was of Native American descent. The family of the deceased man could have lived in areas of north-central Wisconsin, including the Keshena, Shawano, Langlade, Calumet, or Waupaca areas. Investigators also determined the male descendant has relatives from the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

2 months after the examination the KCMEO sent the information to the Michigan State Police Biometrics and Identification Division, who agreed to perform a facial reconstruction of the 1993 John Doe and came up with the following facial design.

The case remains open as officials continue to try to get the 1993 John Doe his name back. Anyone with interest in the case should contact the Pleasant Prairie Police Department at 262-694-7353.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Unidentified man found dead in Pleasant Prairie in 1993 is linked to Menominee tribe, police say

Investigators with the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that helps solve unidentified persons cases, says the unidentified man may have family near tribe.

www.jsonline.com

Sarah Volpenhein
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
October 25, 2022

An unidentified man whose body was found in Kenosha County in 1993 is descended from members of the Menominee Indian Tribe, though his identity remains a mystery, according to new information from the Pleasant Prairie Police Department.

Investigators have been unable to identify the man since August 1993, when a photographer found his body while walking along Soo Line, now Canadian Pacific Railway, railroad tracks in Pleasant Prairie. Police and medical examiners tried to identify him through forensic examinations and a facial reconstruction showing what the man likely looked like, according to police.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

1769UMWI

• 1769UMWI​

  
  
  1769UMWI discovered on August 27, 1993 in Kenosha, Wisconsin has been identified per NamUs. No further information is available.