The skull of a teenager from Indiana who died in 1866 was found in the wall

A skull found in a wall Illinois home of a teenage girl who died from childbirth complications in 1866, officials announced at a press conference after a public fundraiser to identify the remains.

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

Earlier this month, professional photographer Thomas Doggett, of 3D Resin Solutions in South Elgin, Illinois, and forensics expert 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 renovating his home when he found the skull and some items behind the 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 became aware of Othram Laboratories, a Texas-based forensic sequencing laboratory that traces genetic genealogy.

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

By February 2024, Otram had matched the profile and determined that the skull likely belonged to Granger.

Still, Otram needed to confirm the match by testing a biological relative, so the organization contacted what they believed to be Granger’s second great-grandson.

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

Researchers have spent decades trying to find answers

Back in 1978, researchers sent the skull to the Department of Anthropology 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, researchers contacted national laboratories, museums and genealogical societies for clues. They were unable to find any, and the skull was sent to the Batavia Museum for safekeeping.

Museum supervisors were inspecting exhibits in March 2021 when they found the skull. They called the Batavia Police Department, who turned him over to the Kane County Coroner’s Office for further investigation.

New methods make it possible to identify the victim

This time Deputy Coroner Gabriela Ellison was appointed as the lead investigator. When Allison found out about Othram Laboratories, she reached out to them. She learned more about forensic genetic genealogy, a process Otram was able to use to match DNA profiles even though the items were decades old.

In May 2023, the Othram laboratory decided to try to make a DNA profile using the skull. From there, investigators could raise funds for the rest of the identification process.

In December 2023, Otram contacted the Kane County Coroner’s Office and gave them permission to collect funds for the trial.

By January 2024, the funds had been raised, and the following month, Otram told the coroner’s office that they had found a couple, Esther Granger.

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

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

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, Otram said in a news release. After her death in 1866, she was buried in Lake County, Indiana.

Although researchers don’t know for sure how her remains ended up in Batavia, Otram said it could have been due to a 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.

“The identification of Esther marks the earliest case of unidentified human remains discovered by Otram and the ninth successful forensic genealogical identification in Illinois using Otram’s technology,” said Otram.

“Through diligent investigation and the use of modern DNA technology, we have finally given a name to a skull found so many decades ago,” Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said in a statement. “This person has been given back their identity.”

“For decades, this man’s identity was 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 confidently say that Jane Doe is Esther Granger,” he said.

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