Identified! WI - Houlton, WhtFem 35-60, 406UFWI, wide-set eyes, edentulous, Oct'02 Alyce Peterson

[iulia]

Wisconsin Cold Case Update: 2002 Human Remains Identified, Charges Filed

St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office announces identification of Alyce C. Peterson and charges against former funeral home employee.

drydenwire.com

[...]
On December 17, 2025, the St. Croix County District Attorney's office issued criminal charges against Benjamin Carl Hanson (pictured), age 57, of Bayport, Minnesota for Hiding a Corpse in violation of Wisconsin Statute § 940.11(2) and Felony Theft, in violation of Wisconsin Statute § 943.20(1)(a). Hanson was identified as a former employee of a local funeral home that provided funeral arrangements for Alyce Peterson.

 

[summergirl1]

It's interesting it was just one funeral home employee that did this, one who obviously struggled with mental health issues at the time among other things. The "Criminal Complaint" at the above link gives a lot of detail, although not the whole story (yet). Why he would choose a very old lady to do this to, I don’t know. In this specific case, it doesn't seem to be financial or necrophiliac? It perhaps is a story that wouldn't make any sense to the vast majority of people. Apparently there were no tools at the funeral home even capable of removing a human head so what did he use? Yikes.

I wonder what else he might have done? I would guess the mysterious head found in Pennsylvania in 2014 has a similar story. Genetic genealogy really solves many mysteries.

 

[Nate_Bro]

I’ve been meaning to compile a list of solved cases showing side by side comparisons between what was originally believed about a Doe and who they actually turned out to be. The purpose is mainly for newer readers who struggle with how a proposed match can be valid even when several details don’t appear to line up at first glance.
This case is a textbook example of why one or two, or even several, mismatches should not automatically disqualify a comparison. In this case, the age, race, hair, and facial features were all wrong, yet DNA ultimately identified the individual without ambiguity.
If you have a strong overall feeling about a comparison, especially one supported by geography, timeline, or circumstances, don’t let a handful of conflicting descriptors stop you from posting or discussing it.

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St. Croix County Jane Doe (2002) - Assumed vs. Reality​

Assumed	Reality
Asian / Native American ancestry	White woman of Swedish descent
Estimated age 35 to 60	92 years old
Possibly cognitively impaired or institutionalized	No evidence of cognitive impairment
Missing teeth suggested neglect or disability	Normal age related tooth loss
Facial features interpreted as abnormal	Skull only remains led to misinterpretation

Hopefully this time you can rest in peace, Alyce Catharina Peterson.