Identified! WI - Madison, WhtMale 18-35, 745UMWI, in chimney, fem clothing, German iron cross medallion, Sep'89 Ronnie Joe Kirk

[breachtones]

The skeleton in the chimney

A cold case heats up as DNA experts step in to try to help solve a late-1980s mystery: Whose skeleton was found in the chimney of a local music store,

www.channel3000.com

New article, includes a new pic of the bust from a different angle. It seems they’ve used a hair sample to get DNA.

 

[Hochman]

The skeleton in the chimney

A cold case heats up as DNA experts step in to try to help solve a late-1980s mystery: Whose skeleton was found in the chimney of a local music store,

www.channel3000.com

New article, includes a new pic of the bust from a different angle. It seems they’ve used a hair sample to get DNA.

Picture of busts from link

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The skeleton in the chimney

A cold case heats up as DNA experts step in to try to help solve a late-1980s mystery: Whose skeleton was found in the chimney of a local music store,

www.channel3000.com

New article, includes a new pic of the bust from a different angle. It seems they’ve used a hair sample to get DNA.

In November 2021, that evidence — not bones, but rather the hair that was found with them in the chimney — was sent to Astrea Forensics in California, one of the nation’s leading laboratories for recovering DNA from rootless hair. Should Astrea succeed, the DNA Doe Project will then look for genetic matches among the living. As of press time, the DNA testing was ongoing.

And there’s more. Multiple sources tell Madison Magazine that the bone remains — unlike the hair evidence, which remains in MPD’s custody — are in the possession of the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office, which has now sent them to Bode Technology in Virginia for analysis. Asked about that, the Medical Examiner’s Office replied, “We do not comment on open cases.”

 

[Itsmevkb]

The article makes it sound as though Good 'n Loud had not yet opened when the body was found and that there had been a bakery of some sort in the building at some point. There is mention of appliances having been outside the building providing possible access to the roof. Seems inconsistent with some of the other reporting.

 

[breachtones]

The article makes it sound as though Good 'n Loud had not yet opened when the body was found and that there had been a bakery of some sort in the building at some point. There is mention of appliances having been outside the building providing possible access to the roof. Seems inconsistent with some of the other reporting.

It had opened extremely recently, like 6 weeks prior. I couldn't find when the bakery was opened or if it was even in the same building but if it was it was open pre-1984 so it was pretty much irrelevant. The bookstore (Bread Shop) was in that building from 1984-ish to December 1988 when it moved to Hilldale Mall, Good 'n' Loud bought the building in April 1989, at least that's when they advertised it as their new location opening soon.

 

[carbuff]

I'm not sure there was a bakery--I think some of the articles have been confused by the bookstore's name and thought something called "Bread Shop" must be a bakery.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

745UMWI

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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[Curious_in_NC]

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Thanks! This is an interview with the author of the article linked a few messages earlier, Doug Moe. Worth watching to see what the chimney actually looked like, from the archival news footage.

ETA In both this video and in the article it says this (BBM):
"Grann is highly skeptical of that theory. Before Good ’n Loud, the building had housed a bakery and Christian bookstore"

 

[breachtones]

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Woah, awesome to see old footage of it.

 

[Springrain]

OK I need to catch up on this thread but was it both a bakery and a Christian bookstore at the same time or different times?

 

[breachtones]

OK I need to catch up on this thread but was it both a bakery and a Christian bookstore at the same time or different times?

Bakery first, then it closed. I dunno when the bookstore opened, but it closed in December 1988.

 

[MadMcGoo]

DDP Case update!

DNA Doe Project

On September 3, 1989, workers removing a leaky boiler in the basement of the Good ‘n Loud Music store on University Avenue in Madison discovered skeletal remains in the chimney, along with a rotting...

www.facebook.com

On September 3, 1989, workers removing a leaky boiler in the basement of the Good ‘n Loud Music store on University Avenue in Madison discovered skeletal remains in the chimney, along with a rotting paisley dress and an iron cross necklace. The case went cold for almost 30 years before the Madison Police Department connected the DNA Doe Project. After years of effort, the work towards an identification officially began in November 2021. Using a grant from the National Institutes of Justice, Astrea Forensics of Santa Cruz, California successfully extracted a DNA sample from rootless hair - one of the most difficult biological samples to get DNA from. This week, the sample has made it through the rest of the lab process pipeline and the DNA Doe Project is launching the investigative genetic genealogy phase of the work to identify this Doe.

This case, originally referred to the DNA Doe Project in 2019 by the Trans Doe Taskforce, is close to the hearts of many volunteers at the DNA Doe Project due to the mysterious circumstances as well as the belief that the skeleton may belong to a transgender person. Early DNA testing revealed that this Doe was assigned male at birth. Read more about the case here: Dane Co Chimney Doe 1989 - DNA Doe Project Cases

 

[Friday Fan]

DDP Case update!

DNA Doe Project

On September 3, 1989, workers removing a leaky boiler in the basement of the Good ‘n Loud Music store on University Avenue in Madison discovered skeletal remains in the chimney, along with a rotting...

www.facebook.com

On September 3, 1989, workers removing a leaky boiler in the basement of the Good ‘n Loud Music store on University Avenue in Madison discovered skeletal remains in the chimney, along with a rotting paisley dress and an iron cross necklace. The case went cold for almost 30 years before the Madison Police Department connected the DNA Doe Project. After years of effort, the work towards an identification officially began in November 2021. Using a grant from the National Institutes of Justice, Astrea Forensics of Santa Cruz, California successfully extracted a DNA sample from rootless hair - one of the most difficult biological samples to get DNA from. This week, the sample has made it through the rest of the lab process pipeline and the DNA Doe Project is launching the investigative genetic genealogy phase of the work to identify this Doe.

This case, originally referred to the DNA Doe Project in 2019 by the Trans Doe Taskforce, is close to the hearts of many volunteers at the DNA Doe Project due to the mysterious circumstances as well as the belief that the skeleton may belong to a transgender person. Early DNA testing revealed that this Doe was assigned male at birth. Read more about the case here: Dane Co Chimney Doe 1989 - DNA Doe Project Cases

There was no way the person could have gotten into the pipe from within the building.
Dane Co Chimney Doe 1989 - DNA Doe Project Cases


Looking at the video it looks like a complete mess! Notes from from cc on the youtube video:

Owner had just purchased and was doing work in his basement. He needed to get an old boiler out and there was a leaky pipe as well. He was looking out that this 10 ft pipe that went out and then right angled up to the chimney. At the base of the right angle, he looked and saw a skeleton and some bones.

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So is our Doe really in the chimney? I thought chimneys ended at the ground floor, but what do I know?

The skeleton in the chimney

A cold case heats up as DNA experts step in to try to help solve a late-1980s mystery: Whose skeleton was found in the chimney of a local music store,

www.channel3000.com

There was an old boiler that had to go, and more.

That early September afternoon, L was hoping to fix a leak in one of two clay pipes that ran from the basement to the building’s chimney.

He peered into the pipe with a flashlight.

“I was hoping I would see light from the sun going down,” L says. “I thought it might tell me where it was leaking.”

The pipe went straight out about 10 feet, then elbowed up to the top of the chimney.

There was something at the bottom, at the base of the right-angle turn.

How he got there is almost as mystifying as who he was??

But who knows, I live in Texas. No basement. No boiler. I used to live in Wisconsin in a home built in 1969 we had a big furnace in the center of the basement. I don't know if there was any connection from the chimney to the basement...But what do I know??

 

[MadMcGoo]

It shows the skeleton but I can’t quite get a picture of where he was exactly. Obviously below ground level it seems. I’m not sure why else they’d have that big hole dug.

 

[Friday Fan]

I guess the setup was like this?
Chimney in this case is not connected to a fireplace, but to a basement "water heater", "boiler" of sorts.

Source of image: Is Your Water Heater Killing You? - Gold Key Home Inspections
Posting article because all images must have source. I'm just trying to figure out this pipe and how our Doe got into a basement from a chimney via a boiler pipe. Article provides illustration of possible construction.

 

[theshadow45]

The 33rd anniversary of this Doe’s discovery passed recently. Hopefully with the DDP’s help it will be the last that they spend unidentified.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Dane County Doe's first week on the spreadsheet with a very high top match!

 

[squish]

View attachment 364588
Dane County Doe's first week on the spreadsheet with a very high top match!

What do these numbers mean? Also is the press sheet publicly available?

 

[ipa]

View attachment 364588
Dane County Doe's first week on the spreadsheet with a very high top match!

Incredible. I selfishly hope for our own curiosity we find out more, but more so I hope if there's a family out there wondering, they'll have answers.