The Skull Of A Teen From The 1800s Was Found During Home Renovations In Suburban Chicago
During a home renovation project in suburban Chicago more than 45 years ago, the skull of a teen from the 1800s was found. Thanks to advanced DNA technology, we know her name.
The skull was discovered in 1978 in Batavia, Illinois, a suburb located west of Chicago. A resident was renovating his home when he came across the skull in his walls. He contacted the police, which kickstarted an official investigation.
At the time, officials did their best to crack their case, but DNA testing was more limited. All they managed to find out was that the skull belonged to a young woman in her 20s who lived before the 1900s. Eventually, the case grew cold, and the skull was housed at the Batavia Depot Museum.
In March 2021, employees stumbled upon the skull again while cleaning. The skull was turned back into the police, renewing the 1978 investigation. Advancements in forensic science technology have revealed more about the woman’s identity.
The Kane County Coroner’s Office identified the woman as Esther Granger. She was born in October 1848 in Indiana and married her husband Charles in 1865 at the age of 16.
She was only 17 years old at the time of her death in 1866. It is believed that she died due to complications during childbirth. Her body was buried in Merrillville, Indiana, but somehow, her skull ended up in Chicago.
Officials built a DNA profile for the woman, which included a family tree. They were able to locate her living relatives and reached out to Granger’s great-great grandson, 69-year-old Wayne Svilar. He submitted his DNA for testing, and it was a match.
Svilar is a retired police sergeant from Portland, Oregon. According to him, the family was shocked by the news but also felt a sense of closure.
After being involved in the identification process, Svilar took up a job with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, working with cold cases.
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It is unclear how Granger’s skull ended up 80 miles away from her final resting place, but officials think she might be a victim of grave robbing.
“There is no absolute answer as to how Esther ended up in that wall or where the rest of her body is located, but being a victim of grave robbing does fit the bill,” said Kane County Coroner Robert Russell.
In addition, it is possible that the grave robbers sold her remains to be used as a cadaver for medical students. It was a common and profitable practice at the time, and perpetrators rarely faced any consequences from law enforcement.
The house where the skull was located dates back to the 1850s and is in the oldest part of Batavia. Granger’s remains were reburied at the West Batavia Cemetery.
You can see a photo of Esther here.
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