Investigators reopen 1982 homicide case

Unidentified body exhumed in April

PORTAGE, Wis. — The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office has reopened a homicide case involving a woman’s body found in 1982.

According to a news release, a female body was found badly decomposed along a rural road in the town of Caledonia. It was determined that she died from blunt force trauma to the head.

At the time, efforts turned up no information on the woman’s identity. She was buried in 1987 as a Jane Doe.

Her body was exhumed on April 21 in hopes that DNA technology could be used to compare the woman to missing persons in a DNA database.

The woman is described as white, 5 feet 5 ½ inches to 5 feet 6 ½ inches tall, between 45 to 60 years old, and has probably given birth. Officials said the confidence of her racial estimation is 80 percent.

The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.