1976 Montana ‘John Doe’ victim identified as Wisconsin Rapids man

RED LODGE, Mont. (WSAW) – A Wisconsin Rapids man who was reported lacking in 1976 has been recognized as a homicide sufferer in a Montana chilly case.

On June 20, 2004, a hiker found a human cranium roughly 15 miles south of Purple Lodge, Montana. Regulation enforcement responded with search groups and recovered a femur and pelvic bone. Subsequent forensic evaluation decided that the bones got here from the identical particular person and indicated that they belonged to a male between the ages of 15 and 32. DNA from the stays had been entered within the Lacking and Unidentified Stays part of the nationwide Mixed DNA Index System, however there was no match with a relative donor.

This yr, with help from the US Division of Justice, the FBI, the Nationwide Lacking and Unidentified Individuals System (NamUs) and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Workplace Chilly Case staff, Carbon County Sheriff’s Workplace initiated a genetic family tree investigation to leverage new developments in DNA science. The skeletal proof was despatched to Othram’s lab in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to construct a complete DNA profile from the skeletal stays and this DNA profile was returned to the investigators that used the profile in a genealogical search. This investigation resulted within the identification of the stays as these of Rogers “Roger” Lee Ellis, who was born in Wisconsin Rapids 1954. Investigation revealed that in 1976, Ellis was dealing with authorized points associated to an arrest for marijuana possession. Ellis advised his household he didn’t need to go to jail and that he was going to move west. Ellis had no additional contact together with his household.

Investigators imagine Ellis was hitchhiking when he left Wisconsin in December 1976. Authorities imagine he was killed by the individual or individuals with whom he was touring with they usually left his physique in Montana and continued on their method.

The sheriff’s division in Montana has launched a chilly case murder investigation. This investigation will depend on info from those that knew Ellis within the Seventies. CCSO is working with detectives in Wisconsin and neighboring jurisdictions to try to determine extra details about Ellis and any pals and associates in 1976, in addition to determine another comparable circumstances within the area throughout that time-frame that will assist determine these chargeable for ending this younger man’s life.

Anybody with info associated to this case ought to contact Carbon County Sheriff’s Workplace, Detective Mahoney 406-445-7284 or bmahoney@co.carbon.mt.us.

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