Esther Granger was identified by the Kane County Coroner’s Office on Thursday as the woman whose skull was found in 1978, but she died more than 150 years earlier. The skull was turned back into the police and officials linked this skull to the 1978 report, which renewed the investigation. In 2023, Kane County officials contacted Othram, a Texas company that works on solving cold cases across the country, to assist with further DNA testing. Officials contacted Granger’s great-great grandson, Wayne Svilar, and he submitted his DNA for testing, which was a match, he said during Thursday’s news conference. Svilar, 69, said he did not believe the news when he was first contacted by county officials in April about his great-great grandmother.

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Persons: Esther Granger, Granger, Robert Russell, Russell, Kane, Othram, Granger’s, Wayne Svilar, “, ”, ” Svilar, he’s, Esther, ” Russell Organizations: CNN, Coroner’s, Officials, Batavia Depot, Attorney’s Locations: Chicago, Kane, Indiana, Kane County, Merrillville , Indiana, Batavia , Illinois, Batavia, Texas, Portland , Oregon, Multnomah County