1993 John Doe Identified as Ronald Louis Dodge; Homicide Investigation Reopened

Pleasant Prairie, WI (WLIP)–The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Pleasant Prairie Police Department announced Tuesday that the unidentified body discovered in 1993 has been positively identified as Ronald Louis Dodge, marking a significant breakthrough in a decades-old cold case.

Ronald Dodge, born on December 27, 1952, in Keshena, Wisconsin, on the Menominee Indian Reservation, was identified using advanced forensic technology unavailable at the time of his death.

Dodge’s remains were discovered on August 27, 1993, near the Soo Line (now Canadian Pacific) rail tracks in Pleasant Prairie, close to the Illinois border.

The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and despite exhaustive efforts, authorities were unable to identify him at that time.

He was subsequently buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Randall, Wisconsin, under the designation of “John Doe.”

The investigation was reignited in December 2014 when Kenosha County Medical Examiner Patrice Hall learned that the Pleasant Prairie Police Department had preserved the skull of the unidentified man as evidence.

Over the next nine years, Hall and her team worked tirelessly with various agencies, including NamUs (the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System), the Michigan State Police Crime Lab, the DNA Doe Project, and Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Janamarie Truesdell, to uncover the man’s identity.

Through a combination of DNA analysis and genealogical research, the case finally broke earlier this year.

A reconstruction of the 1993 John Doe’s skull, completed by Dr. Jane Harris of the Michigan State Police Crime Lab in 2017, along with subsequent genetic genealogy work, led to the identification of Ronald Dodge.

On June 5, 2023, Allen Dodge, Ronald’s brother, contacted Medical Examiner Patrice Hall after recognizing the facial reconstruction image released to the public.

DNA samples obtained from Allen and another sibling confirmed Ronald Dodge’s identity.

Dodge’s body was exhumed from St. John’s Cemetery on September 22, 2023, and further examination by Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Janamarie Truesdell revealed that Dodge had suffered a gunshot wound near the time of his death, confirming that he was a victim of homicide.

However, no suspects, persons of interest, or leads have been identified yet.

With the identification made, the Pleasant Prairie Police Department has reopened the homicide investigation.

“Our detectives are requesting anyone with any information on this case to come forward and help our agency in bringing justice to the Dodge family,” said Pleasant Prairie Police Chief David Smetana.

The investigation revealed that Dodge was married and potentially living on the north side of Chicago at the time of his death.

His wife, Kathryn Erickson, passed away in Chicago in November 1993, further complicating the search for answers.

The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office remains committed to identifying individuals who have remained nameless for years.

“In my almost 20-year career in death investigation, Ronald’s case has proven to be the most difficult to solve. I am humbled to have the honor of giving Ronald back his name, reuniting him with his family, and bringing the Dodge family the answers they have been looking for all of these years,” said Patrice Hall.

Authorities are urging anyone with information related to Ronald Dodge’s case to contact the Pleasant Prairie Police Department at 262-948-8910 or by email at [email protected].

Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333 or 800-807-8477.