Murdered Woman Found In Will County Identified Nearly 60 Years Later: Coroner

WILL COUNTY, IL — Nearly 60 years after her remains were found in the brush in Will County, a woman has been identified through the efforts of the law enforcement, forensic scientists, genealogists, and the support of family and community, the Will County Coroner's Office said. The investigation was kickstarted by a cold-case unit established by then-coroner Patrick K. O'Neil in 2009.

On Thursday, current coroner Laurie Summers' office announced that the remains of a woman found in September 1968 near I-55 and Blodgett Road have been identified as Martha Bassett, a 33-year-old Native American woman originally from Wapato, Yakima, Washington.

"This case is emblematic not only of advances in forensic science but also of the enduring determination of families and officials to bring closure to long-unsolved tragedies," Summers' office said in a news release.

The case got its start when the remains were found in unincorporated Will County on Sept. 30, 1968.

"The woman was a murder victim whose identity would remain unknown for decades," the coroner's office said. "At the time, investigative resources and forensic technology were limited, and despite efforts, authorities were unable to make a positive identification."

Bassett was interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Wilmington. According to Summers, she was born in Washington State and was a member of the Native American community from Wapato, Yakima. "In 1960, she relocated to the Chicago area as part of the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, a federal initiative that sought to encourage Indigenous peoples to move from reservations to urban centers. By 1967, Martha lost contact with her family, who, concerned for her welfare, traveled to Chicago in a determined effort to find her. Unfortunately, their exhaustive search was unsuccessful, and the family returned home without answers."

In 2009, O’Neil established the cold case unit, led by experienced law enforcement professionals, including retired Romeoville Investigator Eugene Sullivan and late Will County Sheriff’s Investigator James Cardin.

That year, Bassett's remains were exhumed from Oakwood Cemetery, with portions of the skeletal remains sent to the University of North Texas and the Smithsonian Institute Paleontology Department.

"Their initial analyses determined that the remains were possibly of Native American descent, a detail that provided a crucial clue to the victim’s identity," Summers said in the release, which continued:

Further study was conducted in 2017 by Dr. Cris Hughes and the University of Illinois Forensic Anthropology Department. Their analysis corroborated the earlier conclusion, indicating that the remains could be of both Asian and Native American descent. This additional detail further narrowed the potential pool of missing persons, guiding investigators toward new avenues.

Recognizing the unique cultural background suggested by the remains, current Cold Case Investigator William Sheehan and Investigator Joe Piper, both retired Lockport Police Detectives, took an innovative approach. They reached out proactively to Native American tribes in Illinois and Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, inquiring about any missing person reports from the late 1960s that matched the victim’s description. Cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs was instrumental, fostering the creation and dissemination of a flyer about the case that was published on social media and distributed within Native communities.

This led to a lead that was generated, and we contacted Emily Washines out of Washinton State who is a distant relative of Martha, Emily created a background on Martha and this office was able to make contact with a niece of Martha who provided the necessary DNA to make the match. This was accomplished by cooperation from the community, family and the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Washington.

In September 2024, 56 years after Bassett's remains were first found, Summers authorized another exhumation, for the purpose of extracting additional DNA from the remains, by the Will County Coroner’s cold case unit in partnership with the Will County Sheriff’s Police.

Portions of the skeleton were sent to forensic genetic genealogy company Othram in Woodlands, Texas. Othram specializes in using DNA analysis to provide genealogy matches to potentially identify victims or perpetrators in cold cases.

Summers has made the identification of this case and others a priority since taking office in 2020., her office said.

Genetic genealogy provided a match, identifying the remains as those of Bassett. "After more than 50 years, Martha was no longer a nameless victim, and her family was finally given closure," Summers' office said.

The forensic investigation was made possible by funding from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS), an initiative of the Department of Justice, the coroner's office said, going on to say, "The resolution of the 1968 Will County cold case represents a triumph of scientific progress, interagency cooperation, and human perseverance. Martha Bassett’s identity, lost to history for more than half a century, has been restored, allowing her family and community to honor her memory and finally lay her to rest. The case stands as a testament to what can be achieved when modern technology is applied with compassion and resolve—and it offers hope to the families of other missing persons that answers, though sometimes delayed, can still be found."

Also read: 3 IL Cold Case Victims ID'ed Decades After Deaths: State Police