Man Killed In 1977 Police Chase Crash Identified: Sheriff

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI—A 44-year-old cold case is now closed, according to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office and the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office identified a man who was killed after crashing a car during a police pursuit.

In September of 1977, a man was involved in a police pursuit in Waukesha County when he lost control of his car and crashed, the sheriff’s office said.

The car was reported stolen out of Gurnee, Illinois and nothing was nothing was found that could help identify the man, the sheriff’s office said.

In 2015, Detectives and Medical Examiners exhumed “John Doe” to collect DNA samples. Those DNA samples were run through national databases, but there were no matches, the sheriff’s office said.
In 2019, the Medical Examiner’s office presented the case to the DNA Doe Project. In 2021, a family member was found through the DNA program.

The man who was killed was identified as John Lindberg Scott from Bristol, Tennessee.

“It has been over 44 years since the accident took John’s life. This is an honor as his case has affected so many lives over the decades, and it is a blessing to be able to finally give him his name back and offer his family some answers as to where he’s been all these years. We kindly request you respect the family’s privacy in this matter,” the sheriff’s office said.