DNA testing has revealed that a skull found in the wall of an Illinois house in 1978 belonged to an 18-year-old Indiana woman named Esther Granger. She died after childbirth in 1866. Her skull was rediscovered in 2021 and through DNA testing, authorities were able to contact her great-great-grandson, Wayne Svilar. He was initially skeptical but eventually embraced the news with closure and appreciation. Granger’s body was buried in Indiana, raising questions about how her skull ended up in Illinois. Officials speculate that she may have been a victim of grave robbers, a common practice in the 19th century for profit. Despite the mystery, the identification of Granger’s skull has provided closure to her descendants, with Svilar giving a eulogy at her burial site. The case of Granger’s skull being found parallels another nearby cold case murder investigation that was also recently solved in North Aurora. The discovery and identification of Granger’s skull represent a unique intersection of history, science, and closure for her living relatives, shedding light on a dark practice of the past.
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