St. Francis cold case solved after more than 25 years
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The answers family and police in three states sought after for more than 25 years when a woman disappeared in St. Francis are finally known.
Dorothy Lynn Ricker's forever 26. This photo, and a number of her personal belongings, stored all these years by St. Francis police.
"And actually, the investigator with highlighter wrote on here 'missing person, save forever'. Obviously that investigator took this case to heart," said St. Francis police Detective Holly McManus.
The report says on Oct. 2, 1997, St. Francis police got called for a suspicious person, here off Lake Drive. They found Dorothy Ricker sitting here staring out at the lake.
"And she actually told them that, my understanding, is that she was doing just fine, that she was enjoying the sunshine," said Detective McManus.
Less than two days later, police discovered a vehicle abandoned near that spot where they'd seen Ricker.
"The listed owner was Ms. Ricker, and she was now listed through our database as missing and endangered," said Detective McManus.
Inside Ricker's car -- these identifying items. Police later found her clothing near the water's edge.
"She was noted as last having worn that purple sweater and jeans. Well, the purple sweater is what we have. It definitely had been in the elements between the water and the sand and the dirt," said Detective McManus.
Three weeks after Ricker disappeared in St. Francis, a body washed ashore in Manistee County, Michigan.
"There was nothing to go on other than she had an earring. She was not wearing any clothing," said Lt. Derrick Carroll, Michigan State police, 7th district.
Michigan State police notified other jurisdictions, but none could identify the woman who was eventually buried as "Jane Doe" in Michigan.
Twenty-three years later, the DNA Doe project got involved, exhumed the body and went to work.
"It was a DNA match with the genealogy of the family," said Lt. Carroll.
Finding Ricker's daughter in Chicago and a brother in Maine. Closure for family who long wondered what happened.
"I learned from our investigator, called our investigator, basically on the anniversary of her going missing every year to see if there was any sort of update," said Detective McManus.
Ricker's death was ruled a drowning. No foul play suspected, but still questions remain.
"We can't even say it was suicide. She might've taken her clothes off and gone for a swim and got caught up in a current or a rip tide or something," said Lt. Carroll.
"I think when we take on cases that we don't have answers to and we have physical property that belongs to somebody that matters to other people, it weighs on us that we can't find the answers and so it's in our nature to go out looking for them," said Detective McManus.