DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Remains found in an uninhabited area of Door County on Wednesday has been confirmed to be that of missing Grand Chute doctor Jeffrey Whiteside.
Whiteside was last seen June 29 when he and his wife, Kathi Whiteside, got into an argument at the Ephraim Yacht Harbor Marina. Authorities say Kathi Whiteside drove back to their residence in Grand Chute at that time.
Jeffrey Whiteside was not reported missing until July 1.
Door County Sheriff Chief Deputy Pat McCarty said the Headwaters Search and Rescue K-9 group found remains near some trees near German Road and State Highway 57 in the Town of Liberty Grove. That’s about 2 miles east of Ephraim.
“There were two pieces of information that kind of guided Headwaters in their efforts,” said McCarty Thursday. “The last known location of Dr. Whiteside and a coordinate 0.6 miles northwest of the cell tower on German Road.”
McCarty credited the Headwaters team for helping to locate Whiteside.
“Without the efforts of the K-9 it would’ve been very difficult, unless you came directly upon the remains to find them,” McCarty said, noting that authorities believe the body had been there for some time.
However, Whiteside was not the only thing recovered from the site. Authorities found a .22-caliber handgun near his body. This, as McCarty had previously stated that all handguns believed to be owned by Whiteside were accounted for.
“And that’s one of the things we’re going to have to follow up on is to determine the ownership of the gun,” McCarty said.
The cause and manner of death is not something McCarty would comment on, saying that will be determined by the Brown County Medical Examiner.
WHITESIDE FAMILY STATEMENT
On Thursday afternoon, Whiteside’s family released the following statement through their attorney:
“It is with heavy hearts, that we announce the passing of Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside, our beloved husband and father.
With humble gratitude, we offer our thanks to the many helping hands that have returned Jeff to us; especially the Headwaters Search and Rescue Team, the Door County Sheriff’s Department, the Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office, our dear family and friends and the countless community volunteers, both known and unknown to us. Their tireless efforts have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
The public attention brought to this matter reminds us how loved and respected Jeff was within the community, and this helps to warm our broken hearts.
We would like to take this time to grieve his passing and ask that everyone please respect our privacy as we do so.
With sincere thanks and appreciation,
The Whiteside family.”
WHITESIDE DEATH BEING MOURNED
The Fox Valley medical community is mourning the loss of Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside. Whiteside worked at Fox Valley Pulmonary Medicine and was on the ThedaCare Board of Trustees.
A statement from Whiteside’s practice, Fox Valley Pulmonary Medicine in Appleton, reads:
“All of us at Fox Valley Pulmonary Medicine are saddened to hear the news of Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside’s death. Our thoughts remain with Dr. Whiteside’s family, friends, colleagues and the many patients whose lives he touched over his long career.
This has been a difficult ordeal for all involved.
Out of respect for the Whiteside family’s privacy we will not be making any further comments at this time.”
A statement from Dean Gruner, president and CEO of ThedaCare, reads:
“Today, the ThedaCare Board of Trustees and our hospital leadership lost a good friend, colleague and outstanding physician leader, Dr. Jeffrey Whiteside.
I have worked with Jeff for 32 years in both patient care and as a leader for our Fox Cities hospitals and for ThedaCare. In that span, I got to know Jeff personally and professionally. I cannot express how much he and his dedication, smile and support will be dearly missed by all of us.
We and the entire ThedaCare family extend our sympathies and prayers to the Whiteside family, their friends, patients and all of us who knew him as colleagues.”
