A man's body found in 1993 in Kenosha County was identified in 2024 as that of Ronald Louis Dodge, who was born in Keshena and was a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy Kenosha County Sheriff's Office/Pleasant Prairie Police Dept.)
PLESANT PRAIRIE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Investigators revealed the identity of a John Doe homicide from 1993 and are now looking for the killer.
On the 31st anniversary date of the body’s discovery, Pleasant Prairie police and Kenosha Medical Examiner’s Office announced the victim in the case was identified as Menominee Indian Tribe member Ronald Lewis Dodge of Keshena.
On August 27, 1993, an unidentified male body was found along the railroad tracks in Pleasant Prairie near the Illinois border.
Officials say the body was in an advanced state of decomposition and carried no identification. The medical examiner confirmed the man died from a gunshot wound near the time of his death.
After investigators couldn’t identify him, he was buried in St John’s Cemetery in Randall.
With the assistance of NamUs and other organizations, the case was reopened in December 2014.
In 2017, through facial reconstruction of the skull, photos of what Dodge may have looked like, were released to the public.
In 2023, Dodge’s brother came forward and said his brother had been missing since May 1993.
DNA samples were taken from Dodge’s brother and sister. Dodge’s remains were exhumed from the cemetery and examined.
On May 31, 2024, DNA results came back and confirmed the body was Ronald Dodge.
Dodge’s remains will be returned to his family. At this time of his death, Dodge was married to Kathryn Erickson on the north side of Chicago. Erickson died in Chicago in November 1993.
Authorities are now looking for information on the suspect or suspects in this case.
Those who may have information, are encouraged to contact Pleasant Prairie police at (262) 694-7353.
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