Mystery Solved: How an 1866 Skull Ended Up in an Illinois House


DNA testing has solved a decades-old mystery, identifying a skull found inside an Illinois home as belonging to Esther Granger, an 18-year-old Indiana woman who died shortly after the Civil War.

During a press conference, Kane County officials revealed that the skull, discovered in 1978 during renovations at a Batavia home, west of Chicago, matched Esther Granger, who died from childbirth complications in 1866. 

Officials reconstructed Granger’s family tree and located a living descendant, her great-great-grandson, who provided a DNA sample. 

They also created a facial approximation of Granger. Authorities suggest her remains might have been moved by grave robbers.

Previously, the skull was thought to be pre-1900, but after the initial investigation, it sat in storage at the Batavia Depot Museum for almost 50 years. 

Rediscovered in a 2021 museum cleaning, it was sent for identification with modern forensic techniques.

"Esther was born on Oct. 6, 1848, in Indiana," Coroner Bob Russell explained. "She married Charles Granger at age 16 and soon after became pregnant. She passed away after giving birth to a daughter in May 1866.” 

The county worked with Othram Laboratories in Texas to sequence the skull’s DNA, funding the $7,500 cost through DNASolves.com. 

Within three weeks, Othram matched the DNA to Wayne Svilar, Granger's great-great-grandson, a retired police sergeant from Portland, Oregon. 

Initially skeptical, Svilar remarked that the passion of those working the case convinced him to participate. He shared, "This brought a sense of closure, and I wish I could tell my mother this story. She would have loved it."

Despite this breakthrough, some questions remain. 

How did Granger's skull end up in an Illinois wall when she was buried in Indiana? 

Officials believe she fell victim to grave robbers, as this was a common and profitable crime at the time, often targeting fresh graves to sell remains to medical students. 

Though illegal, grave-robbing laws were inconsistently enforced, and the practice often sparked public outrage and violent backlash.

Granger’s skull was finally laid to rest at West Batavia Cemetery, where her name was already inscribed. 

Her descendant, Svilar, attended the reburial and delivered a eulogy. 

Coincidentally, just one day earlier, nearby North Aurora resolved a separate cold case from 1979, adding another layer to the region’s legacy of unsolved mysteries now brought to light.

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