Alyce Peterson

This individual was recently confirmed to have been identified. Some details may change as more information is released publicly.

Alyce^[1] Catharina Peterson (née: Philen) (1909 - July 23, 2001) was a woman whose skull was discovered in a plastic trash bag at the bottom of a ravine in Houlton, Wisconsin, in 2002.

She was identified by the DNA Doe Project around August 2025.

Case[]

Peterson was a long-time resident of South Dakota, but moved to Stillwater, Minnesota, later in life. She died on July 23, 2001, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. An autopsy found the cause of death was an aortic aneurysm. Her body was scheduled to be cremated at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Maplewood, Minnesota, two days later. While the family did receive cremated remains from the crematorium, it has not been confirmed if these belonged to her.

Peterson's skull was discovered by a hiking group from the Andersen Scout Camp. Initial examination determined the person may have been intentionally decapitated from the neck up using a hand saw.

Genetic genealogy research conducted by the DNA Doe Project, starting in 2022, revealed that the decedent was likely of white ancestry and not Asian, as initially thought, and that her family had ties to the Twin Cities in Minnesota, possibly settling there after immigration. In February 2022, it was announced that she was of Swedish descent.

Characteristics[]

Dark brown hair, approximately three inches.
Possibly had a mental disability.
Edentulous.
Wide-set eyes.
Flat nose.
Pronounced forehead.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

Footnotes[]

↑ ^{Some sources give her first name as "Alice."}

[1] {Some sources give her first name as "Alice."}

[1]