Unidentified Wiki
in: Female, Death cause undetermined, People found in Illinois,
and 13 more

Paula Lundgren

Sign in to edit

For the woman found in Texas, please see La Salle County Jane Doe

Paula Ann Lundgren (April 27, 1962 - c. 1991) was a woman who was found deceased in a cornfield in LaSalle County, Illinois, on September 13, 1991.

She was identified in July 2024, and her identity was released in September 2024.

Case[]

Background[]

Lundgren was born in Cook County, Illinois, and primarily lived in the Chicagoland area.

Discovery[]

A farmer found Lundgren's body while harvesting a corn field approximately 10 rows in from a county road. She was lying face-up on a curtain in the southwest corner of the field. The site was one mile south of U.S. 52 and about three miles east of Norway, Illinois. Upon examination, there was three times the lethal amount of cocaine in her system, but it is unknown if this contributed to her death. It is also unclear if her death was a homicide or an accident.

Authorities attempted to identify Lundgren but were unsuccessful at the time. She was buried in a donated grave at Oakwood Memorial Park in Ottawa, Illinois. Her headstone read, "Jane Doe: Somebody's Daughter, Somebody's Friend."

Identification[]

Her remains were exhumed in 2013 to obtain DNA and utilize facial and age-regressive reconstructions, isotopic diet studies, and radiocarbon dating. Isotope testing indicated that she was from the upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Canada, or Alaska. Authorities were able to find some leads on her identity through genetic genealogy. The coroner's office researched the list of her possible relatives. The FBI also became involved in the search, which led to the finding of a living relative.

Further research confirmed Lundgren's identification in July 2024, and the news was announced in September of that year.

Characteristics[]

  • Breast implants lacking serial numbers or logos.
  • Right-handed.
  • Unusual and extensive dental work, including crowns, possibly performed outside Illinois.
  • Possible history of braces.
  • Tattoo of a cross with a red flower on upper left breast area.
  • Tattoo of a star-shaped flower with multicolored flower and stem on lower right abdomen.

Clothing and accessories[]

  • Black spandex shorts.
  • Men's American Outfitter striped button-down shirt with dark pinstripe on a light background.
  • Discovered lying atop a curtain with attached drapery slip-on hooks.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.