The Identity of the Deceased Man Found in Oneida County 40 Years Ago Finally Discovered

By Jalen Maki

Tomahawk Leader Editor

ONEIDA COUNTY – After more than four decades, the mystery surrounding the identity of a man found dead in Oneida County has finally been solved. In a press release issued on Friday, December 15, Oneida, Forest, and Vilas County Medical Examiner Crystal L. Schaub revealed that the deceased man discovered in the Town of Pine Lake on March 19, 1980, has been identified as Norman Grasser from Chicago, Illinois.

According to the press release, the Oneida County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting the discovery of a body in a field. With the assistance of witnesses who first found the body in the snow, authorities were able to locate the deceased individual.

The body was found approximately 46 yards off of State Hwy. 17 on private property, and at the time, there was no identification on the body. A forensic autopsy conducted at the University of Wisconsin determined that the man had died from cold exposure due to hypothermia.

The unidentified man was described as a white male between the ages of 25 and 45, standing at 6’ 1/2” tall, weighing 170 pounds, and with brown hair. The Sheriff’s Office collected his clothing and other belongings to aid in identification.

Despite sending the man’s fingerprints to the State Crime Laboratory and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for possible identification, no matches were found.

The press release stated, “Over time, this case continued to be investigated through missing persons report follow-ups and press releases.”

In 2019, the unidentified man’s information was entered into NamUs, a national database for missing and unidentified persons across the United States. Multiple potential matches were generated and investigated, but all yielded negative results.

In April 2021, the Medical Examiner’s Office decided to exhume the body, referred to as “John Doe 1980.” The body was then taken to the Fond du Lac Medical Examiner’s Office for DNA collection and processing.

The collected items were subsequently sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for DNA profiling.

In January 2023, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office sought the assistance of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College of New Jersey to conduct advanced forensic DNA testing and a genealogy search on John Doe 1980.

The press release revealed, “As a result of the work performed by students in the Ramapo College IGG Certificate Program, a new investigative lead was developed, resulting in Mr. Grasser’s identification.”

Further investigation uncovered that Grasser had been reported missing by his family in Cook County, Illinois, in January 1980. However, the release did not provide any information regarding why Grasser was in Oneida County.

According to the FindAGrave.com page dedicated to Grasser, his brother had been searching for him for over 40 years. The page states that Grasser was born on March 20, 1948, in Chicago and was 31 years old when he went missing.

In August 2016, a memorial tombstone for Grasser was placed in All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The press release concluded by stating, “The Grasser family is grateful to everybody involved for ending their 43-year nightmare. During this time, the Grasser family requests privacy so they can grieve and process this information.”

Various agencies and organizations played a crucial role in this case, including the Oneida, Vilas, Forest, and Waupaca County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the Eagle River, Woodruff, and Rhinelander Police Departments. Additionally, the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Rhinelander Parks Department, Oneida County Buildings and Grounds, the Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center, Intermountain Forensics, WJFW Newswatch 12, FBI, the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, the University of Wisconsin Pathology Department, the Fond du Lac Medical Examiner’s Office, NamUs-National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, and Father Chris Kemp of Nativity of Our Lord Church lent their assistance to the investigation.