Jasper County Coroner Andy Boersma shows the death certificate of John Doe, ultimately identified as William J. “Bill” Lewis.
Doug Ross, The Time
Just before Thanksgiving, Boersma was able to tell the family that Lewis had finally been positively identified, he said.
“The wheels of justice turn quite slowly at times, but we didn’t want to forget that,†Boersma said.
The family are planning an official service for Lewis, and his remains will be sent back to Peru to be buried next to his father.
Emerging science
Asked about the cost of Redgrave Research Forensic Services efforts, Boersma said: “Invaluable”.
“He’s someone’s child, and someone has to take him home,” he said.
Redgrave estimated the cost of such an investigation to be around $ 6,000. Boersma later said his office was able to secure grants to pay about half the cost.
Retired Jasper County Detective Paul Ricker was the first to attend after the remains of William J. “Bill” Lewis were discovered in 1983. Lewis was not identified as the victim until last month.
Doug Ross, The Time
Redgrave said he started using this method of technology in 2018, but others have used it before.
“The theory has always been there,†he said. “When adoptees started finding out about their birth parents, people started to think, ‘Why can’t we use it for cold cases? “”
Redgrave said the method his team is using is a new area.
“It is an effective way to close a case,” he said. “And in my opinion, it will only accelerate.”
