A long-standing John Doe case in the state of Wisconsin was given an identity last week, as the Rock County Sheriff’s Office announced that a body found in November of 1995 was Carl J. Isaacs Jr., of Delavan.
The Rock County Sheriff’s Office quickly stressed that this remains an active investigation, and that anyone with information on Isaacs Jr. and the circumstances surrounding his death should call the sheriff’s tip line at 608-757-7911.
According to a news release and a June 14 press conference, Isaacs Jr.’s body was found in the woods along the southern bank of Turtle Creek in Bradford Township Nov. 26, 1995. Deer hunters had stumbled upon skeletal remains.
At the time of his death, Isaacs Jr. was wearing a plaid flannel shirt with a dark blue quilted lining. He also wore a T-shirt that showed the debut album, “Welcome to Hell” by the English heavy metal band Venom. The logo showed an upside-down 5-point star with a goat’s head inside, and Isaacs also wore a homemade chrome pendant of a goat’s head with horns.
He also was wearing urban camouflaged pants in gray, tan and black, plus black Nike Air tennis shoes.
According to various news outlets, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office contacted the DNA Doe Project Inc. in 2018 to help ID the remains. By October of that year, a potential identification was made. DNA samples were sent to the University of North Texas from half-siblings. In May of 2021, the body of the potential father was disinterred.
A year later, Isaacs Jr. was identified. He was about 20 years old when he died.
Rock County Sheriff Troy Knudson led the press conference, which was broadcast live by Channel 3000.
“I am glad to finally be able to bring a little resolution to the person’s identity,” said Knudson at the June 14 press conference.
Knudson added that some remembered the case when it came in.
“The identity of the individual has been a mystery for the majority of my career,” Knudson said.
He said the rural nature of the area where the body was found added to the mystery. Knudson explained that the initial investigation covered any missing persons, abandoned vehicles and crashes in the area.
An autopsy left an undetermined cause of death, with the body having been in the area for about a year.
