Unknown Man Found Dead Under Highway Overpass In 2012 Identified: Illinois State Police

DES PLAINES, IL—Police have announced a "successful resolution" to a cold death investigation from 2012 in which an unknown man was found dead under the Interstate 94 overpass on Cicero Avenue in Chicago.

According to Illinois State Police, forensic genealogy testing is being credited for confirming the identity of Ronald M. Risher, 64, whose body was discovered by a maintenance worker doing work in the area on Feb. 18, 2012. During the lengthy investigation, police did not suspect foul play, but the body remained unidentified until Jan. 20.

ISP special agents had continued to investigate the case for the last 14 years in collaboration with the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. The agency said it had recently submitted a DNA sample from a possible relative for comparison purposes, and the subsequent laboratory results confirmed it was Risher.

Police said an exact cause and manner of death could not be determined due to decomposition, but they do believe Risher's exposure to cold was a contributing factor in his death.

"The Illinois State Police is steadfast in their efforts in pursuit of truth and justice as we continue to investigate cold case death investigations and other significant unsolved matters," ISP said in a statement about the case.