Additional Coverage:
A skull discovered in the wall of an Illinois home in 1978 has been identified as belonging to Esther Granger, an 18-year-old who died after childbirth in 1866.
DNA testing linked the skull to Granger’s great-great-grandson, Wayne Svilar, who initially doubted the news.
The skull was likely stolen by grave robbers during a common practice in that era.
Esther Granger’s skull was interred at West Batavia Cemetery, where a stone tower already bore her name.
The mystery surrounding the skull’s location remains unsolved, but it may have been purchased by a medical student at some point.
In a separate development, the neighboring town of North Aurora announced the resolution of a cold case murder investigation from 1979.