Woman’s body washed up on Lake Michigan shoreline 25 years ago. Now she’s identified

Dorothy Lynn Ricker was sitting on a park bench at a Lake Michigan beach in Wisconsin on Oct. 2, 1997, when police officers had a brief chat with her, authorities said. She said she was from Chicago and mentioned she was “enjoying the lakefront and the sun.”

That was the last time the 26-year-old was seen alive, according to a Jan. 9 news release from Michigan State Police. “Nothing appeared abnormal” at the time.

But the next day, her vehicle was found abandoned near where she was last seen, police said. And on Oct. 27, 1997, her body washed up on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Authorities were unable to identify her for 25 years.

It wasn’t until December 2022, thanks to modern DNA and forensic advances, that Michigan State Police confirmed the remains belonged to Ricker, who had been reported “missing/endangered” to the Chicago Police Department.

When Ricker’s remains were found, her body was unclothed.

“There was nothing identifying this female at the time other than a lone earring,” police said in the release. Manistee Post troopers sent out many messages trying to identify her, but they never received any credible leads.

An autopsy determined the woman died of asphyxia from drowning, authorities said, and her death was ruled an accident.

Her case went cold.

In September 2020, detectives with the Cadillac Post and the Missing Persons Coordination Unit teamed up to reexamine the case. This included exhuming her remains and taking “fresh” bone samples for advanced DNA testing.

Through the DNA Doe Project, the samples were sent to Astrea Forensics for Forensic Genetic Genealogy. And in July 2021, experts learned of a possible family match in Maine.

Authorities received samples from a possible brother in Maine and a possible daughter in Chicago, according to the release.

Further testing was needed to confirm her identity, so the bone samples were sent to Intermountain Forensics in Salt Lake City, authorities said. The lab was able to confirm the remains’ identity.

“Although DNA testing wasn’t possible when Dorothy Ricker died, investigators are grateful that it brings her family some resolution today,” police said.

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Woman’s body washed up on Lake Michigan shoreline 25 years ago. Now she’s identified."