A funeral director from Minnesota has been charged in connection with a human skull discovered over two decades ago in a ravine near a Boy Scouts' camp in Wisconsin, in a case that has shocked investigators.
Discovery of Remains and a Decades-Long Mystery
On 19 October 2002, a group of Boy Scouts hiking in Somerset Township, Wisconsin, made a grim discovery: garbage bags containing human remains. They immediately alerted the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department.
While DNA testing was carried out at the time, the identity of the deceased could not be established, and the investigation eventually went cold. The case remained a mystery for years.
Breakthrough in Identification
In a pivotal move in February 2021, the skull was sent to Astrea Forensics in Santa Cruz, California, for advanced genetic analysis. With crucial assistance from the DNA Doe Project, a non-profit dedicated to identifying unknown persons, the remains were finally given a name.
They were identified as belonging to Alyce Catharina Peterson, a woman who had died at the age of 92 in July 2001. The identification was deeply unusual. Eric Hendershott, a case manager, stated it was the first instance he had seen of a 'Doe' being someone with a death certificate who was believed to have been cremated.
Records showed Peterson had suffered a medical emergency and was cremated at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Maplewood, Minnesota, with her family receiving what they believed were her ashes.
Arrest and Allegations Against Funeral Director
This week, Benjamin Carl Hanson, 57, of Bayport, Minnesota, was arrested and charged with hiding a corpse and felony theft over $2,500. According to court documents, Hanson was employed as a funeral director at the Simonet Funeral Home around the time the skull was found.
The criminal complaint reveals a troubling picture of Hanson's conduct. Former colleagues told investigators he was suspected of stealing from the business, was subsequently fired, and later became the subject of a harassment order after allegedly swerving his vehicle towards his replacement.
One employee covered for Hanson in the summer of 2001 while he was hospitalised after reportedly "going off the deep end." Another reported that Hanson had used the funeral home's credit card for personal expenses, including school supplies, lawnmower parts, and HVAC work at his home.
St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson confirmed the arrest but stated that no further details would be released while the case is active. The precise circumstances of how the skull ended up in the ravine have not been disclosed.
Response from Funeral Home and Ongoing Case
The current owners of Simonet Funeral Home, who purchased the business in 2013, emphasised that the alleged events occurred over a decade prior to their ownership. In a statement, their attorney expressed "deepest empathies to the family of Alyce Peterson," adding they were "saddened and angry" at the situation, which did not reflect professional conduct.
The statement clarified that Hanson had never been an employee of the current ownership and that they have fully cooperated with law enforcement.
Benjamin Hanson is currently being held at the St. Croix County Jail. The charges mark a significant development in a 23-year-old cold case, finally offering a path to justice for Alyce Peterson's family after a profound and prolonged betrayal of trust.
