Murder of Peggy Johnson

Peggy Lynn Johnson (formerly known as Racine County Jane Doe, or by the nickname "Crystal Rae") was a young white woman whose body was discovered in 1999 in the town of Raymond, Racine County, Wisconsin. The victim was aged 18 to 35 years at the time of her death, which had occurred after her enduring several weeks of extreme neglect and both physical and sexual abuse. New developments in the case emerged after her body was exhumed on October 16, 2013. In November 2019, authorities announced the victim was successfully identified after two decades. Additionally, a suspect remains in police custody for her murder. Both the victim's and suspect's name were released on November 8, 2019. Discovery of the body: Racine County Jane Doe was discovered close to a field on July 21, 1999. Her death had occurred within one day of the discovery of her body. One of the two people who discovered the body stated that an arm appeared to be broken, since it was in an unnatural position. Because it had rained on the night the body was dumped, little evidence of the perpetrator was found. An autopsy indicated this young woman had died from a combination of multiple injuries, such as burning and beating, and had endured several weeks of neglect and both physical and sexual abuse, which had increased in severity in the days immediately prior to her death. She showed signs of having been malnourished and sexually abused. A "cauliflower ear" deformity evident upon her body may have been caused by the extensive abuse which she had been forced to endure in the weeks prior to her death. Over 50 people attended Johnson's funeral on October 27, 1999 after the autopsy and other examinations were completed. She was interred at Holy Family Cemetary in Caledonia, Wisconsin. Her gravestone read "Daughter: Jane Doe", along with the dates of discovery and burial, with the phrase "Gone, but not forgotten". Description: Examination revealed the victim may have been a cognitively disabled individual. She had a "cauliflower ear" deformity, which likely resulted from abuse. It was believed that she was most likely 18 to 30 years old, although she may have been up to 35. Her teeth were not well cared for. Her front incisors protruded from the mouth, and decay was present on many teeth. Some teeth were missing. Her curly hair was reddish-brown, collar-length, and appeared to have blond highlights. Her eyes were either brown, green, or hazel. There were two earrings in each of her ears. She had visible bruises and cuts across her body, and a fractured nose. She wore a man's shirt, gray in color, with a floral design on the front. After contacting the shirt's manufacturer, it was learned that this type of shirt was first sold in 1984. She was also wearing black sweatpants. She was not wearing shoes. Investigation: Multiple reconstructions were created of the decedent's face. In 2012, an additional reconstruction was created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.[16] Another version of this facial composite exists, which depicts a differing facial rendition of how Racine County Jane Doe may have appeared in life. At one time, she was thought to be Aundria "Alexis" Bowman, who is presumed to have run away from her adoptive parents' house in Hamilton, Michigan on March 11, 1989. DNA profiling, via her mother Cathy, demonstrated that they were not the same person. Additional missing persons such as Tina D'Ambrosio and Karen Wells were ruled out. Some believed that this case could be linked to the murder of Mary Kate Chamizo (née: Sunderlin), a previously unidentified victim who was discovered in Lake County, Illinois. Chamizo was also found malnourished, had poor dentition and had been beaten to death. Three were arrested in that case; one was convicted All three were later cleared due to new evidence. The remains were exhumed on October 16, 2013, for further study and transported to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the body had previously been examined in 1999. Authorities hoped that by studying the bones, they would be able to tell where the woman had lived prior to her death. It was announced on July 19, 2015, that the examination of the remains had been completed and that they would be reburied on July 21 on the 16th anniversary of their discovery. Authorities stated they had indeed uncovered new leads from the exhumation, but they declined to state any details. On October 20, 2016 it was announced that chemical isotope testing performed by the Smithsonian on a sample of her hair and bone suggest she may originally have been from or spent several years of her life in Alaska, Montana or portions of southern Canada. Authorities did not comment on what testing the results are from, whether recent with hair or history from bone. Additionally, it was revealed the victim or her murderer(s) were from southeastern New England, such as New Hampshire and New Jersey. Although the murder remained unsolved, investigators stated they hoped that the case will eventually come to a close. A press conference in 2013 is said to have uncovered more clues. Identification: On November 7, 2019, the Racine County Sheriff's Office announced that Sheriff Christopher Schmaling would hold a Media Briefing the following day to release information about Racine County Jane Doe's identity and the name of the individual in custody for her death. The announcement stated that "both the victim and the individual in custody have substantial ties to a northwestern Chicago suburb." On November 8, 2019, Racine County authorities identified the victim, through DNA comparison, as Peggy Lynn Johnson, 23, of McHenry, Illinois. Her suspected killer was identified as a 63-year-old nurse, Linda LaRoche. Johnson was never reported missing. LaRoche was arrested on November 5, 2019, in Cape Coral, Florida. She had reportedly confessed to killing someone during her stay in Illinois to various individuals, one of which alerted police on September 23, 2019. According to a criminal complaint, LaRoche was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and concealment of a corpse. Johnson's body will be exhumed and buried next to her mother in Belvidere, Illinois. LaRoche had first encountered Johnson in around 1994. The victim was homeless after her mother's death and agreed to serve as a housekeeper for LaRoche in exchange for room and board, according to her ex-husband and five children. The emotional and physical abuse against Johnson took place over a significant period of time before her death. She was also subjected to poor living conditions and malnourishment. LaRoche's ex-husband stated he had come home to find Johnson deceased. The suspect claimed the victim had overdosed and would relocate her. Paramedics were not called and LaRoche, a nurse, did not provide medical assistance to the victim. There was never information released about toxicology tests performed on Johnson's body. LaRoche herself told inconsistent stories about leaving Johnson with her grandmother or abandoned her, while alive, along a roadway in Wisconsin. "All of us present here, who have investigated the deaths of individuals during the course of our careers, have seen many troubling things. However, the utter, barbaric brutality inflicted on this young woman is something none of us will never forget." Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, addressing the media to announce the formal identification of Peggy Lynn Johnson and her alleged murderer, Linda LaRoche. November 8, 2019.