Identified! WI - Ridgeland, WhtMale 168UMWI, 18-24, Pins in Left Tibia, Sep'82 - Kraig King

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Here is another report about this case:

The Barron County Sheriff’s Department with the assistance of the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and DNA Doe Project have identified decomposed human remains from 1982.

The remains are identified as Kraig King from White Bear Lake, MN. King’s next of kin have been notified.

On Sept. 21, 1982, loggers found a pile of clothes in the woods on private land about 100 yards from the tree line near Highway 25 about 4 miles north of Ridgeland, Barron County. Upon closer inspection, they discovered it was actually badly decomposed human remains. After conducting an autopsy a pathologist reported the deceased was a white male, between 18 and 22 years old, weighing 180 to 195 pounds and was 5’8 to 5’9 tall. The subject had brown hair and a husky build. It is estimated the time of death was April to May 1982 and the manner of death was homicide.

The Barron County Sheriff’s Department is seeking the public’s help as the investigation of King’s homicide continues. Anyone with information on why the victim would have been in Barron County in 1982, or any knowledge of this case should contact the Barron County Sheriff’s Department at 715-537 3106.

Without the assistance of the DNA Doe Project, Barron County John Doe would have never been identified.

The DNA Doe Project is a non-profit volunteer organization formed to identify unidentified deceased persons using forensic genealogy. The DNA Doe Project also wanted to acknowledge the following people/organizations: DNA Solutions, HudsonAlpha Discovery, Justin Loe – Full Genomes Corporation, Dr. Greg Magoon – Aerodyne Research Corporation and GEDmatch.

The Barron County Sheriff’s Department continues to investigate and work with the DNA Doe Project on the December 3, 2017, unidentified remains discovered and do not believe they are connected.

Photo: Kraig King from White Bear Lake, MN. Credit: Barron County Sheriff's Department

DNA Doe Project Helps ID 1982 Remains Found in Wisconsin
 
Kraig King
Unidentified Wiki has a gallery with three yearbook photos (including the one from the announcement).
The one where he's using crutches in school is sad. He looks pensive in it, a mood that I experienced as well reading his case.
I'm reminded of the descriptions of his bones on NamUs and Doe Network. The pins in his left tibia are a detail that really stood out.
I correctly hypothesized that he was an athlete of sorts but I wondered if he had any friends who cared about him during his recuperation, visitors at home and hospital, stuff like that. Turns out he really did and they were worried about his whereabouts all these years too!
That photo immortalized a moment in time, it visualizes what sadly became a detail on an autopsy and crime report. But he was more than that and his friends can now say goodbye.
I'm also reminded of this lecture by Sue Black on forensic anthropology, a field crucial to identifying decedents:
The title of her book ''All That Remains: A Life in Death'' is very evocative. The sentiment of the title is strongly present in the lecture.
The physical remains of John and Jane Does like bones with pins tell us some stories, a book like ''Dead Men Do Tell Tales'' encapsulates that part well but a successful identification gives us the real story of a person, their name and memory. This opens the path for a dignified farewell. Nobody should have their body tossed away like garbage and their name swallowed by darkness.
 
Here are the photos of Kraig in his yearbook. Apparently, a classmate of his commented on a news outlet and said he was a drug user and was into acid. Obviously, that cannot be confirmed but I do think it is interesting.

The skull mold looks dead-on. Whoever did it did a fabulous job. A very handsome guy.
 

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JudgeJoe said:
I cannot fathom not reporting my kid missing- especially if acid/drugs were involved. I hope LE is investigating that aspect of this mystery THOROUGHLY.
Click to expand...

I can. I'm about the age Kraig would be now, and I can remember in the late 70s-early 80s the stigma of drug use was profound in certain social circles, especially small-town or churchy environments where select families were positioned as pillars of the community. If the family was proud, they might not want a black sheep child's problems to tarnish their exemplary reputation.

My younger brother had a friend in such circumstances, maybe 4 or 5 years younger than Kraig. Our mothers also were very close friends, so we were slightly more aware than most of the neighbors of undercurrents in their perfectionistic family. My brother's friend, who was their youngest and could never live up to the marks set by his siblings, got deep into drugs in his mid teens, got into some minor trouble, got expelled from his religious school, and did a stint in rehab, which was unsuccessful. He ran away from home afterward, at which time his 'upstanding family' essentially turned their backs and denied his existence. No contact for several years. Then, out of the blue, this young man man had another friend contact them, to let them know where he was living in the city - and that he was dying of tuberculosis.

He passed without his family getting to see him, because a blizzard shut down the city that week. I have no idea what regrets and self-recriminations his family endured in the aftermath, because they never spoke of it. But it was an object lesson in toxic false pride. And when I read that Kraig finally was identified, and the circumstances of his being missing so long without ever being reported, I thought at once of this other boy whose family couldn't bring themselves to come to grips with a drug problem and preferred to let their child fade out of the picture. MOO
 
janewall said:
I can. I'm about the age Kraig would be now, and I can remember in the late 70s-early 80s the stigma of drug use was profound in certain social circles, especially small-town or churchy environments where select families were positioned as pillars of the community. If the family was proud, they might not want a black sheep child's problems to tarnish their exemplary reputation.

My younger brother had a friend in such circumstances, maybe 4 or 5 years younger than Kraig. Our mothers also were very close friends, so we were slightly more aware than most of the neighbors of undercurrents in their perfectionistic family. My brother's friend, who was their youngest and could never live up to the marks set by his siblings, got deep into drugs in his mid teens, got into some minor trouble, got expelled from his religious school, and did a stint in rehab, which was unsuccessful. He ran away from home afterward, at which time his 'upstanding family' essentially turned their backs and denied his existence. No contact for several years. Then, out of the blue, this young man man had another friend contact them, to let them know where he was living in the city - and that he was dying of tuberculosis.

He passed without his family getting to see him, because a blizzard shut down the city that week. I have no idea what regrets and self-recriminations his family endured in the aftermath, because they never spoke of it. But it was an object lesson in toxic false pride. And when I read that Kraig finally was identified, and the circumstances of his being missing so long without ever being reported, I thought at once of this other boy whose family couldn't bring themselves to come to grips with a drug problem and preferred to let their child fade out of the picture. MOO
Click to expand...
Great post! “Toxic pride” describes this perfectly. I grew up in small town midwest USA & have seen it there for myself. Better words might have been not so much that I can’t fathom not reporting as much as I won’t ever accept any excuse for not reporting. Kraig deserved better. I am very glad his remains got the identification they deserved. And that this is getting the national exposure that it is. I hope the family is experiencing the small-town shame & embarrassment they should be for abandoning their imperfect son. Their determination to turn their backs on his absence/ disappearance disgusts me. MOO.
 
I do not feel qualified to place judgment because: a) I am not going to rely on a FB post to confirm drug abuse. There is a difference between expirementing and addiction. b) I do not know any of circumstances of his disappearance i.e. if he living all the time with parents. Also, it is possible Kraig's parents may have thought he was escaping some kind of legal trouble. Times were different when Kraig went missing. I doubt the police could have been much help back then.
 
I agree that it was a different time for sure. Two of my uncles got kicked out of the house (very dramatically I might add) at 18 and 17. My mom's oldest brother ripped the phone off the wall in a fit of anger (he witnessed his birth father strangle my grandmother as a young child and also was abandoned by him). My other uncle was my Mom's step-brother who was picking on the other brother. My grandmother threw all his stuff in the front yard. Now if neither kept contact with my family after getting kicked out I don't think either would have been reported missing. It would be assumed they were just angry for getting kicked out. My grandmother was so secretive that she didn't even tell my mom and uncles they had a half-sister from their biological father. Even if he abandoned them they should at least know of siblings. My uncles died tragically in the 80's never meeting their sister. I found her on ancestry a few years ago and my Mom and her got to meet in their 50's. Sorry to ramble just saying times were a lot more closed-minded in terms of what they thought was right.
 
Human remains from 1982 identified as White Bear Lake man
New article. Here are the main takeaways:

'' The 1979 White Bear Lake High School grad suffered from mental illness, said his parents Judy and Paul King. They don't know how or why their son was in western Wisconsin, but they knew he didn't have a car and he was carrying a couple thousand dollars when he was last seen.

"Kraig was so well liked," said his father Paul, a retired physical education teacher in the district. "He was a hockey and golf athlete and an excellent student. He was very personable. He must have talked to the wrong people."

Learning the details of their son's death has been painful, say the Kings, but friends have gathered around the couple to offer comfort. They are longtime members of St. Mary of the Lake Church, where a memorial Mass will be held once the remains are released to the family. ''

...

''The Kings said a niece had her genealogy tested and agreed to have results added to a database.''
 
JovanSrna said:
Human remains from 1982 identified as White Bear Lake man
New article. Here are the main takeaways:

'' The 1979 White Bear Lake High School grad suffered from mental illness, said his parents Judy and Paul King. They don't know how or why their son was in western Wisconsin, but they knew he didn't have a car and he was carrying a couple thousand dollars when he was last seen.

"Kraig was so well liked," said his father Paul, a retired physical education teacher in the district. "He was a hockey and golf athlete and an excellent student. He was very personable. He must have talked to the wrong people."

Learning the details of their son's death has been painful, say the Kings, but friends have gathered around the couple to offer comfort. They are longtime members of St. Mary of the Lake Church, where a memorial Mass will be held once the remains are released to the family. ''

...

''The Kings said a niece had her genealogy tested and agreed to have results added to a database.''
Click to expand...
True mental illness, or are they trying to imply that possible drug use is mental illness?
 
Hmmmm not sure what to think. Poor kid died a horrible death for sure. So his parents knew he didn’t have a car when he left and they knew he had a couple grand also. Never reported him missing? Is the mental illness comment like a diagnosis from a dr or their opinion. Lots of people who knew him say he was a well liked guy. What were the circumstances of his disappearance? Did he not have even one friend who questioned where he went? All rhetorical questions but from some of the FB comments I won’t be surprised this murder gets solved fairly quickly.
 
You know, the guy was at the age when schizophrenia manifests in young men, so whether he was into acid or not, his mental illness not necessarily connected with drug use, though it might have been exacerbated by it, if the rumors are true. If he didn't have a car, but was carrying a large sum of money--and in 1982, $2000 would be $5,325 right now--he might well have been trying to make a drug deal. His father's comment seems to suggest he suspects as much, though whether his father knew he had a lot of cash on him by personal knowledge or by report is another story. I'm going to guess that he was killed where he was found, because it seems unlikely that a husky guy would be dragged up there. That said, stabbing is a pretty personal way of killing someone, and it's an unusual place to make a deal. If he were having those kinds of thoughts, it would seem that he might be directed to the spot with a gun, but then, why not shoot him?

If he had that kind of cash, but didn't have a car, it may have been that he'd gotten his license suspended somehow. It could be that his killer(s) took him for a ride to Wisconsin to throw off MN authorities, took his wallet, dumped him in some random spot, or it could be that someone had some familiarity with the area. I really feel for his parents. I can't understand why they didn't report him missing, but then, thank God, I am not in their shoes. I really do hope the LEOs get some decent leads, but it's hard to feel optimistic. All I can do is pray for his family. I've been wondering whether there were any more info, so thanks to all who've been gathering and compiling it here.
 
vermontaigne said:
You know, the guy was at the age when schizophrenia manifests in young men, so whether he was into acid or not, his mental illness not necessarily connected with drug use, though it might have been exacerbated by it, if the rumors are true. If he didn't have a car, but was carrying a large sum of money--and in 1982, $2000 would be $5,325 right now--he might well have been trying to make a drug deal. His father's comment seems to suggest he suspects as much, though whether his father knew he had a lot of cash on him by personal knowledge or by report is another story. I'm going to guess that he was killed where he was found, because it seems unlikely that a husky guy would be dragged up there. That said, stabbing is a pretty personal way of killing someone, and it's an unusual place to make a deal. If he were having those kinds of thoughts, it would seem that he might be directed to the spot with a gun, but then, why not shoot him?

If he had that kind of cash, but didn't have a car, it may have been that he'd gotten his license suspended somehow. It could be that his killer(s) took him for a ride to Wisconsin to throw off MN authorities, took his wallet, dumped him in some random spot, or it could be that someone had some familiarity with the area. I really feel for his parents. I can't understand why they didn't report him missing, but then, thank God, I am not in their shoes. I really do hope the LEOs get some decent leads, but it's hard to feel optimistic. All I can do is pray for his family. I've been wondering whether there were any more info, so thanks to all who've been gathering and compiling it here.
Click to expand...

This line of reasoning is very sound IMO. I don't see any point in contemplating whether he had a revoked driver's license though.

The Facebook comments heavily suggest that the three oldest sons had drug addiction problems. This family is really illustrative of Leo Tolstoy's opening line for Anna Karenina. ''Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.''

I'm a bit more optimistic, rather hopeful to be honest and precise, that his case can be solved. He was most likely murdered by someone he knew, someone likewise involved with drugs in some capacity. I wouldn't be surprised if some of his friends have suspicions on the identity of the murderer. White Bear Lake is a small town. He most likely spent his whole life there and his future killer could have been a local person as well. As for his body being found in Wisconsin, this could be a situation like with Peggy Johnson. In both cases, the bodies were found in a rural area of an adjacent state, an hour or so worth of driving from where these people were originally from.

I can envision something like a very insidious ''friend'' luring him somewhere with some promise or another, with the real intention being murder and theft. What was a deep stab in the chest in a literal way, was most likely a deep stab in the back in the metaphorical way as well. I can't even imagine what he must have felt, both emotionally and physically.

BTW, a comment on DDP's Facebook post announcing the active status for his case comes from a daughter from one of the loggers who found his body. From what she remembers, there was a hunting knife still stuck in the skeleton.
 
JovanSrna said:
Human remains from 1982 identified as White Bear Lake man
New article. Here are the main takeaways:

'' The 1979 White Bear Lake High School grad suffered from mental illness, said his parents Judy and Paul King. They don't know how or why their son was in western Wisconsin, but they knew he didn't have a car and he was carrying a couple thousand dollars when he was last seen.

"Kraig was so well liked," said his father Paul, a retired physical education teacher in the district. "He was a hockey and golf athlete and an excellent student. He was very personable. He must have talked to the wrong people."

Learning the details of their son's death has been painful, say the Kings, but friends have gathered around the couple to offer comfort. They are longtime members of St. Mary of the Lake Church, where a memorial Mass will be held once the remains are released to the family. ''

...

''The Kings said a niece had her genealogy tested and agreed to have results added to a database.''
Click to expand...
I find it so odd that this is the only mention of Kraig King in the local paper. This is big news in a small town! It’s like they hope it will just all go away and be forgotten. FWIW, I don’t think Kraig had mental problems or talked to wrong people. If there were drugs, I’ll bet minor stuff like pot & beer. I hope those with tips are talking to Barron County, WI LE, because not feeling like Kraig is going to get much help from White Bear Lake. MOO
 
JovanSrna said:
Human remains from 1982 identified as White Bear Lake man
New article. Here are the main takeaways:

'' The 1979 White Bear Lake High School grad suffered from mental illness, said his parents Judy and Paul King. They don't know how or why their son was in western Wisconsin, but they knew he didn't have a car and he was carrying a couple thousand dollars when he was last seen.

"Kraig was so well liked," said his father Paul, a retired physical education teacher in the district. "He was a hockey and golf athlete and an excellent student. He was very personable. He must have talked to the wrong people."

Learning the details of their son's death has been painful, say the Kings, but friends have gathered around the couple to offer comfort. They are longtime members of St. Mary of the Lake Church, where a memorial Mass will be held once the remains are released to the family. ''

...

''The Kings said a niece had her genealogy tested and agreed to have results added to a database.''
Click to expand...
I find it so odd that this is the only mention of Kraig King in the local paper. This is big news in a small town! It’s like they hope it will just all go away and be forgotten. FWIW, I don’t think Kraig had mental problems or talked to wrong people. If there were drugs, I’ll bet minor stuff like pot & beer. I hope those with tips are talking to Barron County, WI LE, because not feeling like Kraig is going to get much help from White Bear Lake. MOO
 
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