Wisconsin Rapids Native’s Remains Identified in John Doe Investigation

Cold Case Reopened Seeking Information Related to His Death

CARBON COUNTY, MONTANA (OnFocus) – PRESS RELEASE – On June 20, 2004, a hiker discovered a human skull approximately 15 miles south of Red Lodge, Montana off U.S. Highway 212 in Carbon County. Law enforcement responded with search teams and recovered additional skeletonized remains (a femur and pelvic bone).

Subsequent forensic analysis determined that the bones came from the same individual and indicated that they belonged to a male between the ages of 15 and 32. DNA from the remains were entered in the Missing and Unidentified Remains section of the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but there was no match with a relative donor.

In 2022, with assistance from the US Department of Justice, the FBI, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case team, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office initiated a genetic genealogy investigation to leverage new developments in DNA science. The skeletal evidence was sent to Othram’s lab in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the skeletal remains and this DNA profile was returned to the investigators that used the profile in a genealogical search.

This investigation resulted in the identification of the remains as those of Rogers “Roger” Lee Ellis, who was born in Wisconsin Rapids, WI in 1954. Investigation revealed that in 1976, Ellis was facing legal issues related to an arrest for marijuana possession. Ellis told his family he didn’t want to go to jail and that he was going to head west. Ellis had no further contact with his family.

We believe Ellis was hitchhiking when he left Wisconsin in December 1976. We suspect he was killed by the person or persons with whom he was traveling with and they left his body in Montana and continued on their way.

CCSO is proud of the successful investigation that led to the identification of Ellis after 18 years of being listed as a John Doe, but our efforts do not end here. We are launching a cold case homicide investigation to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators who ended Rogers Ellis’ life. This investigation will rely on information from those who knew Ellis in the 1970’s, and we would appreciate them coming forward to help identify the perpetrator or perpetrators.

CCSO is working with detectives in Wisconsin and neighboring jurisdictions to try and identify additional information about Ellis and any friends and associates in 1976, as well as identify any other similar cases in the region during that time frame that may help identify those responsible for ending this young man’s life. Attached are drawings of what Ellis might have looked like at the time of his death.

Anyone with information related to this case should contact Carbon County Sheriff’s Office,
Detective Mahoney 406-445-7284 or [email protected].

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