Discovery of Human Remains

• 🌲 On a cold December day in 2020, land surveyor Joe Scheller was marking trees for a construction site near Aurora, Illinois.
• 💀 While navigating the woods, he stumbled upon what he initially thought was a rock, but upon closer inspection, realized it was a human skull.
• 🤢 The discovery caused him to immediately vomit, and he called his father, the head surveyor at his company, who advised him to contact the sheriff's department.

The Investigation and Cold Case

• 🚨 Upon arrival, the scene was swarming with police, and the sheriff quickly confirmed it was a human skull, indicating a potential murder.
• 🦴 Over the next three months, authorities excavated the area, finding scattered bones and other remains, suggesting the body had been there for a significant time.
• 🕵️ The remains were eventually identified through dental records and DNA as a female who had been missing for 18 years.
• 🔫 The investigation revealed the victim was shot in the head, and the bullet matched the gun of her boyfriend, who was already in jail for her disappearance.

Impact and Aftermath

• 🎁 Scheller's discovery provided crucial closure for the victim's family after nearly two decades of not knowing her fate.
• 🧠 The experience has deeply affected Scheller, leading to nightmares and a lingering sense of unease when walking in wooded areas.
• 💬 He has been seeing a therapist to process the trauma, focusing on the fact that he provided peace to the family and helped solve a long-standing case.
• 🌲 Scheller notes that surveyors are uniquely positioned to find such remains due to their work in remote and undeveloped areas, often uncovering evidence others might miss.
• 💡 He reflects on the surreal nature of becoming a central figure in a family's tragedy without ever knowing them, emphasizing the importance of closure.