Posted on 05/15/2024 3:35:06 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The Madison Police and DNA Doe Project have identified skeletal remains found in a chimney in a music store in 1989.
The remains were identified as Ronnie Joe Kirk from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kirk according to investigators, was born in 1942, was adopted and raised by family members and attended high school in Tulsa. He was married and divorced twice, and fathered children. He had ties to Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Alabama and Wisconsin.
Kirk's remains were found on September 3, 1989.
Speaking to Madison Magazine's Doug Moe in 2022, Good n' Loud Music owner Steve Liethen said he was working in the basement of the store's then-new location at 5225 University Ave.
Liethen was hoping to fix a leak in one of two clay pipes that ran from the basement to the building chimney and peered into the pipe with a flashlight.
"I was hoping I would see light from the sun going down," Liethen said. "I thought it might tell me where it was leaking."
Liethen discovered a skull and scapula at the bottom of the chimney after investigating with a flashlight. The discovery kicked off a decades-long mystery that looked to be a cold case.
Gwen Knapp from DNA Doe Project said they were first contacted in December, 2019 to try a new investigative method using DNA from the the skeleton.
Genealogy work began in August of 2022. Investigators developed a genetic profile and uploaded it to GEDmatch Pro and Family Tree DNA, two databases that allow for investigative genealogical work to be done. It took about six months to identify Kirk.
Stuck in a “chimbley” would not be a fun way to go.
I was born & raised here. I seem to remember something about this ‘John Doe’ having female clothing all around him, too. As if he was dressed as a girl as he disintegrated. ;)
‘The People’s Republic of Madistan’ has always welcomed all kinds of weirdos. *Rolleyes*
For a long time they thought it was a prank of some sort. Now that they know who he is, I wonder if they’ll be able to find out who killed him, or if he was robbing the building (I don’t think it was always a Music Store) and trying to come down the chimney to do it?
So many questions! ;)
Visiting from Florida?
LOL! ;)
This article was short of a key detail. When did he disappear?
Discovered in the chimney in 1989, after... 10 years? 20?
At least from the looks of it, he died of the flue.
Not certain, but likely.
No, not a good way to go. I have heard of it happening before. In fact, maybe 6 or 7 years ago, I got a Freep post from someone saying (if I recall correctly) that the guy found dead in a chimney, was not a criminal. I doubt it was THIS episode, but who knows for sure? The poster had signed up to FR that very day. I doubt I was the only one who got a post about this, that day. I doubt the person is still on FR.
Well, he’s living on Tulsa Time now!
He died doing what he loved.
It would be an unusual way to dispose of a body...
“...he died of the flue.”
*ROLLEYES* Thanks DAD, LOL!
I suspected it was from smoking or exhaustion.
Body stuck in chimney ??
Santa is dat you ..........??
Perhaps the logic was that if he were wearing a soot, nobody gonna recognize...
There's Diana's intel in post 3, that he was all dolled up with no place to go.
Thus he may have had a sudden reason to go into hiding.
“Thus he may have had a sudden reason to go into hiding.”
Two failed marriages that produced children. Behind on support payments? Don a dress and jump down a chimney!
Follow me for MORE legal advice. ;)
So maybe he was angling to stiff the exes by stuffing himself down a chimney?
Well, it’s better than if a morterer were still running around on the loose.
The gods will get you for that.
Well, at least it wasn’t Santa Claus!..........
I guess a sweep ISN’T as lucky as lucky can ve.
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