Chicago-Area Woman Identified Decades After Discovery in Illinois Cornfield

DNA sample resolves 1991 cold case, uncovering identity of Paula Ann Lundgren

Photo byScreen Capture/Youtube Video [Creator]

OTTAWA, Ill. – Authorities have confirmed the identity of a woman found dead in an Illinois cornfield in 1991, solving a cold case that had stumped investigators for decades. The remains were identified last week as Paula Ann Lundgren, a Chicago-area resident, through the use of posthumous DNA testing.

Lundgren’s body was discovered by a farmer in a LaSalle County cornfield in September 1991. Initial investigations failed to determine her identity, despite extensive efforts. In 2013, the body was exhumed to collect DNA samples, and in 2019, a professor from Illinois Valley Community College used genetic genealogy to generate a list of possible relatives.

For years, the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office worked through the list, but it wasn’t until February this year that the FBI became involved, leading to a significant development. “We have limited resources, so the FBI agreed to provide further assistance with the case that eventually led to a living relative,” said Coroner Rich Ploch. “That person’s DNA was confirmed as a match to Paula.”

Lundgren, who was 29 at the time of her death, was determined to have died from cocaine intoxication. Her body was buried in an Ottawa cemetery under a headstone labeled, "Somebody’s Daughter, Somebody’s Friend."

With her identity now confirmed, the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office hopes this breakthrough will generate new leads regarding how Lundgren ended up in the cornfield.