Nearly six decades after a woman was found murdered outside Chicago, authorities have identified her as Martha Bassett, a member of a Native American community from Washington state who had been missing since the 1960s.
Originally from Wapato, Washington, Bassett relocated to the Chicago area in 1960 under the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, a federal policy that encouraged Native Americans to move from reservations to urban centers, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.
By 1967, Bassett’s family had lost all contact with her. Concerned for her safety, they traveled to the Chicago area to search for her but returned home without any answers—though they never gave up hope of finding her.
On September 30, 1968, the body of an unidentified woman was found in brush near the intersection of I-55 and Blodgett Road in Will County, Illinois. At the time, the discovery made headlines under the simple banner, “Woman found dead,” as police had little information about the victim.
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Cold case investigator Bill Sheehan told CBS News that detectives revisited the scene but found no significant evidence. “We could tell you that there was blunt force trauma, so she died that way,” he said.
At the time, limitations in forensic technology and investigative tools prevented law enforcement from identifying the victim. Her remains were buried in a local cemetery, and her name—and story—were lost to time.
It wasn’t until 2009 that the case was reopened, thanks to advancements in forensic science. Skeletal remains were sent to both the University of North Texas and the Smithsonian Institute’s Paleontology Department for analysis.
Early studies suggested the remains were of Native American descent, offering investigators their first meaningful lead. A follow-up forensic analysis in 2017 confirmed that the victim was of “Asian and Native American descent.”
Cold case investigators then contacted tribes across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa to inquire about any long-missing individuals matching the woman’s profile.
They also distributed a flyer about the case both online and within local communities, which ultimately led to contact with one of Bassett’s distant relatives. Investigators were then able to reach one of her nieces, who provided DNA that confirmed the victim’s identity.
The Will County Coroner’s Office called the resolution of the decades-old case “a triumph of scientific progress, interagency cooperation, and human perseverance.” They praised the effort as a powerful reminder of what modern forensics and unrelenting determination can achieve.
“The case stands as a testament to what can be achieved when modern technology is applied with compassion and resolve—and it offers hope to the families of other missing persons that answers, though sometimes delayed, can still be found,” the agency stated.
