Genetic genealogy helps solve cold case homicide of child, remains found 65 years ago
The Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office says a cold case dating back to 1959 has been solved.
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OZAUKEE COUNTY, Wisconsin (WDJT) — The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office says a cold case dating back to 1959 has been solved.
Officials say the victim, a 7-year-old boy, was killed by his adoptive parents. His skeletal remains were discovered in the city of Mequon on Oct. 4, 1959. At the time, the Houghton County, Michigan, sheriff’s department was investigating a possible missing child, Markku Jutila.
The adoptive parents, William and Hilja Jutila, had relocated from Houghton to Chicago and were not able to account for the whereabouts of Markku. During an interview with police, the couple admitted to disposing of the child’s body in a ditch in Mequon before arriving in Chicago, and Hilja Jutila confessed to physically beating her son to death.
The sheriff’s office says the Jutilas were arrested on March 28, 1966, but charges were ultimately dismissed because prosecutors could not connect the skeleton of the child found in Mequon with the Jutilas.
In October 2023, investigators attempted to identify the victim using DNA extracted from the skull and by conducting investigative genealogy. An analysis was completed in May 2024, and it was determined the remains belonged to a male individual.
An investigation revealed Markku’s birth name was Chester Breiney, and in September 2024, genealogy revealed that the DNA extracted had several matches to family members of the Breiney family — supporting that the skeletal remains belonged to Chester Alfred Breiney.
As both adoptive parents William and Hilja Jutila died in 1988, there will be no future prosecution in the case.
With the donations of many community members, Chester will be laid to rest on Nov. 15 in Port Washington, at St. Mary’s Parish Cemetery.
The sheriff’s office says a funeral will be held at 1 p.m. at St. John XXIII Parish- St. Peter of Alcantara Church, located at 1800 N. Wisconsin Street prior to the burial.
Donations in memory of Chester can be made to the Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center.
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