The boy was found in a ditch in Wisconsin in 1959. He was identified 65 years later.
Officials in in Wisconsin said DNA evidence has solved a more than 65-year-old cold case involving missing 7-year-old Michigan boy Markku Jutila, born as Chester Breiney.
The Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office in Port Washington on Lake Michigan's western shore reported a child's skeleton was found in a culvert on Oct. 4, 1959, in the city of Mequon, nearly 20 miles north of Milwaukee.
At the time of the discovery, the victim was estimated to be anywhere from 6 to 8 years old, sheriff's office investigators posted in a release on Facebook.
During the investigation, detectives learned the Houghton County Sheriff’s Department, nearly 300 miles north in Michigan, was conducting an investigation on a missing child named Markku Jutila.
At the time, Houghton County deputies were working with the Chicago Police Department after family members of William Jutila and Hilja Jutila became suspicious of the whereabouts of their adopted child, authorities reported.
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Victim's adoptive parents admitted to disposing of child's body in ditch
The couple had relocated from Houghton County to Chicago and were not able to say where their adopted son was. During the interview with police, the couple admitted to disposing of the child’s body in a ditch in Mequon before arriving in Chicago.
Hilja Jutila, the sheriff's office reported, confessed to physically beating her son to death.
In March 1966, investigators arrested the couple in Chicago and extradited them to Wisconsin, but on Nov. 10, 1966 prosecutors dropped the charges because at the time, investigators, could not link the boy's death to the body found in Mequon.
No body, no crime, officials determined.
Years later, DNA identified the victim as Chester Alfred Breiney, whose mother died in 2001. He was 7 when he was killed, officials said.
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Significant neglect and a healed broken rib
In July 2024, the sheriff's office wrote in the release, investigators sought assistance from Othram, the DNA lab that eventually helped identify the victim.
At the same time, investigators continued to review information from the Mequon Police Department and Ozaukee County case and a 1966 newspaper article from the Milwaukee Journal, provided additional information regarding the adoption of Markku Jutila.
"Adoption records showed Chester was admitted to Good Will Farm, which was an orphanage, and was adopted by Russell and Hilja Jutila on March 24, 1955," the release continues.
Additional investigation, the sheriff's office reported, found Markku died as a result of significant neglect, and had a healed broken rib.
No charges to be filed in Chester Breiney's killing
In September 2024, investigators entered DNA extracted from the skull into a public source DNA database, which unearthed several matches to members of the Breiney family, particularly Josephine Breiney, Chester's mother, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Josephine Breiney died in 2001 and had no living relatives.
No charges will be filed in the case, the sheriff's office said. His adoptive parents died in 1988.
"Although no one will be prosecuted for Chester Alfred Breiney’s death, Chester may now rest in peace as the truth of his death is known. No child should leave this Earth like Chester did," Sheriff Christy Knowles wrote in the release. "All investigative parties involved in this case worked diligently to bring justice for Chester, beginning back in 1959 when he was found. It’s been 65 years since Chester was murdered, however, he was never forgotten."
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.