Funeral director hired to cremate woman dumps her body in the woods and walks away, police say
A former Minnesota funeral director has been sentenced after authorities discovered that, instead of properly cremating a 92-year-old woman as contracted, he allegedly disposed of parts of her remains in a wooded area in Wisconsin. The shocking case, which remained a mystery for nearly two decades, has raised troubling questions about funeral home practices, the handling of human remains, and whether the ashes returned to the woman’s loved ones actually belonged to her.
Discovery of Human Remains in Wisconsin Woods
Boy Scouts Make a Disturbing Find
On October 19, 2002, Boy Scouts hiking near Andersen Scout Camp in Houlton, Wisconsin, discovered a garbage bag hidden in a wooded ravine several hundred yards from a roadway. Inside the bag were human remains, including a skull in an advanced state of decomposition.
The remains were turned over to the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, launching an investigation that would remain unsolved for years.
Experts Determine Skull Was Removed After Death
Medical examiners, forensic anthropologists, and other specialists examined the skull and concluded that it had been severed from the body after death. According to investigators, the cut appeared to have been made at the base of the neck and was consistent with the use of a hand saw.
Despite extensive efforts, authorities were unable to identify the victim at the time, leaving the case cold for nearly two decades.
DNA Technology Finally Reveals the Victim’s Identity
DNA Doe Project Takes on the Case
In 2021, the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the nonprofit DNA Doe Project in an effort to identify the remains through advanced genetic genealogy techniques.
Researchers traced family connections and eventually narrowed the search to a woman named Alyce Peterson, whose birth name was Alyce Philen. A relative’s DNA ultimately helped confirm the identification.
An Unusual Discovery
The identification stunned investigators because Alyce Peterson was not a missing person.
Peterson had died on July 23, 2001, at the age of 92 following an aortic aneurysm. She died at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, and official records indicated that she had been cremated shortly after her death.
Eric Hendershott, a case manager with the DNA Doe Project, described the situation as unprecedented, noting that it was the first time he had encountered a Jane Doe case involving a person who already had a death certificate and was supposedly cremated.
Who Was Alyce Peterson?
Death and Funeral Arrangements
After Peterson’s death, funeral arrangements were handled through Simonet Funeral Home in Stillwater, Minnesota. Records indicated that she was scheduled for cremation at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Maplewood just two days after her death.
A woman who served as executor of Peterson’s trust later told investigators that she believed Peterson’s entire body had been cremated according to her wishes.
Following the cremation, ashes were returned to the family representative, who scattered them on a family farm believing they were Peterson’s remains.
Lingering Questions About the Ashes
One of the most disturbing aspects of the case is that investigators have never been able to confirm whether the ashes provided to Peterson’s loved ones actually belonged to her.
Authorities have stated that significant uncertainty remains regarding what happened to Peterson’s remains and whether the cremated material returned to the family was authentic.
Investigators Focus on Funeral Director Benjamin Hanson
Funeral Home Records Point to One Employee
Investigators reviewing funeral home records discovered that nearly every document connected to Peterson’s funeral services had been signed by Benjamin Hanson, a licensed funeral director who worked at Simonet Funeral Home at the time.
Authorities concluded that Peterson’s family dealt directly with Hanson throughout the funeral process.
Investigators also noted that funeral preparation rooms were accessible only to licensed funeral directors, placing Hanson in a position of responsibility over Peterson’s remains.
Former Co-Workers Describe Troubling Behavior
During the investigation, authorities interviewed former colleagues who worked with Hanson during the early 2000s.
One former employee reportedly told investigators that Hanson had “gone off the deep end” during the summer of 2001, the same period when Peterson’s funeral arrangements were being handled.
The employee also indicated that Hanson had been hospitalized during that time. According to court documents, Peterson’s funeral occurred amid what co-workers described as a period of significant personal and professional instability.
Additional Allegations Surface During Investigation
Accusations of Theft at the Funeral Home
Investigators uncovered allegations that Hanson had been suspected of stealing from the funeral home.
Former employees claimed he used company resources for personal expenses, including school supplies, lawnmower parts, and work performed at his residence.
Authorities also discovered unusual billing entries connected to Peterson’s estate. One invoice reportedly charged $2,700 for hair services performed by Hanson’s wife, despite her not being employed by the funeral home.
The executor of Peterson’s trust told investigators that she never requested such services.
Termination and Workplace Disputes
Court documents revealed that Hanson was eventually fired from the funeral home in 2002 amid accusations of theft.
He was also involved in workplace disputes after his termination. According to investigators, a former employee accused Hanson of swerving his vehicle toward him, leading to a harassment-related legal filing, although that request was ultimately denied.
Criminal Charges Filed Nearly 24 Years Later
Formal Charges Announced
In late 2025, prosecutors charged Hanson with felony counts including hiding a corpse and theft.
Authorities alleged that he unlawfully removed Peterson’s skull and concealed it in the Wisconsin woods, where it remained undiscovered until the Boy Scouts found it in 2002.
Guilty Plea
On March 24, 2026, Hanson pleaded guilty to hiding a corpse.
As part of the plea agreement, the theft charge was dismissed. Prosecutors proceeded with sentencing based on the concealment charge connected to Peterson’s remains.
Sentencing and Court Orders
Jail Time Imposed
On June 2, 2026, Hanson was sentenced to 90 days in jail for hiding a corpse.
The sentence brought a legal conclusion to a case that had puzzled investigators for more than two decades.
Restrictions Following Conviction
In addition to serving jail time, Hanson was ordered to comply with several court conditions.
Those conditions included taking prescribed medications, participating in mental health treatment and services, and refraining from working in the funeral industry in the future.
Questions That May Never Be Answered
What Happened to the Rest of Peterson’s Body?
Despite the guilty plea and sentencing, investigators still do not know where the remainder of Peterson’s body is located.
Authorities have never publicly explained how her skull ended up in Wisconsin while other remains remain unaccounted for.
Did the Family Receive the Wrong Ashes?
Perhaps the most painful unanswered question involves the ashes that Peterson’s loved ones received and later scattered.
Investigators have acknowledged that it remains unknown whether those ashes belonged to Peterson or to someone else entirely. The uncertainty has left lingering anguish for family members and investigators alike.
A Case That Shocked Investigators
The case stands as one of the most unusual death-investigation mysteries solved through genetic genealogy. What began as the discovery of an unidentified skull in a Wisconsin forest ultimately led investigators back to a woman who had already been declared dead, buried in official records as cremated, and mourned by loved ones decades earlier.
The identification of Alyce Peterson exposed a disturbing betrayal of trust within the funeral industry and left behind unanswered questions that may never be fully resolved. Even after the conviction of the funeral director responsible for handling her remains, the whereabouts of much of Peterson’s body and the true identity of the ashes given to her family remain unknown.
