Ex-Funeral Director Accused of Decapitating Woman After Skull Found in Woods 23 Years Later

A former Minnesota funeral director has been charged with decapitating a woman's body after Boy Scouts discovered her skull in Wisconsin woods nearly a quarter-century ago.

Benjamin Carl Hanson, 57, of Bayport, was charged on Thursday in St. Croix County Circuit Court with hiding a corpse and felony theft in connection with the handling of Alyce Catharina Peterson's remains, according to the Star Tribune.

Peterson, 92, died of natural causes from an aortic aneurysm at Regions Hospital in St Paul on 23 July 2001. Her family believed she had been properly cremated at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Maplewood two days later, and they received what they thought were her ashes.

A Grim Discovery in the Woods

Around 15 months later, on 19 October 2002, a group of Boy Scouts hiking near the Fred C Anderson Scout Camp in Somerset Township, Wisconsin, stumbled upon a black rubbish bag in a ravine several hundred yards from the road. Inside was a human skull 'in the late stages of decomposition', according to KSTP.

The scouts opened the bag using a stick and discovered the skull, bringing it to their scout leaders, who alerted authorities.

DNA tests were conducted on the remains, but no identification could be made at the time. The case eventually went cold, with investigators unable to determine who the skull belonged to, reported KARE 11.

For more than two decades, the identity remained a mystery. Early forensic analysis mistakenly suggested the skull belonged to a woman of Asian or Native American descent, sending investigators down false leads, according to the DNA Doe Project.

The DNA Breakthrough

The breakthrough came in 2021 when the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office contacted the DNA Doe Project, a California-based nonprofit organisation specialising in genetic genealogy. In February 2021, the skull was sent to Astrea Forensics in Santa Cruz for advanced DNA testing, according to Bring Me The News.

The DNA analysis revealed the woman was actually of Swedish descent, not Asian. This unexpected discovery became a turning point. The DNA Doe Project traced her ancestry back to Sweden, with her DNA profile showing a 25 per cent match to a distant relative who had uploaded their DNA to a public database.

'We were surprised to discover through DNA analysis that St Croix County Jane Doe was of Swedish descent,' said Robin Espensen, co-team leader of the DNA Doe Project. This summer, investigators finally confirmed the skull belonged to Peterson, who was born Alyce Philen in 1909 before changing her name upon marriage, according to WEAU.

'This is the first time that I have seen a Doe identified as someone who had a death certificate and who was supposedly cremated,' case manager Eric Hendershott said. 'The fact that Alyce's skull ended up where it did was a real shock, but I'm glad that the team was able to identify her and reunite her with her family.'

How the Skull Was Removed

Anthropologist Jordan Karsten at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory analysed Peterson's skull and concluded it was removed from her body post-mortem and 'could have been a consequence of dismemberment involving chopping to the back of the neck', according to the Daily Gazette.

Investigators determined that Hanson was the licensed funeral director at Simonet Funeral Home in Oak Park Heights when Peterson died.

Funeral home preparation rooms, where bodies are prepared before cremation, can only be accessed by licensed funeral directors, reported the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

Peterson's file included numerous forms signed by Hanson and none by any other employee, leading police to conclude that her family 'dealt directly with Ben Hanson for all funeral services'.

The woman who was executor of Peterson's family trust told investigators she 'believed all of [the body] would be cremated per her request' and 'did not give anyone permission to remove any of [Peterson's] body parts'.

The executor had been nannied as a child by Peterson, and she later spread what she believed were Peterson's ashes on a family farm, according to WIPROUD.

Alleged Theft and Misconduct

Former employees told investigators that Hanson was suspected of stealing from the business. One employee said Hanson used the funeral home credit card to purchase school supplies, lawnmower parts, and pay for HVAC work at his personal residence.

Investigators found a bill charging Peterson's estate $2,700 for hair services. Oddly, the bill listed 'Michele Hanson' as having performed the service. Michele Hanson is Benjamin Hanson's wife, who was elected mayor of Bayport in 2022. She did not work at the funeral home. Mary Aronson, the executor of Peterson's funeral trust, told police she never requested that service.

One former colleague told authorities that he covered for Hanson during the summer of 2001 when Hanson was hospitalised after 'going off the deep end'.

The funeral home eventually fired Hanson, and law enforcement officers had to remove him from the premises. A former employee said Hanson later 'attempted to swerve at her in the parking lot with his vehicle' in 2003, though a restraining order request was denied.

Unanswered Questions

The criminal complaint does not reveal a motive for removing Peterson's skull or explain how it ended up where Boy Scouts found it. Prosecutors have not detailed exactly what actions Hanson allegedly took.

Perhaps most troubling for Peterson's family, there remains uncertainty about whether the ashes they received and later scattered were actually hers.

A search warrant filed in Ramsey County District Court in August stated: 'It has not been confirmed that those remains are Peterson.' Maplewood police investigated whether cemetery employees severed Peterson's skull, but found no wrongdoing on Forest Lawn Cemetery's part.

Current Status

Hanson, who has since retired as a funeral director, was booked into jail on December 18, 2025, posted $5,000 bond, and was released the next day. He is scheduled to appear in court on 26 February. He could face additional charges in Washington County, where the Oak Park Heights Police Department forwarded its investigation to the county attorney's office for review.

Michele Hanson responded to media requests by writing: 'This allegedly occurred more than two decades ago. I support my husband, and I am confident we'll get through this with the love and support of our family and friends.'

Defence attorney Eric Thole said: 'We're talking about an alleged incident that happened 24 years ago. I'll need time to review everything.'

The current owners of Simonet Funeral Home, who purchased the business in 2013, released a statement expressing their deepest sympathies to the family of Alice Peterson and emphasising that Hanson has never been an employee of the current owners.

St Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said: 'We wish to express our condolences and appreciation to the family of Alyce Peterson, who respectfully requests privacy as they grieve the renewed attention surrounding their loved one's death.'