Adopted 7-year-old killed, left in ditch in 1959, WI cops say. Birth family now ID’d
Investigators in Wisconsin announced they have solved a 65-year-old cold case involving the death of a 7-year-old boy whose body was found in a culvert.
Through genetic genealogy, investigators identified the child as Chester Alfred Breiney, according to a Nov. 8 news release from the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
At age 3, Chester was adopted and his name was changed to Markku Jutila, authorities said.
According to authorities, the boy died “traumatically” and as a “direct result of his torture and abuse by his adoptive parents.”
Though Markku’s adoptive mother “confessed to physically beating her son to death,” a lack of physical evidence resulted in charges against her being dismissed, the sheriff’s office said.
The child’s birth identity remained a mystery until September.
“No child should leave this Earth like Chester did,” the sheriff’s office said. “Chester may now rest in peace as the truth of his death is known.”
Remains found in 1959
On Oct. 4, 1959, human remains suspected to be a child between 6 and 8 years old were discovered in a culvert in Mequon, about a 20-mile drive northwest from Milwaukee, authorities said.
During an investigation, the Mequon Police Department learned authorities in Michigan and Illinois were looking into the disappearance of Markku “after family members of William and Hilja Jutila became suspicious of the whereabouts of their adopted child,” according to the release.
In an interview with police, the couple said Markku had been sent home from school because he was sick and was found dead in his room a few days later, according to the release.
Hilja Jutila later told police she beat her son to death, then fled more than 400 miles from Houghton, Michigan, to Chicago with her husband, dumping their child’s body in a ditch along the way, according to authorities.
Charges dismissed
After determining the remains of the child found in the ditch had similar features to Markku’s, the couple was arrested on March 28, 1966.
However, despite the statements made about killing the child, charges were dismissed about eight months later because the prosecution failed to connect the remains to the couple, authorities said.
No action was taken in the case of Markku’s death until October 2023.
Old news articles and new technology
According to the sheriff’s office, “most of the investigative reports were unable to be recovered due to the time that had passed,” so the renewed investigation relied heavily on newspaper articles from the 1966 investigation and new DNA technology.
Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Justice met with researchers from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and determined they would reexamine the remains and use DNA extracted from the skull to confirm the child’s identity, according to the sheriff’s office.
An examination revealed the child “likely suffered from significant neglect based on their dental health and new bone formation that was a result of infection” or trauma, according to authorities.
After coming across a 1966 newspaper article from the Milwaukee Journal with information about Markku’s adoption, investigators were able to track down adoption records, including his birth name, Chester Alfred Breiney, and the name of his birth mother, Josephine Breiney, authorities said.
In September 2024, investigators learned DNA from the child’s skull matched that of several members of the Breiney family, including Josephine, found via a search of a public DNA database, according to the release.
Communities honor Chester
According to the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Josephine Breiney died in 2001 and had no living relatives.
Chester’s adoptive parents both died in 1988, so no one will be prosecuted in connection with his death, authorities said.
“It’s been 65 years since Chester was murdered, however, he was never forgotten,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Port Washington, Lannon and Jackson communities donated a burial plot, casket, headstone and funeral service for Chester, authorities said. His funeral is scheduled for Nov. 15 in Port Washington.
This story was originally published November 12, 2024 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Adopted 7-year-old killed, left in ditch in 1959, WI cops say. Birth family now ID’d."
