For decades, a homicide has stumped the Franklin Police Department. But new technology could take the cold case and put it on the front burner.
FRANKLIN, Wis. – A man was stabbed multiple times and his throat was cut after he was killed.
For decades, the homicide has stumped the Franklin Police Department. But new technology could take the cold case and put it on the front burner.
Franklin cold case
The backstory:
Off of South 27th Street, near the county line, lies West Elm Road. Back in the 1980s, there used to be a bar at the corner. Industry has slowly filled in the former farm fields.
But some things remain just as they were back on Feb. 1,1986.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Two men called police after they found a body in a ditch near a farmer’s field.
A body found
What we know:
The man was identified as 27-year-old Lyle Trudeau. There are only two cold cases Franklin police have opened, and one of them is Trudeau.
Trudeau frequented south suburban bars. He was last seen alive at this one on East Layton in Cudahy.
It’s now a different name, and different owner, but was known as Corey’s Port of Call in 1986.
Three witnesses told police they saw Trudeau walk out of the back of the bar with three guys. One guy punched him, picked him up and put him into a car.
Police were able to put together persons of interest early on.
But the case went cold.
New technology
What’s next:
Over the years, investigators continued to work the case and re-interview possible witnesses. But now they are hoping new DNA technology will help get investigators closer to solving the case.
At 13th and Rawson was a bar called the Klondike Tap. It’s long gone, but its owner called police after Trudeau was killed. Someone had come in with blood on their hand and the owner wiped it up with a towel.
Police then collected it.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
It gives this generation of detectives another path to follow, though they are unclear what lies at the end of it.
Police weigh in
What they’re saying:
“it’s teamwork through multiple generations of investigators. It’s just you’re kind of passing it on. And you pick up where they left off and do your best as an investigative unit,” police captain Jason Ireland said. “It’s essentially an unsolved puzzle. And you just look to get, you know, try to gather some of the missing pieces and try to bring it to a conclusion. We now have technology available that they didn’t have back then, and you try put the two together and create a successful outcome in your investigation.”
The FPD said if you know something, give them a call at 414-858-2643.
For more information on Franklin cold cases, visit the city’s website.
Archive footage
On Feb. 1, 1986, Lyle Trudeau’s body was found lying in a ditch on West Elm Road in Franklin.
The Source: The Franklin Police Department provided information for this report.