Welsch said a group of boaters launching their canoes found the torso in a bag floating in the river shallows. Investigators from multiple agencies searched the area and found other plastic bags in the river and along the shoreline containing severed limbs and a head. Welsch said police don't know where the body was dumped but surmise it was probably dropped in the river upstream and carried by the current to the discovery site. An autopsy determined the time of death at one to five days before the corpse was discovered. Police do not know how long the body was in the river.
Investigators have few clues to the identity of the victim.
An autopsy found a small scar on her left index finger and evidence that she had carried at least one child to full term. The victim's teeth were in excellent condition with no cavities or fillings. Preliminary toxicology reports found traces of alcohol use but no drug use. Since few African-Americans live in Sauk County, investigators believe the victim hails from another part of the country. Organized, disturbed killer Douglas said the circumstances of the crime point to an organized, premeditated crime where the killer was careful to cut the body into small pieces and dump them into a river to hide evidence and avoid capture.