Officers investigate a body found near Rib Mountain. Image couresy: WAOW TV
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office has announced that they have identified the body that was found near Cloverland Lane last month.
The deceased man was identified as Robert Wenitschka, a 74-year-old homeless man with no known ties to the Wausau area. Autopsy results confirm that he died of natural causes, as no signs of trauma or foul play were present.
Officers say they had to conduct a social media search and found Wenitschka’s family in Illinois and Indiana. They told officers that they had not seen or heard from him since he returned from Vietnam some 40 years ago.
Due to the decomposed state of the body investigators used DNA testing to confirm his identity.
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It’s unclear how he got to the Wausau area, or how long he had been here. The Marathon County Sheriff’s office released a statement on Friday saying they hope the discovery of Wenitschka’s body can provide closure for his family, while also honoring his service to our country by allowing for a proper burial with military honors.
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