A Tale of Dry Bones

About the Book

On Labor Day weekend, 1980, Boy Scout Troop #101 scheduled a weekend camping
trip on the Schmidt farm located outside the City of Monroe, Wisconsin. As one
of the scouts was digging a fire pit on the edge of the grove, he unearthed skeletal
remains. Everyone got excited speculating what those bones could be. The Scout
leader promptly called the police to report the finding.
Upon inspection, Police Chief Brandon Johns called pathologist Dr. Ken to examine
the bones. When he arrived at the scene, he surmised that the bones were human and
incredibly old and had them removed to the morgue for further analysis. Was this a
crime scene or not? Would the police be willing to take on a cold case?
Chief Johns and Detective Sam Gates contacted the Schmidt family who were in
shock after the discovery and revealed a family secret that had haunted them since the
1920s. Yes, they wanted an investigation to proceed to bring closure to the mystery.
Given all the difficulties associated with solving a cold case, the police soldiered on
in hopes of identifying the bones and the killer so the family could find peace. After
interviewing all the people who had any knowledge of the case, with all its twists, turns,
and surprises, would they eventually learn the truth? Had a crime been committed? Too
many theories and insufficient facts stymied their efforts. Was this case a fool’s errand?

About the Author