Body of murder victim in Lockport ID’d after 42 years

After more than 42 years, a murder victim whose body was sealed inside of a crate at a Lockport power plant has been identified.

Webster Fisher was identified as the man whose body was discovered on July 30, 1980, in a wooden crate located at a Lockport power plant, which is part of the Chicago Water Reclamation Canal, according to Will County Laurie Summers’ Office.

An autopsy indicated Fisher had been shot several times.

Fisher’s body had been sealed in the crate, which was broken open during removal and dumping by power plant employees, according to the coroner’s office. His body had been found by an employee who was looking for driftwood.

Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Dan Jungles said police believe that Fisher was killed in Cook County and thrown into a river in that crate.

“In this particular case, there are potentially a lot of different suspects because of the lifestyle that this gentlemen lived,” Jungles said.

Jungles said Fisher “hung around some nefarious individuals” and operated a chop shop, which is an illicit business that takes apart stolen vehicles and sells their parts.

“He did live a criminal lifestyle,” he said.

On June 27, 2022, Fisher’s remains were exhumed with the help of the University of Illinois’ forensic anthropology department and skeletal standards were sent to the company Othram for analysis, according to the coroner’s office.

On Feb. 16, 2023, Othram staff provided possible relatives of the victim, whom they believed is Fisher based on their analysis.

Cold case investigators made contact with potential relatives and determined from their interviews that Fisher was “very likely the unidentified man,” according to the coroner’s office.

A DNA marker was obtained from a close relative and sent to Othram staff.

On March 15, Othram staff contacted Summers’ office indicating Fisher is in fact the unidentified man, coroner’s office said.

Fisher’s case is the fourth cold case solved by Summers’ office through a partnership with Othram in a year, according to the coroner’s office.