Full Notification

Date: June 1, 2016

No: 16-34
Subject: Death Investigation


The Racine County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified skeletal remains found in 2011 in the City of Racine along the Lake Michigan shore as that of ANTONIO GUERRERO, age 31 who was reported missing from Berwyn, Illinois.

The skeletal remains were found wedged within the shoreline rocks just east of the 5th Street boat launch in the City of Racine on 11-12-2011. A forearm and hand discovered 3 weeks later among the rocks near Carre-Hogle Park approximately 1 mile south of the boat launch were also matched to Guerrero.

Upon the discovery, the skeletal remains were sent to the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office where an autopsy was conducted along with an odontology exam in the event teeth found with the remains could be matched to the dental records of a missing person.

The Medical Examiner’s Office further consulted with an independent anthropologist who studied the remains in order to determine the sex, approximate age and ethnicity of the deceased. This process took 9 months to complete and revealed the skeletal remains were that of a male in his early 20’s to middle 30’s. Ethnicity could not be determined at this time. Thomas Terry, Racine County’s Medical Examiner at the time of the discovery, authorized the case information to be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) database.

While efforts for forensic identification continued, Racine Police Investigators reviewed the reports of missing persons filed in southeast Wisconsin to compile a list of unsolved missing person’s cases that might match that of the man found among the rocks on the Racine lakefront.

Racine Police Investigators discovered Antonio Guerrero, age 31 had been reported missing in September, 2011 from his home in Berwyn, Illinois just west of Chicago. The Guerrero family provided police with information that Antonio may have been in Racine in September, 2011 when he stopped communicating with family members.

Investigators obtained Guerrero’s dental records to compare with the odontology exam performed on the unidentified male. Unfortunately the exam provided inconclusive results.

The case remained open for the next 15 months while investigators continued to review reports of missing persons who might match the profile provided by the initial anthropology exam.

Last year, Waukesha County Medical Examiner Lynda Biedrzycki, M.D. contacted current Racine County Medical Examiner Michael Payne, informing him of her decision to hire forensic anthropologist, Cristina Figueroa Soto, as deputy medical examiner. With Medical Examiner Payne's authorization, Figueroa Soto examined the referenced unidentified skeletal remains.

Subsequent forensic testing by the University of North Texas (UNT) Center for Human Identification Laboratory found a DNA sequence in the unknown skeletal remains that is more commonly found among persons of Hispanic descent. Figueroa Soto recommended further DNA testing of DNA specimens from Guerrero’s family to assist with this investigation.

In the fall of 2015, DNA swabs from Guerrero’s mother and siblings were sent to the UNT Laboratory for comparison with the DNA extracted from the skeletal remains. UNT officials confirmed within a high degree of mathematical probability that the unidentified remains were those of the biological child and sibling of the Guerrero family.

Racine Police Investigators and the Racine County Medical Examiner recently met with the Guerrero family, providing them with the conclusive findings. The family has since made funeral arrangements for their loved one.

The manner of death is currently classified as “Undetermined” and no additional information will be released at this time.

The Racine County Medical Examiner’s Office wishes to acknowledge the staff at the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office for the assistance and guidance provided in making the identification of Antonio Guerrero possible.

Racine Police investigators remain interested in additional information anyone may have regarding this investigation. Witnesses, or citizens with information are encouraged to contact the Racine Police Department Investigations Unit at (262) 635-7756.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at (262) 636-9330, or text 274637 (CRIMES). Text message should begin with RACS.

No additional information is available at this time.


Lieutenant Aldred D. Days
Public Information Officer