For 20 years, she was buried under a headstone that read only "Jane Doe." It took a DNA match and an anonymous tip to finally give her a name — and her killer a conviction.
On July 21, 1999, a man walking his dog with his daughter in Raymond, Wisconsin, discovered the body of a young woman in a cornfield, following drag marks down an embankment. She had no identification, and no missing person report matched her description. She would remain unidentified for two decades.
Years as a Jane Doe
Investigators determined the woman had suffered extensive abuse over an extended period before her death, with injuries in various stages of healing. Despite facial reconstructions circulated over the years, including a 2012 update from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, no one came forward to identify her. She was buried with a headstone reading "Daughter: Jane Doe, Gone but Not Forgotten." In 2013, her remains were exhumed for isotope analysis in hopes of narrowing down where she might have lived.
A Tip Breaks the Case
In September 2019, someone contacted the Racine County Sheriff's Office with a tip: a former nurse named Linda LaRoche, then living in Florida, had reportedly told people she'd killed a woman years earlier while living in Illinois. That lead led investigators to Peggy Lynn Johnson, a cognitively impaired young woman who had vanished from McHenry, Illinois, around the same time. DNA testing confirmed the connection in November 2019, finally identifying the Jane Doe as Peggy Lynn Johnson, 23.
How Peggy Met Linda LaRoche
Peggy had lost her mother — the last of a series of family deaths — in 1994, at 18, and had cognitive impairments that made independent living difficult. She sought help at a medical clinic, where she met LaRoche, a nurse who offered to take her in and help her finish school in exchange for housekeeping and childcare.
According to testimony from LaRoche's own children, the arrangement turned into years of abuse. They described witnessing their mother physically assault Peggy repeatedly, including one incident in which she struck Peggy in the head with a pitchfork, and said Peggy was made to sleep in a crawl space beneath the home.
Her Death
LaRoche's then-husband told investigators he came home one day in July 1999 to find Peggy unresponsive; LaRoche told him she had overdosed on pills. He took their children out for the afternoon at LaRoche's instruction, and by the time he returned, Peggy was gone. LaRoche gave conflicting accounts over the years about what happened next, at various points claiming Peggy had recovered and been left with a relative or dropped off along a roadside.
An autopsy found Peggy had died from an infection and sepsis pneumonia stemming from untreated wounds, not an overdose — toxicology testing found no evidence of the pills LaRoche described. She had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, a broken nose, multiple broken ribs, and burns covering roughly a quarter of her body.
Trial and Conviction
LaRoche was arrested in November 2019. In March 2022, a Racine County jury convicted her of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse. Prosecutors argued at trial that LaRoche had grown jealous of Peggy, who several of LaRoche's children described as beloved by the rest of the family. In May 2022, a judge sentenced LaRoche to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years for concealing the body. LaRoche maintained her innocence throughout, telling the court, "Whoever did this to her is more than a monster... but it's not me."
A Possible Second Victim
LaRoche's appeal, filed after her conviction, has pointed to a second case: Mary Kate Sunderlin, a 34-year-old woman found dead under similar circumstances in Lake County, Illinois, in December 1999 — just five months after Peggy's death — who also went unidentified for years. A forensic pathologist hired by LaRoche's defense reviewed both autopsies and concluded the injuries were similar enough to suggest the possibility of a single person responsible for both deaths, a claim the defense has raised as part of its appeal.
Where Things Stand Now
As of the most recent reporting, LaRoche's appeal remains active in Racine County courts. Community donations helped relocate Peggy's remains to her family's burial plot in Illinois, alongside her mother, and a local funeral home donated a proper headstone bearing her real name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Linda LaRoche convicted of Peggy Johnson's murder?
Yes. She was convicted in March 2022 of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse, and sentenced in May 2022 to life without parole plus five years.
How long was Peggy Johnson's body unidentified?
Roughly 20 years, from 1999 until DNA testing confirmed her identity in November 2019.
Is there a connection to another victim?
LaRoche's defense has pointed to Mary Kate Sunderlin, a woman found dead under similar circumstances five months after Peggy, arguing a forensic pathologist found the injuries similar enough to suggest a possible connection — a claim raised as part of LaRoche's ongoing appeal.
Is the case still legally active?
Yes. LaRoche's appeal of her conviction remains ongoing as of the most recent reporting.