After 31 years, the identity of a man who died following a fall from a high wall at the Church Street downtown library has been confirmed. Donald Elden Verhalen was identified thanks to genealogy research performed on a bone sample by the Othram Lab in Texas.
Verhalen, who sustained a serious head injury from the fall on August 7, 1993, passed away at the hospital. At the time, he was 56 years old.
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The investigation by MNPD Cold Case Homicide detectives revealed that Verhalen had lost contact with his family years prior and was originally from Wisconsin. At the time of his death, he was homeless and did not have any identification on him.
The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death accidental.
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Man Identified 31 Years After Fatal Fall
Genealogy research conducted by Othram Lab in Texas has identified Donald Elden Verhalen, a 56-year-old homeless man from Wisconsin, who died after falling off a high wall at the Church Street downtown library in 1993.