Ronnie Joe Kirk

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Madison Police Department (WI)

Death Location:

Madison, Wisconsin

Summary:

Police are seeking information regarding the death of Ronnie Joe Kirk. Kirk was found deceased in a chimney of the Good 'n Loud music store in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 3, 1989. He was listed as Unidentified until 2024, when Kirk was identified through Forensic Genetic Genealogy. Kirk was born in Oklahoma and is known to have travelled through Alabama, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Death:

Kirk’s body was discovered at the base of the chimney on Sept. 3, 1989, during the removal of a boiler at the Good 'n Loud music store. It is unclear if Kirk willingly went into the chimney or was murdered and stuffed in the chimney to hide his body. The bones of his pelvic region had been broken, and the injuries appeared to have occurred at the time of death, possibly from a fall or someone stomping on this portion of his body. Ronnie Joe Kirk remained an unidentified person for over 30 years when the Madison Police Department reached out to the DNA Doe Project. It took more than 2 years to develop a DNA profile from a single strand of rootless hair. The challenge came when identifying familial connections due to Kirk having been adopted, married and divorced twice. Kirk was found wearing low-heeled pointed shoes, a sleeveless paisley dress, matching belt and a long sleeved button down shirt. It is unclear if Kirk commonly dressing in women's clothing or if someone had placed them on him after death.

Additional Details:

Kirk disappeared in 1970, after losing contact with his family. Kirk was believed to be in his 40’s at the time of his death. Investigators are trying to piece together his life between 1970 and 1989.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 16, 2024