In the late spring of 2012, a routine task for a City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works crew took a grim turn. On May 30th, while clearing debris from a sewer catch basin in an alleyway behind the 2100 block of North 40th Street, workers discovered human remains. The body was that of an African-American male, but the identity of the individual was unknown, marking the beginning of a years-long mystery for investigators.
For more than two years, the man remained a "John Doe." The breakthrough in the case finally came on September 30, 2014. Investigators were able to positively identify the remains as belonging to Glenn Servetus Rodgers, a 57-year-old man. A crucial piece of evidence that led to his identification was a distinctive spinal fixation implant device located in his neck's cervical vertebrae. This unique medical hardware provided the clue needed to finally give him back his name. At the time of his death, Rodgers was 57 years old.
Following the positive identification of Servetus Rodgers, his next of kin were located and notified of his death. While the circumstances of his discovery suggested a violent end, with at least one online source categorizing his death as a "murdered or death by force," details regarding a criminal investigation remain scarce. There is no publicly available information regarding any arrests made or suspects identified in connection with his death. The official focus after his identification appeared to be on closing the missing person aspect of the case.
