The Identification of Wynona Nadine Michel and Keri Lyn Wyant and Potential Link to a serial killer

This episode criss-crosses Central Illinois talking about a carnival worker whose body was discovered in rural Champaign County in 1995 and a transient woman whose body was found in a bean field in Troy, Illinois in 1990. 

Wynona "Wendy" Nadine Michel was identified through genetic genealogy after 35 years on July 1, 2025 by the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

 Keri Lynn Wyant, a carnival worker for Swyear Amusements, was identified the same way after more than 25 years in October 2020. You can read more about Wyant's story on this report I did for WLDS in 2020. 

Both had been labeled Jane Does and were believed to be murdered by authorities.

Both women are believed to be linked to prolific serial killer Larry DeWayne Hall who is currently serving a life sentence in federal prison in North Carolina for his crimes. A portion of Hall's story was recently depicted in the 2022 crime drama miniseries Black Bird on Apple+.