Winnebago County solves 60 year old cold case

OSHKOSH, WI – (WISS & WGBW) – Winnebago County officials used advances in DNA technology to solve a cold case that had languished for over 60 years. But even though the case is considered closed and solved, no arrest will be made. The suspect died almost two years ago.

Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said Wayne Pratt was murdered at the former Enco Station along U.S. 41 on June 12th, 1963. Police found his body in the back room of the station, covered in a blanket. He had 53 stab wounds. Evidence on the blanket suggested that a suspect also bled in the attack.

No arrests were ever made. The case went cold in 1968. The case was reopened in 2011 and again in 2018 when a warrant to obtain DNA from William A Doxtator of Bowler who was 81 years old at the time. Other DNA samples from other suspects were also collected. In 2024, Cybernetics determined that Doxtator’s DNA was on the blanket.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office referred charges of First Degree Intentional Homicide against Doxtator to the district attorney. The Winnebago County District Attorney Eric Sparr said there is enough evidence to pursue a charge, but Doxtator died in 2022.

“I agree there would be sufficient evidence to support a factual basis and probable cause to pursue a homicide charge if William Doxtator were alive today,” said Sparr. “The District Attorney’s Office commends the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office for its ongoing investment in this case over a long period of time, showing dedication to securing some sense of finality and resolution for the families impacted.”