Investigators say Bowler man was suspect in newly-solved cold case murder in Winnebago County

NEENAH, Wis. (WBAY) - The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office released more information Tuesday on how they solved a cold case from 1963, including identifying a suspect in the case, who died in 2022.

On June 12, 1963, Wayne Pratt was killed at the former Enco Station along old U.S. 41 in Winnebago County. He was found dead with 53 stab wounds and his body was covered with a blanket.

The case went cold after several years but was reopened in 2011 and evaluated for potential DNA evidence. The blanket used to cover Pratt was tested and while DNA mixtures were found, they couldn’t be entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to search for suspects, so authorities again were at an impasse.

More than 60 years later, the sheriff’s office has identified the suspect in the case: William A. Doxtator, of Bowler.

The sheriff’s office said Doxtator was identified as a suspect in this case just days after Wayne Pratt had been found murdered. Besides the initial investigation into Doxtator, the Sheriff’s Office had received tips on William Doxtator in 1968 and 2009.

New information had been developed on Doxtator in 2017, during the re-opened investigation. In 2018, a warrant was signed to obtain a DNA standard from Doxtator. The sheriff’s office said Doxtator, who was 82 years old in 2018, was not the only suspect to provide a DNA standard for this case.

According to the sheriff’s office, in 2023, Sorenson Forensics conducted updated DNA testing and again, identified DNA mixtures. In 2024, Cybergenetics used the latest technology for solving degraded DNA and complex mixtures. Their TrueAllele® data analysis determined that William Doxtator’s DNA was statistically present on the blanket that had been used to cover Wayne Pratt.

This DNA evidence, together with information from original reports and living witness statements, strongly supported the Sheriff’s Office’s conclusion to refer a count of First-degree Intentional Homicide to the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office.

William Doxtator passed away in 2022.

Winnebago County District Attorney Eric Sparr said there would be sufficient evidence to pursue a homicide charge if William Doxtator were alive today.

“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,” Sparr said in a statement.

In a statement, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, Sorenson Forensics (Utah), and Cybergenetics (Pennsylvania) for their work on the DNA evidence in this case.

The sheriff’s office said they would also like to thank the late Andy Thompson, a long-time reporter at The (Appleton) Post Crescent for his contributions and assistance with this case. The sheriff’s office called his dedication “invaluable.”