Viken’s body found
By Brian Wilson,
Star News
Jean Viken is dead and for her family and friends that statement brings both sorrow and relief and a chance at closure.
Viken, a 39-year-old mother of four, has been missing from her Town of Holway home since Jan. 29. While suspecting the worst, her family and friends have lived in doubt not knowing if she was alive or dead.
“It is the beginning of the end,” said Lisa Jaecks, a family friend. While saddened by Viken’s death, at the same time Jaecks noted the discovery of her body was something of a relief so her loved ones would finally know what had happened to her.
“You can’t have a murder without a body,” said Jaecks, noting this will allow law enforcement to proceed with their murder investigation and bring Viken’s murderer to justice.
Viken’s body was found on May 10 by two trout fisherman in a remote corner of Sawyer County about 20 miles from where her van was found on February 6. She had been shot multiple times and at least once in the chest.
“There are currently several persons of interest,” said Taylor County Sheriff Bruce Daniels to reporters at a news conference Tuesday morning. However, Daniels would not comment further as to the identities of those individuals. He stated that “evidence recovered, information received and the location where Jean's remains were located further reinforce involvement of these people.” Daniels also would not elaborate on the type of gun used to kill Viken.

Background
On January 30 the Taylor County Sheriffs Department received a call for service related to the whereabouts of Jean A. Viken, a 39 year old mother of four, who was missing from her town of Holway home. When deputies responded to the home located at W8948 Elm Ave., Owen, they noted there was a pan on the kitchen stove that appeared to have been cooking for a lengthy period of time. The purse Jean Viken normally took with her whenever she went anywhere was also located in the house and the 2004 pewter in color Chevrolet Venture van bearing Wisconsin registration 855 HDH was missing. According to Daniels, the initial observations of the officers led them to request additional assistance of investigative staff.
Jean Viken was entered into the national network as a missing person that night. Her van was also entered into NCIC as missing. Daniels said the investigative inspection of the property provided several pieces of evidence that are currently under analysis with the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. He would not elaborate on what evidence was collected at the house and noted that additional investigation was ongoing at the residence.
On February 6 Viken’s van was located by a trapper on a logging road in a thickly wooded area of Ashland County on Lake Road and Forest Road 163 near the border with Sawyer County in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The location borders the Spring Brook semi-primitive non-motorized area and is one of the most remote areas in Ashland County. This is about 20 miles from where Viken’s body was ultimately found.
At the time the van was discovered there was no sign of Viken and no sign that she had walked into or had been taken into the woods. The foot-deep snow near the van was described by the Ashland County sheriff's department at the time as undisturbed.
According to Daniels significant evidence was collected at the van location and is currently with the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory for forensic evaluation.
Last weekend, on May 10 at noon, Taylor County was notified by Sawyer County that what appeared to be human remains were located in their county by two fishermen. The remains were located in an area approximately 10 miles north and 2.3 miles east of Hawkins in the Flambeau River State Forest. According to Daniels the clothing at the scene matched what Viken was wearing when she went missing.
According to Daniels, detectives responded to this scene where they met with Sawyer County authorities along with the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, Wisconsin DNR and Wisconsin State Patrol. The human remains were turned over to Taylor County for transport to the University Hospital in Madison for a forensic autopsy. Crime scene specialists discovered and collected numerous other items of forensic value both at the scene in Sawyer County and during the autopsy, again Daniels would not elaborate on what was found at the scene and only described the location as heavily wooded. Forensic analysis of the evidence recovered is taking place.