10/24/2019
This is incredibly lengthy, but as a way of putting her case and this page to rest, we wanted to release the entire transcript of Sheriff Johnson's press conference write-up along with the photos that were on display.
Please note we will not be taking further questions regarding the case at this time.
Traci Hammerberg
Media Packet
18 year old Traci Hammerberg was very social with a wide variety of friends. She was described as quiet, friendly and sweet. She had several prior police contacts concerning her efforts to run away from home, however in December of 1984 she had moved back home with her mother, step father, and half-sister in Saukville. In December 1984 she had a boyfriend who had recently moved to North Dakota. She always wore his class ring and planned to move out to North Dakota to be with him. Traci by all accounts was back on the right path and was making positive changes in her life.
On Friday, December 14, 1984, Traci was babysitting in the Village of Saukville, WI. Traci babysat from approximately 7:20 p.m. until 9:45 p.m. Traci was expected to babysit the following morning at 7:30 a.m. After she was finished babysitting, she walked to S&S Foods, located at the corner of West Dekora Road and Tower Street, in Saukville. She was dressed nice in jeans and a light green knit sweater, wearing her dark green jacket. She met up with friends and they drove to Quade’s Tavern, located in the City of Port Washington. Traci purchased a six pack of beer and told the bartender she was going to a party in Grafton.
This group of friends went to a residence, located on S. Garfield Avenue in Port Washington, where they played a beer drinking game and smoked ma*****na. At approximately midnight, one of her friend’s brothers arrived to the residence after working in Milwaukee. They decided to drive to S&S Foods, in Saukville, offering Traci a ride but she declined. She remained at the residence with her friends.
At around 12:30 a.m., December 15, 1984, she left the home on Garfield on foot. Her route would have been approximate 3.7 miles primarily along Highway 33 between Port Washington and Saukville to her home at 109 S. Mayfair Dr., Saukville. It was not uncommon for Traci to walk between Port Washington and Saukville and she was known to accept rides from people she knew and to hitch hike.
On December 15, 1984 at approximately 5:45 a.m., a hunter was retrieving his hunting gear outside of his residence on Maple Road in the Town of Grafton. He reported hearing and then observing a mid-size, dark colored sedan with the lights off rapidly leave the driveway of the next door residence. The car turned fast and quickly accelerated northbound on Maple Road. Also at around the same time another hunter was in the woods near the intersection of Maple Road and Cedar Sauk Road. This hunter heard and observed through trees, a car turn, tires squealing and accelerating rapidly westbound on Cedar Sauk Road from Maple Road with the headlights off.
Also at around 5:45am, another resident had just awoken to prepare to go to work. As he went down his driveway he found Traci’s battered body lying on the south side of the driveway. She was moaning.
At approximately 6:27 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office received a call from this resident on Maple Road reporting Traci Hammerberg’s body in his driveway. After contacting the police, he returned to Traci and stayed with her until law enforcement arrived.
Traci’s body was discovered naked from the waist down with her sweater pulled up. Her pants and shoes were located near her head. Blood cast off was found on the snow and in the trees around her. An open pack of Marlboro ci******es was also recovered at the scene near her feet.
Autopsy findings revealed that Traci had been sexually assaulted and strangled. She had been repeatedly struck on the right side of her head with a metallic object causing multiple skull fractures and massive brain damage resulting in death. She was brutally beaten.
A large amount of semen was recovered from her vaginal canal during autopsy, revealing that she had been murdered a short time after being r***d. Injuries consistent with a violent r**e were noted on Traci’s body. A State Crime Lab Scientist advised investigators that they were confident that the individual who had sexually assaulted Traci was also her murderer.
Initial analysis of the semen was through blood typing, suspects could be excluded as being contributors.
A DNA profile was developed by the WI State Crime Lab from the suspect semen. Traci’s fingernails were analyzed by scientists at the crime lab; DNA material matching that of the semen was recovered. This evidence is consistent with defensive actions of Traci fighting off her attacker. Without a doubt the DNA recovered from Traci’s body was from the person that r***d and killed Traci Hammerberg.
Since 1984, Investigators from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation have been working side by side with Detectives from the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was also provided by the FBI Behavior Analysis Unit providing a criminal profile.
Hundreds of witnesses were interviewed regarding the investigation. Over 400 male individuals were eliminated through blood type and DNA analysis. Numerous tips were followed and investigative theories pursued yielding no match to a suspect.
In March 2019 investigative efforts focused on forensic genealogy. Investigators worked in conjunction with the Los Angeles FBI Forensic Genetic Genealogy Team with Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter, an independent genealogy consultant joining the efforts. The FBI team consisting of Intelligence Analyst Melissa Parisot, Special Agent William Bondurant, Special Agent Steven Busch, Associate Division Counsel Steven Kramer, and Special Agent Amy Whitman provided much need guidance to our Wisconsin team. Our Wisconsin team consisted of Special Agent Neil McGrath and Analysist Courtney Ripp of the WI Department of Justice, Detective Scott Heller, Kristin Johnson, Bryan Boesch, Retired Undersheriff Jeff Taylor and me from the Sheriff’s Office.
We scoured the evidence that had the greatest potential to provide suspect DNA. This evidence was sent to a private lab to develop the DNA profile. This DNA profile was uploaded to a public genetic genealogy data base. Investigators used software to build the genetic genealogy of the suspect. The genealogy data bases were used to identify family members of the suspect, the closest relative identified in the data bases was a second cousin.
The next step of the process was to start building family trees back four generations. Then we filled in the family genealogy to the current generation to encompass any male that would have been age 16 to 60 in 1984 and would be considered a second cousin.
We identified potential contributors of the DNA and returned to traditional investigations of locating and eliminating these suspects.
On August 28, 2019 Philip Cross was identified as a potential suspect through genetic genealogy. Cross had died of a drug overdose on August 21, 2012 in Milwaukee and an autopsy had been conducted by Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s office. A standard practice during autopsies, is to prepare a DNA card. Investigators obtained Philip Cross’s DNA card and delivered it to the State Crime Lab in Madison.
On September 3, 2019 Investigators received confirmation from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab that the DNA profile developed from the vaginal swab and right hand fingernail clippings from Traci Hammerberg’s autopsy were consistent with the DNA profile of Philip Cross.
After almost 35 years, we had found the person that had brutally r***d, strangled, and bludgeoned to death Traci Hammerberg. We had mixed feelings, Special Agent McGrath and I had started working Traci’s case in 2005. We had many up and downs conducting the investigation, but we never gave up.
Phillip Cross was not a name known to us or in Traci’s file. Investigators went out to find out who Phillip Cross was.
Philip J. Cross was 21 years old at the time of the homicide. Employment records confirmed that Cross worked second shift, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., at Rexnord Plastics, located in Grafton, WI. Cross resided at his parent’s residence, on Green Bay Road in the Town of Port Washington. Cross had been released from Dodge Correctional Institution in April, 1984. Cross was believed to be driving a 1972 Plymouth Fury in late 1984, early 1985. This vehicle was consistent with the vehicle description of the hunter given at the time of the incident.
Cross briefly attended Port Washington High School in 1978 before being incarcerated at Ethan Allen School in Wales, Wisconsin, following incidents where he was an active participant in calling a bomb threat in to his school and stealing a car. In an interview with police in 1978 following a vehicle theft incident, Cross stated that sometimes he does things without realizing what he is doing at the time. Cross went missing on three occasions while at Ethan Allen School. Cross was released from Ethan Allen School in August, 1981.
In 1982, Cross was jailed at the Ozaukee County Jail on drug and other charges at which time he cooperated with police, acting as an informant to develop cases on local drug dealers.
In January 1983 Cross punched a hole in the wall of the Driftwood Motel located in the Town of Port Washington following an argument with his girlfriend.
Cross was incarcerated in the Wisconsin State Prison System from February 1983 through April 1984 after being convicted of Forgery.
Cross began working part time at Rexnord Plastics in September 1984, becoming a full time employee in November 1984.
On September 26, 1985, Cross was listed as a witness in a prowler complaint in which a victim reported leaving her place of employment (Rexnord Plastics), going to a tavern, and arriving to her residence at approximately 2:00 a.m. at which time she observed someone standing in the bushes near her house. Her co-worker Cross arrived at the victim’s residence shortly after, reporting to her that he observed an individual running from the area.
While working at Rexnord, Cross received complaints for leaving a vulgar note for co-workers, using bad language to others, having bad work habits and a bad attitude, and abusing and causing damage to a machine. Co-workers recalled Cross having a volatile temper, throwing objects and getting angry when things didn’t go his way. This caused some co-workers to avoid him.
Cross married in 1988. Cross stopped working at Rexnord in 1988 after which he moved to Sheboygan.
On September 14, 1991 Cross attempted to strangle a woman with his belt while she was giving him a ride home from a Sheboygan tavern. During a subsequent interview with this victim, she stated she did not know what triggered Cross to attack her. The victim said she feared for her life and believed Cross was going to kill her had she not been able to escape. Cross admitted to police that he was involved, however provided a different account of the incident.
During a recent interview, Traci’s brother Ricky Hammerberg remembered Cross from school and had recalled him riding the same bus to Middle School. This was the same bus Traci also rode and she would have known Cross. Ricky stated that Cross liked to pick fights on the bus, that he beat people up, and others were afraid of him. He said that Cross was always “on the edge of violence”.
Between 1992 and 2004 police responded to Cross’s residence on at least 15 occasions for domestic disturbance complaints. These incidents included Cross being verbally and physically abusive, throwing objects, and damaging property. Along with these domestic abuse incidents, there were allegations that Cross was sexually inappropriate with a young girl. There were also multiple accounts of Cross abusing drugs and alcohol.
In August 2012, an arrest warrant was issued for Philip Cross out of Milwaukee Count stemming from charges where Cross made threatening remarks to hospital staff over the telephone regarding Cross not being able to see his girlfriend. Hospital staff recounted Cross made multiple calls making belligerent statements and became “very angry very fast”.
On August 21, 2012, Philip Cross died of a drug overdose in a motel room at the Diamond Inn located in Milwaukee.
Cross’s 2nd shift employment at Rexnord would allow him to be in the Port Washington area at the time Traci left on foot from her friend’s residence. The prowler report supports this information that Cross frequented the Port Washington area in the early morning hours following his shift. Traci Hammerberg was known to frequently walk from Port Washington to Saukville and it would not have been uncommon for her to accept rides offered to her. Traci was familiar with the driveway where she was found and may have directed Cross there if they were looking for a place to hang out. Philip Cross had a volatile temper and was known to act violently when he did not get his way, such as if Traci denied Cross’s sexual advances.
Philip Cross was described by many as a loner, who did not have close friends. Interviews also indicated Cross was not close with his family. Cross had multiple police contacts and appeared comfortable speaking with law enforcement, however was known to have lied on multiple occasions.
Witnesses reported Cross smoked Marlboro ci******es, a pack of which were recovered at Traci’s homicide scene. Traci smoked menthol ci******es.
Investigators have not discovered a connection or any evidence of association between Cross and the friends that Traci was with or the family that lived on the property where she was found.
Throughout the background investigation of Cross, while some witnesses described Cross as nice, handsome, many described him as a drug and alcohol abuser who was ill tempered and abusive, quick to fly off the handle, and frequently in trouble.
It is important to note that we received overwhelming assistance in Traci’s case from men that were willing to help us find the killer. They willingly gave us their DNA, so we could continue to look for the suspect. Many invited us into their homes to share their stories of Traci, we truly appreciate their help.
The traditional investigation encompassed 34 years, over those years numerous detectives and deputies from the Sheriff’s Office were involved in some aspect of Traci’s case. We appreciate all of the work each and every one of them contributed to the case.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has been there with us all through these years. Partnerships are more than agencies working together, they are people bonded over the same goal, bringing justice for the victims.
The State Crime Lab was also connected to Traci’s case. The analyst that was initially assigned the case kept the case when she transferred from Milwaukee to Madison.
While we may not have known Traci, we wanted justice for her and for her family.
