A woman was murdered in 1974 while hitchhiking to a Chicago art show. 50 years later, investigators found her killer

By Emma Tucker, CNN
3 minute read • Published 9:27 PM EST, Fri November 8, 2024


Mary K. Schlais was found deceased near the intersection in Spring Brook, Wisconsin, on February 15, 1974. Dunn County Sheriff's Office

(CNN) -- Investigators in Wisconsin used genetic genealogy to solve a 50-year-old cold case this week, charging an 84-year-old Minnesota man with killing a woman who was found dead in 1974, authorities said. ... Mary K. Schlais, 25, was found dead at an intersection in the township of Spring Brook, Wisconsin on February 15, 1974, according to the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office. Her death was ruled a homicide and the initial investigation revealed she had been hitchhiking to an art show in Chicago when she was killed, the agency said.

Jon Miller, of Owatonna, Minnesota, was arrested on Thursday after he “confirmed his involvement” with Schlais’ homicide, according to Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd. He’s currently in custody in Steele County, Minnesota, and is awaiting extradition to Wisconsin, Bygd said. ... “This is a huge victory for our agency,” Bygd said at a Friday news conference. It’s the first time the agency has used genetic genealogy to solve a case, the sheriff said.

For decades, detectives from multiple law enforcement agencies who were assigned to the homicide case received various leads and tips and conducted interviews, but no “viable” suspects were identified, according to the sheriff’s office. ... Evidence was also examined and reexamined over the years, but it wasn’t until the agency started working with a team of genetic genealogists at Ramapo College in New Jersey in recent years, investigators were able to identify Miller as the suspect using genetic evidence, the department said.

Forensic genetic genealogy can generate leads for unsolved cases by analyzing DNA on top of traditional genealogy research, according to the US Department of Justice. ... It combines forensic genetics, or DNA analysis, with conventional genealogy, or one’s family history, for human identification.

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