It's a victory for those close to Mary
Schlais. Indeed, the murderer of the young hitchhiker was arrested, 50 years after the tragedy. It all started on February 15, 1974 in the United States. That day, Mary Schlais, a 25-year-old artist, hitchhiked to get from Minneapolis, Minnesota to an art show in Chicago, Illinois.
Unfortunately, the young woman has a bad encounter. Her lifeless body was then found 120 km from her home. She was stabbed to death and is located along a road in Dunn County, Wisconsin.
Genetic genealogy helped identify the murderer
As soon as the body of Mary Schlais was discovered, an investigation was opened. Despite the presence of a cap at the scene of the tragedy, numerous analyzes yielded nothing. You will actually have to wait
50 years to find the murdereras reported CNN. In recent years, the Dunn County Sheriff's Office has actually begun working collaboratively with genetic genealogists at Ramapo University in New Jersey.
In 2023, investigators decided touse parental DNA to learn more about the hair found on the hat. By comparing it with the huge database, they were able to trace it back to a man. He then led them to his cousin in Michigan, then to a potential suspect:
Jon K. Milleraged 84.
The man who killed Mary Schlais confessed to the facts
Thursday, November 7, Jon K. Miller was arrested at his home from Owatonna, Minnesota. “He informed us that as soon as he opened the door he knew why we were there” authorities reported. Upon his arrest, the suspect also “recognized his involvement” in the murder of Mary Schlais. He was subsequently incarcerated in his state of origin awaiting extradition to Wisconsin.
For their part, investigators welcomed the resolution of this 50-year-old cold case. “This is a great victory for our unit. This is the first time we have used genetic genealogy to solve a case” said the Dunn County Sheriff. A real relief for the young woman's family.
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