(FreePressBeacon.com) – Decades after a brutal crime in Wisconsin, modern technology has finally brought justice where the system once struggled.
See photos of the victim and the newly found culprit in the tweet below!
DNA analysis has solved the 1974 murder of Mary Schlais, a tragic answer long overdue yet profoundly satisfying for those left behind in the wake of this crime.
Jon Keith Miller, an 84-year-old Minnesota resident, found himself confessing to a murder he likely thought he had evaded for life.
Arrested for the murder of 25-year-old Mary Schlais, Miller’s confession came after DNA evidence indisputably linked him to the crime, closing the book on one of Wisconsin’s oldest and most disturbing cold cases.
Mary was a master’s student at the University of Minnesota, on her way to an art exhibit in Chicago when Miller’s unwanted advances led to her untimely death.
Though years of suspect investigations yielded no results, eventual DNA testing opened new paths in this case.
Mary Schlais’ body, discovered with multiple stab wounds in 1974, prompted countless tips and leads that eventually ran cold.
In a significant turn in 2009, her body was exhumed in hopes of gathering DNA evidence which would become central to her case’s resolution.
Forensic experts at Ramapo College played a crucial role, their genetic genealogy work shedding light on the investigation.
A stocking cap left at the crime scene, containing Miller’s hair, became the smoking gun.
With help from the college, a breakthrough using his daughter’s genetic profile led to Miller’s identification, tying him indisputably to Schlais’ murder.
“There were also several items of evidence examined and re-examined over the years as technological advances in DNA were developed. Still, no viable suspects were identified,” Dunn County (Wisconsin) Sheriff Kevin Bygd said, cited by St. Cloud Live.
The confession itself is chilling. Miller admitted to picking up Schlais and making unwanted advances.
His response to her rejection was brutal.
He attempted to cover up the crime, but an observant neighbor, Denny Anderson, witnessed his flight and alerted police, setting the wheels of justice in motion.
Miller’s capture isn’t just a win for the family, but a triumph for forensic science.
The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office executed their duties diligently, with retired Captain Scott McRoberts’ dedication speeding the investigation forward.
Sheriff Kevin Bygd sees this arrest as more than a closing of a cold case; it showcases the spirit of perseverance and communal effort.
“This is a major victory for our agency,” Bygd said, cited by The Daily Mail.
Jon Keith Miller’s appearance in court marks the end of a chapter spanning five decades.
Having waived extradition, he remains in Steele County Jail, awaiting transfer to Dunn County.
84-year-old charged in 1974 cold case murder of 25 year old Mary Schlais due to DNA from hat left at scene
“Dunn County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with the genetic genealogy department at Ramapo College @RamapoCollegeNJ @RCNJ_IGG in New Jersey”https://t.co/IpRnqYSdnj
— Kerri Rawson (@KerriRawson) November 9, 2024
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