(TheRedAlertNews.com) – An innocent art student and a tragic cold case see justice after nearly half a century, as new revelations show that misplaced advances by Jon Keith Miller culminated in the horrific murder of Mary Schlais in 1974.
See photos of the victim and the newly found culprit in the tweet below!
Cutting-edge DNA analysis has finally brought a decades-old mystery to a close.
The 1974 murder of Mary Schlais, a 25-year-old university student, has finally been solved, closing a chapter of uncertainty that lasted for decades.
Schlais, a master’s student at the University of Minnesota, was hitchhiking to an art event in Chicago when she was brutally murdered in Dunn County, Wisconsin.
Her body was found with multiple stab wounds and defensive injuries on February 15, 1974, reports St. Cloud Live.
Investigators tried, for years, to solve the case but consistently came up empty.
Schlais’ body was exhumed in 2009 for further DNA analysis, which identified two profiles but revealed no viable suspects.
At one point, notorious criminal Randall Woodfield was considered a person of interest, but he was never charged.
After many dead ends, it was a simple stocking cap left at the scene that provided the breakthrough needed.
Investigators, supported by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and genetic genealogy experts at Ramapo College, traced DNA from the cap’s hair to an unsuspected source: Miller’s daughter.
Her genetic profile matched the crime scene DNA, implicating Miller as the killer.
Upon arrest at the age of 84, Jon Keith Miller confessed to the crime.
He admitted to picking up Schlais while she was hitchhiking, making unwanted advances towards her, and finally stabbing her after she refused.
A neighbor witnessed Miller’s suspicious behavior near the crime scene, which played a key role in connecting the dots.
“In 1974, it wasn’t unusual for someone to hitchhike from Minneapolis to Chicago. This was a very bright young lady who had a very bright future ahead of her, and her life was taken away from her way too young,” commented Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd, cited by The Daily Mail.
Denny Anderson, the neighbor who saw Miller, remembers the chilling encounter, saying, “Denny said when he went by, the guy was just staring at him. He said he’ll never forget the look on his face.”
This eyewitness testimony bolstered the investigators’ resolve, leading them to finally solve the longstanding mystery.
Miller appeared in court and waived extradition, currently held at Steele County Jail while awaiting transfer to Wisconsin.
This case is a significant achievement for everyone involved.
Sheriff Kevin Bygd stated, “This is a major victory for our agency,” highlighting the tireless efforts of all those committed to securing justice.
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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