Man Charged With 1974 Murder of Minneapolis Woman as DNA Breakthrough Solves Cold Case

Fifty years after Mary Schlais's tragic death, a recent arrest in western Wisconsin has reopened this long-unsolved case. Jon Keith Miller, an 84-year-old man from Owatonna, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to Schlais' killing back in 1974, KARE 11 reports. Investigators used genetic genealogy to connect Miller to the crime scene, solving a case that had long been unsolved.

In February 1974, Schlais was hitchhiking from Minneapolis to an art show in Chicago. But just hours into her trip, authorities received a call reporting that a man had been seen throwing a body from a vehicle before driving away, as recounted by KARE 11. Schlais' body was later discovered in Dunn County, Wisconsin.

Dunn County Sheriff's Office, despite the many years and the diminishing trails of justice, never fully turned a blind eye to the case. 'There were many "tips, leads and interviews" over the years, the officials iterated, undeterred in their pursuit to elucidate the truth behind the tragic fate of Schlais, as disclosed in a statement retrieved by FOX6 News. It was the innovative work with genetic genealogists from Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey, that finally cast light upon the identity of the suspect.

Miller was arrested yesterday. In orchestrating the arrest, the pieces of evidence previously gathered at the crime scene were scrutinized and reexamined numerous times as DNA technology evolved, ultimately pointing to Miller as the suspect, KSTP details.