Over 50 years after Mary K. Schlais, 25, was discovered dead in Spring Brook Township on February 15, 1974, a suspect has finally been arrested in the case.
Jon Keith Miller, 84, was arrested on November 8 at his home in Owatonna, Minnesota, on an outstanding warrant out of Wisconsin. After DNA evidence connected him to the crime.
Schlais was said to be hitchhiking from Minneapolis to a Chicago art show on the night of his murder.
Following the discovery of his body, three witnesses told police that they saw a suspect and a vehicle that they suspected were involved in the murder.
“In 1974, it was not unusual for someone to hitchhike from Minneapolis to Chicago. But stories like this are why we don’t let our kids do it anymore,” Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd said at a press conference on November 9. “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.”
Officials stated that over the next several decades, police received numerous tips about the crime, but no suspects were ever identified. As DNA testing advanced, the evidence in the case was reexamined, but no suspects were identified using DNA.
Detectives from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with a team of genetic genealogists at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. They were able to identify Miller through advanced genetic testing.
According to a court complaint, investigators from the sheriff’s office interviewed Miller at his home on Nov. 7, during which he allegedly admitted to picking up Schlais while she was hitchhiking and stabbing her to death.
During the press conference on November 9, Sheriff Bygd stated that he had spoken with the victim’s family, who were relieved to learn of Miller’s arrest. He went on to say that he believed the suspect might feel relieved after five decades of living with guilt.
“I believe it has to be a relief for him [Miller] after 50 years of dealing with this. It had to be on his mind almost every day, as it should be for anyone with a conscience. So, I believe he was done fighting it personally,” Bygd explained.
Bygd went on to thank the investigators and officers for their efforts in solving this cold case, noting that he had always held out hope that it would be resolved.
“I’d like to thank all of the members of this agency who have worked on this case over the last 50 years, especially retired Captain Scott McRoberts, who probably had more passion for solving this case than anyone. This is a huge win for our agency.”
The sheriff’s office declined to comment on how Miller was identified or what DNA evidence led to his arrest, according to FOX 9 News.
