Cold case of murder of young woman solved thanks to clothing item

by Junna Base November 11, 2024

The man suspected of murdering a young hitchhiker half a century ago has been arrested thanks to DNA testing.

The arrest of 84-year-old Jon K. Miller was announced Thursday by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office. Miller, a resident of Owatonna, Minnesota, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 1974 murder of Mary K. Schlais.

Investigators had been working on the cold case for 50 years. Schlais, a 25-year-old traveling artist from Minneapolis, was on his way to an art exhibition in Chicago when she was killed.

“Schlais was found dead near the intersection of 408th Ave. and 990th St. in Spring Brook Township, Dunn County,” the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “There was an eyewitness who observed a suspect and his vehicle believed to be related to the murder of Mary Schlais.”

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Mary Schlais, 25, was found dead near an intersection in Wisconsin in 1974. (Dunn County Sheriff’s Office/Google Maps)

Over the past 50 years, investigators have pursued countless leads that went missing. It wasn’t until authorities worked with the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College in New Jersey that the case was able to move forward.

Sheriff Kevin Bygd told Fox News Digital that a hat found at the scene led authorities to the suspect. During a press conference on Friday, Bygd announced that Miller had confessed to his involvement in the murder.

“When confronted with the evidence, 84-year-old Jon K. Miller confirmed his involvement in Mary’s murder in 1974,” the official said.

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Jon K. Miller, 84, confessed to his involvement in the 1974 murder. (Steele County Sheriff’s Office)

“I think it must even be a relief for him after living with it for 50 years,” Bygd said later during the press conference. “[This has] must have been on his mind almost every day. One might think [for] Anyone with a conscience would do it.

The sheriff also noted that hitchhiking was a common practice in 1974.

“You know, in 1974, it wasn’t unusual for someone to hitchhike from Minneapolis to Chicago,” Bygd said. “But stories like this are why we don’t let our kids do that anymore.”