ADD TO CALENDARLOGIN TO ADD TO YOUR SCHEDULE

On November 5, 2024, 84-year-old-Jon K. Miller was arrested and charged with murder in relation to the 1974 homicide of 26-year-old Mary Schlais. Schlais was murdered while hitchhiking from Minneapolis, MN, to Chicago, IL, to attend an art show. Despite the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office receiving numerous tips and leads over 50 years, it was the collaboration with Ramapo College that led to the arrest of Jon K. Miller. This case was challenged by difficulties in the investigative genetic genealogy process due to multiple adoptions over the years, however Dunn County Investigators were able to bring this case to a resolution with a confession from Jon K. Miller in the brutal murder of Mary Schlais. This case highlights the growing role of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases, as well as the power of collaboration between law enforcement and academic institutions in pursuit of justice.

---

BACK
HOME

---