the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, after five decades of dead ends and unanswered questions, an arrest has been made in the 1974 murder of Mary Schlais, a hitchhiker traveling from Minneapolis to Chicago. The breakthrough came not from traditional police work alone but through the cutting-edge genetic sleuthing of the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG), marking a milestone achievement for the New Jersey-based team.
Dunn County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the arrest of Jon Miller, 84, as a suspect in Schlais’ murder. Schlais was on her way to an art show in Chicago when her journey was tragically cut short. Her murder case, long cold, was reignited by the IGG Center’s advanced DNA analysis, which ultimately linked Miller to DNA found at the crime scene.
This case represents the first arrest made through a lead provided by the Ramapo College IGG Center, and it’s also the first instance of the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office utilizing investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) in a criminal investigation. With the support of IGG Center staff and volunteers, DNA evidence was reexamined, enabling investigators to trace family connections and hone in on Miller as a likely suspect. Further investigation by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office led to his arrest late Thursday.
The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office has scheduled a press conference at 1 p.m. CST on Monday, November 11, at their Menomonie, Wisconsin headquarters, where Ramapo College IGG staff will be present to answer questions. The event will be streamed live on the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, allowing the public to learn more and engage with the team behind this breakthrough.
Since its inception in December 2022, the Ramapo College IGG Center has provided leads in more than 16 cases. Notably, their work recently led to the exoneration of two wrongfully convicted brothers, one of only four times in U.S. history that IGG has overturned convictions. For more on the center’s groundbreaking efforts, visit ramapo.edu/igg.
This arrest highlights the evolving role of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases and delivering long-awaited justice.
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