Genetic scientists speak about technology used to make an arrest in a Dunn County cold case
Scientists joined authorities on Monday to discuss the technology used to track down the suspect arrested in a decades-old cold case in Dunn County.
Members from Ramapo College, as well as at least one family member of Mary Schlais — who was found dead on Feb. 16, 1974, in Spring Brook Township — attended Monday’s news conference. Schlais was hitchhiking from Minneapolis to Chicago for an art show when she died.
Although Schlais’ family did not speak during the news conference on Monday, genetic genealogists did.
The relationship between Ramapo College in New Jersey and the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office started in 2022, when conversations between the two entities began. The following year, investigators began working closely with the genetic genealogists with help from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab.
A while later, genetic workers developed a family line through DNA obtained from a hair scraped from a hat left behind at the crime scene.
Investigators spoke to people in Wyoming and Michigan who may have been matches with the profile created through the DNA left at the scene but determined they weren’t the suspect.
However, investigators began to hypothesize about a possible adoption, and earlier this year, they spoke with the genealogists.
Investigators then identified the now 84-year-old Jon Miller of Owatonna as a suspect. He was arrested last Thursday, and Dunn County authorities said Monday he is now in custody at their jail after being extradited from Steele County.
More than 100 people have been trained to ethically help with this growing field, according to genealogists. They add it is up to the public to voluntarily submit their DNA profiles to law enforcement so cases like Mary’s can be solved — in their own words, “it takes a village,” and to “please consider doing a DNA profile” if you haven’t done so already.
Currently, volunteers working with DNA at Ramapo College have about 75 open cases.
Charging documents from Dunn County Circuit Court Miller initially denied having any knowledge of the homicide. However, when he was presented with the DNA evidence, he reportedly admitted to picking Schlais up.
According to the document, Miller told investigators he had requested sexual contact from Schlais, which was denied. Miller said he then grabbed a knife he kept in the passenger seat visor as Schlais leaned forward and stabbed her until she was dead, according to the complaint.
He then reportedly attempted to hide her body in a snowbank but got scared when he saw another vehicle drive past him and left the area.
The complaint said Miller admitted the hat was his and said he must have lost it during the homicide.