A hat found at the crime scene aids police in solving a decades-old cold-case murder of a young hitchhiker.
Genetic genealogists from Ramapo College aided in identifying the suspect.
A man, suspected of murdering a young hitchhiker half a century ago, has been arrested due to DNA testing.
On Thursday, the Dunn County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Jon K. Miller, 84, of Owatonna, Minnesota, for first-degree murder in connection to the 1974 homicide of Mary K. Schlais.
For 50 years, investigators had been working on the cold case of Schlais, a 25-year-old artist who was killed while traveling from Minneapolis to an art show in Chicago.
"The Dunn County Sheriff's Office stated that Mary Schlais was discovered dead near the intersection of 408th Ave. and 990th St. in Spring Brook Township. An eyewitness reported observing a suspect and their vehicle, which were believed to be linked to Schlais' homicide."
The case progressed only after authorities collaborated with the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College in New Jersey, despite investigators exploring numerous leads over the past 50 years that proved fruitless.
During a press conference on Friday, Sheriff Kevin Bygd announced that a hat found at the crime scene led authorities to the suspect, who later confessed to his involvement in the murder.
The official stated that 84-year-old Jon K. Miller admitted to his involvement in Mary's homicide in 1974 when presented with evidence.
"I believe it must have been a relief for him after 50 years of living with this," Bygd said later during the presser. "This must have been on his mind almost every day. You would think anybody with a conscience would have considered it."
The sheriff also noted that hitchhiking was a common practice in 1974.
"In 1974, hitchhiking from Minneapolis to Chicago was not unusual, according to Bygd. However, such stories are the reason we no longer allow our children to do it."
"He remarked, "This was a brilliant young woman with a promising future, but her life was tragically cut short.""
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