Elderly Owatonna Man Sentenced For Cold Case Murder of MN Woman

Menomonie, WI (KROC-AM News) - An Owatonna man has been sentenced to life in prison for a murder that took place over 50 years ago. Jon K. Miller, 84, was convicted of killing Mary Schlais, whose body was found at a rural intersection near Menomonie in February 1974.

Authorities from Dunn County, Wisconsin, reopened the cold case investigation last November, leading to Miller's arrest. The original case suggested that Schlais, who was hitchhiking from Minneapolis to Chicago at the time of her murder, had been last seen getting into a vehicle that witnesses believed was connected to the crime.

In a breakthrough for the investigation, DNA evidence collected from the crime scene was submitted to a genetic genealogy team at Ramapo College in New Jersey. This collaboration between the college and law enforcement ultimately pointed to Miller as the primary suspect in Schlais's murder.

The advancements in forensic technology have played a crucial role in solving this decades-old case, highlighting the importance of cold case investigations. The resolution provides some closure to family and friends who have waited years for justice.

With this sentencing, Jon K. Miller will spend the rest of his life in prison, marking a significant turn in a case that had long remained unresolved.