(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)November 9, 2024

Despite the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office receiving numerous tips and leads over 50 years, it was the work of the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG) that led to an arrest in the 1974 murder of a Wisconsin hitchhiker

Mahwah, NJ- The Dunn County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest of Jon Miller, 84, for the February 1974 homicide of Mary Schlais. Schlais was murdered while hitchhiking from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Chicago, Illinois to attend an art show. 

This is the first case the Ramapo College IGG Center delivered a candidate that led to an arrest, and the first time the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office used IGG to solve a case.

Staff members and volunteers at Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center utilized advanced DNA testing and genealogy research to identify Miller as a potential contributor of DNA found at the scene of Ms. Schlais’ murder. Investigators at Dunn County Sheriff’s Office further probed this lead and their investigation led to the arrest of Mr. Miller on Thursday night.

A press conference about this case will be held at 1 p.m. CST on Monday, November 11, at the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Ramapo College IGG staff will be on-site to take questions. Please visit Dunn County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page to watch the live broadcast and submit questions for the IGG Center team. 

The IGG Center has provided leads in more than 16 cases since opening its doors in December 2022, including the recent exoneration of two brothers wrongfully convicted of murder, known to be one of only four cases in U.S. history in which IGG overturned convictions. To learn more about the center’s work, visit ramapo.edu/igg.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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