ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (TCD) – Authorities have finally identified a homicide victim 49 years after his body was discovered near a fire road trail, thanks to investigative genetic genealogy.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the victim’s body was found on September 14, 1974, by two individuals who were off-roading. Initially, authorities believed the victim died accidentally due to alcohol and diazepam intoxication. However, in a press release from Othram Inc., investigators believed the victim, known as John Doe, was between 18 and 25 years old at the time of his death.
Despite releasing information about the victim in the hopes of finding his identity, authorities were unable to locate any leads. The victim’s fingerprint classification was sent to various agencies, but no matches were found.
Investigators worked tirelessly to solve the case, but the victim was eventually buried as John Doe at El Toro Memorial Park in an unlabeled grave.
Years later, the sheriff’s office discovered several deaths in southern California in 1978 due to alcohol and diazepam intoxication, all ruled as homicides. This led them to suspect that John Doe may have been one of the early victims of Randy Steven Kraft, also known as the “Scorecard Killer.” Kraft was convicted in 1989 of killing 16 people and is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
In November 2022, the sheriff’s office submitted John Doe’s tissue samples to Othram Laboratories, where a DNA profile was created and uploaded into a genealogy database. Investigators were able to build John Doe’s family tree and eventually identified his grandparents. They then located a granddaughter who hadn’t seen her 17-year-old brother since April 1974.
Investigators traveled to Kansas City to collect a DNA sample from John Doe’s potential mother, which confirmed his identity as Michael Schlicht from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The sheriff’s office has since notified Schlicht’s family members and is working to mark his gravestone.
This breakthrough serves as a reminder of the power of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases and bringing closure to families who have long sought answers.
