Iowa Teen Identified 49 Years Later as Victim of Notorious California Serial Killer

Iowa Teen Identified as Victim of California Serial Killer After 49 Years

An Iowa teenager who was previously known only as “John Doe” has been identified as one of the earliest victims of a notorious California serial killer after 49 years. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department in California announced on Tuesday that the teen has been identified as Michael Ray Schlicht from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Schlicht’s body was found in 1974, and his death was initially ruled as accidental due to intoxication. However, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department now believes that he was a victim of Randy Kraft, also known as the “Scorecard Killer.” Kraft, who is currently serving time in San Quentin State Prison, was convicted of brutally killing 16 men in Orange County during a decade-long series of slayings. Authorities suspect him of committing more murders in California, Oregon, and Michigan.

The body of Schlicht, who was 17 years old at the time, was discovered on September 14, 1974, in Laguna Beach, California. His death was initially deemed accidental due to alcohol and diazepam intoxication. However, subsequent similar deaths in the area were classified as homicides, leading investigators to reexamine Schlicht’s case.

Kraft’s reign of terror came to an end when he was pulled over by a California Highway Patrol trooper and found with a strangled U.S. Marine in his vehicle. Prosecutors described Kraft as a fetishist who kept dismembered parts of his victims in his freezer. He was convicted in 1989 for the Orange County slayings.

The breakthrough in identifying Schlicht came when tissue samples were submitted to a private forensic biotechnology company for DNA analysis. The DNA profile was then loaded into a genealogy database, which eventually led investigators to a woman in Kansas City, Missouri, believed to be Schlicht’s mother. This discovery finally provided closure to Schlicht’s family after nearly five decades of uncertainty.

The identification of Schlicht as a victim of the “Scorecard Killer” highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to solve cold cases and bring justice to victims and their families. As technology continues to advance, more cases like this may find resolution, offering hope to those who have long waited for answers.