Iowa Teenager Michael Ray Schlicht Identified as Victim of California Serial Killer After 49 Years

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

Michael Ray Schlicht’s death was initially thought to be accidental due to alcohol and diazepam poisoning. His body was found on September 14, 1974, in a fire road northeast of Laguna Beach, California. However, investigators later classified his death as a homicide after similar deaths occurred in the area.

The teenager’s death was linked to Randy Kraft, also known as the “Scorecard Killer.” Kraft, who is currently incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, was convicted in 1989 for abusing and killing 16 men in Orange County. Authorities suspect that Kraft may have killed other individuals in California, Oregon, and Michigan.

Prosecutors described Kraft as a fetishist who kept some of his victims’ dismembered parts in his freezer. Kraft was apprehended in 1983 when a California Highway Patrol trooper pulled him over and discovered a strangled U.S. Marine in the passenger seat of his vehicle.

The breakthrough in identifying Michael Ray Schlicht came when tissue samples from the John Doe case were submitted to a private forensic biotechnology company. Investigators then used the DNA profile created from the samples to search through a genealogy database, eventually leading them to a woman in Kansas City, Missouri, believed to be the victim’s mother.

This identification brings closure to a case that has remained unsolved for nearly five decades. It highlights the importance of advancements in forensic technology and the use of genealogy databases in solving cold cases. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department expressed their commitment to continuing their investigation into other potential victims of Randy Kraft.