An Iowa teenager who was believed to be one of the earliest victims of a notorious California serial killer has finally been identified after 49 years. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department in California announced on Tuesday that the teen, previously known as “John Doe,” has been identified as Michael Ray Schlicht from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Authorities have long suspected that Schlicht was an early victim of Randy Kraft, also known as the “Scorecard Killer,” who is currently incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. Kraft was convicted in 1989 for the brutalization and murder of 16 men in Orange County, California, during a decade-long killing spree. He is also suspected of committing additional murders in California, Oregon, and Michigan.
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
Schlicht’s body was discovered on September 14, 1974, by two individuals who were off-roading on a fire road northeast of Laguna Beach, California. Initially, his death was believed to be accidental, caused by alcohol and diazepam intoxication. However, subsequent similar deaths in the area were classified as homicides, drawing the attention of investigators. Some of these deaths occurred in close proximity to where Schlicht’s remains were found.
The case finally gained traction when tissue samples from John Doe were submitted to a private forensic biotechnology company in November 2022. Using DNA profiling and genealogy databases, investigators were able to trace the victim’s family tree, leading them to a woman in Kansas City, Missouri, believed to be Schlicht’s mother.
The identification of Michael Ray Schlicht brings closure to a case that has remained unsolved for almost five decades. It sheds new light on the crimes of Randy Kraft, a convicted serial killer whose reign of terror ended with his arrest in 1983. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department hopes that this breakthrough will provide some solace to the families of other potential victims and assist in solving additional cold cases connected to Kraft.
