Show Notes
Episode 212 Doe ID Michael Ray Schlicht
In September 1974, the nude body of a young man was found on a fire road in Laguna Hills, CA. Remaining unidentified, he was buried in a pauper’s grave, his death chalked up to an accident. But 6 years later, Orange County investigators would begin to notice a pattern of similar cases throughout Southern California, and even in Oregon. A serial killer was at work, and he would turn out to be one of the most prolific of all time. Laguna Hills John Doe, now known to be 17 year old Michael Ray Schlicht, is believed to be one of the early victims of Randy Kraft. Michael did not receive justice in a court of law, but at least he has his name back, and his family can honor him for the first time in 50 years.
More from DNA: ID
Caroline Bolen’s 1988 death in Silsbee, TX presented a real conundrum to investigators. No one, including the pathologist, was even certain that her death was a homicide. “Carol” had been found dead in her bed, nude and posed, with blood on the bedding and her young son alive next to her. The bizarre case had suspects coming out of the woodwork, but police followed the evidence, which led to none of the men in Caroline’s life. When IGG finally pointed to Caroline’s killer, the answer was surprising… because he had been there all along.
In 1995, a violently murdered Jane Doe who came to be known as the Danforth Lady was found under a building excavation at the old Robertson Motors in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. TPS efforts to identify her went nowhere, even when they finally obtained DNA, which was degraded and heavily contaminated due to the age of the remains. Earlier this year, a final attempt to extract precious genetic material paid off, and Danforth Lady was identified as Mary McLeod Davidson Moffatt. TPS Det. Const. Mike Kelly was able to reconstruct Mary’s story, and to identify a prime suspect in her murder. The answers were shocking, but also meant justice at long last for Mary.
In 2001, an 84 year old woman was raped in her home in Manchester, CT. In 2004, another Manchester woman was raped. In 2007, another. In 2008, a fourth woman from the neighboring town of Vernon was victimized. A recognizable pattern emerged, and investigators knew they had a serial rapist on their hands. But they didn’t know who he was. A John Doe warrant provided probable cause for arrest, but 10 years elapsed before IGG gave a name to John Doe. And the identity of the suspect would shock the community to its core.
In July 1971, a living Jane Doe was found beaten and unconscious on a rural dirt road in Howard County, MD. The woman lingered for nearly two months before succumbing to her injuries, but was never able to communicate, so her identity remained unknown. Not until a determined investigator applied IGG to her case was her name revealed: Sarah Sharkey. While news of her identification reunited long lost family members, there remain a lot of questions about who killed Sarah.
In the fall of 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that had been deliberately laced with cyanide. The poisonings triggered a nationwide panic, an enormous investigation, and changes to product packaging that are still with us today. More than four decades later, no one has ever been charged with the murders.