Dunn County Sheriff Investigators Present About the Role of Genetic Genealogy at State Conference | 50-Year Cold Case Homicide

Dunn County was highlighted this week at the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriff’s Association (WSDSA) Annual Training Conference as investigators presented “The Long Road to Justice”, a training session about the growing role of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases, as well as the power of collaboration between law enforcement and academic institutions in pursuit of justice.

The course was presented by Investigations Unit Sergeant Jason Stalker, Investigator Dan Westlund, and Cairenn Binder, Assistant Director of the Ramapo

College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center and Founding Partner, Coast to Coast Genetic Genealogy Service

On November 5, 2024, 84-year-old-Jon K. Miller was arrested in Minnesota by Dunn County Sheriff’s Investigators and charged with murder in relation to the 1974 homicide of 26-year-old Mary Schlais after a 50-year investigation that spanned across several states, hundreds of interviews, and countless hours of investigation and collaboration with other agencies.

Pictured at WSDSA (L to R) Sgt. Jason Stalker, Investigator Westlund, Cairenn Binder, and Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd.

Dunn Deputy's Traffic Stop Leads to Burglary Arrest and Seizure of Stolen Property

On December 24th, 2025 the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a burglary to a residence in the Township of Eau Galle. The homeowner advised that forced entry was made to his residence in a 2.5 hour time period when he was gone. During this investigation information was gathered of a suspicious vehicle entering the driveway of two other occupied residences in the area.

On December 26th we received another report of a residential burglary to a residence in the Township of Spring Brook. It was determined that entry to this residence occurred on December 24th, 2025. During this time a suspect and suspect vehicle was developed in both burglaries.

On December 27th, 2025 a Dunn County Deputy initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle in the Township of Rock Creek, in Dunn County. As a result of this stop 61 year old William E. Ziemer of rural Pepin County was taken into custody on criminal traffic charges. He was operating a red 2016 Chrysler 300. During the stop property believed to be associated with one of the burglaries was observed in plain view. The vehicle was seized and transported to the Sheriff’s Office impound. During an inventory of the vehicles’ contents other items were identified from the previously known burglaries.

Other items were also located that may not belong to the suspect. If anyone has observed any suspicious activity involving the suspect vehicle or is missing any items of value from the December 24th, 2025 time period please contact the Sheriff’s Office

or anonymously through the Dunn County Crime Stoppers Program.

Ziemer is currently being held at the Dunn County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond. He is also on Federal Probation out of the US Probation Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

Dunn Sheriff K9 Stops Felony Suspect with Tire Deflation Device After Fleeing St. Croix County Law Enforcement

In the early evening hours of November 22, 2025 the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office advised of a vehicle pursuit entering Dunn County. Deputies were pursuing a suspect with an active Felony Arrest Warrant through the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) who was on parole for Robbery.

Deputies promptly responded to the vicinity to assist and attempt to contain the suspect. A Sheriff's K9 Sergeant successfully deployed a tire deflation device (TDD) on CTY TK Q outside of the Village of Knapp, disabling the vehicle.

The suspect vehicle entered the ditch at a slow rate of speed and the operator fled on foot from law enforcement. The suspect was apprehended by deputies minutes later without further incident.

There were no injuries or property damage related to the incident, other than the suspect's vehicle tires. The suspect was transported to the St. Croix County Jail.