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.