In a shocking revelation, an Iowa teen who had been known only as “John Doe” for nearly five decades has finally been identified as Michael Ray Schlicht of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Orange County Sheriff's Department in California made the announcement on Tuesday, stating that Schlicht is believed to be one of the earliest victims of the notorious California serial killer, Randy Kraft, commonly referred to as the "Scorecard Killer."

Kraft, who is currently serving time at San Quentin State Prison, was convicted in 1989 for the brutalization and murder of 16 men during a ten-year killing spree in Orange County. However, authorities suspect that the now 78-year-old may be responsible for numerous other killings in California, Oregon, and Michigan.

The body of the unidentified teen, now identified as Schlicht, was discovered on September 14, 1974, when two individuals were off-roading on a fire road northeast of Laguna Beach, California. Initially dismissed as accidental due to alcohol and diazepam intoxication, investigators later reclassified the death as a homicide after similar deaths occurred in the following years, some of which took place in close proximity to where Schlicht's remains were found.

The reign of terror finally came to an end when a California Highway Patrol trooper pulled over Kraft for erratic driving, observing him weaving and driving on the freeway shoulder. Shockingly, a strangled U.S. Marine was found in the passenger seat of Kraft's vehicle. Prosecutors described Kraft, a former computer programmer, as a fetishist who had kept dismembered body parts of his victims in his freezer. Despite overwhelming evidence, Kraft maintained his innocence and told the judge, "I have not murdered anyone, and I believe a reasonable review of the record will show that."

It wasn't until November 2022 that John Doe's case received renewed attention. Investigators from the sheriff's department submitted tissue samples to a private forensic biotechnology company to develop a DNA profile. Utilizing this profile, investigators entered the information into a genealogy database to construct a family tree. This groundbreaking technique eventually led them to Kansas City, Missouri, where they obtained a DNA sample from a woman believed to be the victim's mother.

The sheriff's office confirmed that the DNA sample obtained from the mother was crucial in positively identifying the decedent as Michael Ray Schlicht. The department has since reached out to the family and informed them of the identification. Family members are now in the process of organizing a headstone installation to mark Schlicht's final resting place.

With the identification of the victim finally resolved, the Orange County Sheriff's Department has reopened the investigation into Schlicht's homicide. They are urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward and contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or visit crimestoppers.org. As investigators continue their work, the hope is that the resolution of this cold case will provide closure for the family and shed further light on the heinous crimes committed by Randy Kraft.