LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA: After nearly five decades, authorities have identified the victim of an early murder believed to have been committed by notorious serial killer Randy Steven Kraft, better known as the "scorecard killer," as reported by Law&Crime.
The victim is 17-year-old Michael Ray Schlicht from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His remains were discovered on September 14, 1974 by two people who were off-roading on a fire road in unincorporated Laguna Hills, in what is now the city of Aliso Viejo.
Michael Ray Schlicht's death was ruled accident
At the time, investigators determined that Schlicht had died three to five days prior due to an accident involving alcohol and diazepam intoxication.
Authorities worked to identify the victim but were unsuccessful, and he was buried in an unmarked grave at El Toro Memorial Park. It wasn't until recently, using advanced DNA analysis, that they were finally able to identify the victim as Michael Schlicht after locating his mother in Kansas City, Missouri, and matching her DNA.
Randy Kraft was arrested in 1983
Authorities have long suspected that Schlicht was an early victim of Randy Steven Kraft, better known as the "scorecard killer." Kraft was convicted in 1989 of murdering 16 young men in California in the 1970s and 80s. He is also suspected of at least 10 other murders that were never prosecuted.
Kraft was arrested in 1983 after being pulled over by police with a dead body in his car. Investigators also found a coded list believed to contain the names of 67 potential victims. In addition to the 16 murders he was convicted of, authorities have tied him to many unsolved deaths involving alcohol and drug intoxication, like Schlicht's.
Several such deaths occurred within miles of where Schlicht's body was found in 1974. As a result, investigators now believe Schlicht may have been one of Kraft's earliest homicides, committed just a few years before his string of serial murders began.
Schlicht's family notified, headstone being installed at gravesite
The identification of the victim brings some closure to a case that has remained open for nearly 50 years. Schlicht's family members have been notified and a headstone is being installed at his gravesite. Meanwhile, authorities are focused on building a homicide case against Kraft for Schlicht's death.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department is asking anyone with information regarding Schlicht's murder to contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or online at crimestoppers.org.
As for Kraft himself - the 78-year-old remains on death row in California as one of the most notorious serial killers in state history. Authorities hope solving this cold case will bring some justice for Schlicht and his loved ones five decades later.
