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MINNEAPOLIS 鈥� Family members of Joli Truelson are demanding action from the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of a confession in the 1974 murder of Mary Schlais.

In a 10-page hand-delivered letter to the MPD, the family cites numerous similarities in the deaths of Truelson and Schlais, which occurred less than two years 鈥� and 2 miles 鈥� apart. The letter also includes details regarding the storied, nationwide criminal history of Jon Keith Miller, 84, who was charged with the murder of Mary Schlais.

Miller, 84, was arrested Nov. 7, 2024, at an Owatonna assisted living facility for the murder of 25-year-old Mary Schlais. At the time of his arrest, Miller confessed to picking up Schlais near her Uptown Minneapolis apartment before stabbing her 15 times when she refused his sexual advances.

He then threw her from his car in rural Dunn County, Wisconsin, and attempted to cover her body with snow.

Truelson was picked up on July 3, 1972, while hitchhiking near Lake Calhoun. At the time, she was 16. Her body was found the next day in Minneapolis鈥� Minnehaha Creek with a fatal skull fracture.

Both cases remained cold for more than 50 years 鈥� yet Truelson鈥檚 family long believed they were connected.

Schlais and Truelson each hitched rides in Uptown Minneapolis in what eyewitnesses described as gold-colored, two-door vehicles. In both cases, eyewitnesses described the driver as a man in his 30s, with mid-length brown hair.

Neither woman had been sexually assaulted, yet both suffered violent attacks before being taken to remote areas.

Minneapolis Police Sgt. Mark Suchta, who handles Truelson鈥檚 case, interviewed Miller following his November arrest. Miller denied any involvement in Truelson鈥檚 slaying.

Suchta told the Truelson family there are no new leads in the case.

In a message sent to Forum News Service, Suchta said he is not permitted to speak to the media about open and ongoing cases.

Suchta鈥檚 interview with Miller revealed more questions for Truelson鈥檚 family members, who were provided with a recording of the interaction. That recording was turned over to Forum News Service.

The 11-minute interview revealed at least three instances in which Miller was not truthful.

These falsehoods sounded off alarms for the family,

鈥淏ased upon all of the facts and circumstances presented, it is reasonable to expect the MPD spend more than 11 minutes interviewing him, taking him at his word of initial denial and concluding no further leads in the investigation,鈥� the letter on behalf of the family states.

Details of these inconsistencies will be revealed in an upcoming series on The Vault podcast.

In addition to the murder charge for Schlais鈥� death, Miller鈥檚 criminal history includes convictions related to forgery, burglary, theft and armed robbery.

Transcripts included in court documents related to a 1969 California conviction for armed robbery reveal he 鈥渨as characterized by feeling that he could con his way through life.鈥�

Image courtesy of Marin County, California

鈥淭his apparent pattern should caution anyone choosing to take him at his word that he was rarely in Minneapolis, despite clear evidence to the contrary,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淲e would have provided this information to Sgt. Suchta before the interview, however he has refused to speak with me citing an 鈥榦pen and active investigation.鈥� 鈥�

The Vault podcast will dive deeper into the criminal history of Miller and the cold case of Joli Truelson in an upcoming series, "Joli Truelson: Connecting the Dots," set to be released Friday, March 14, 2025.