SANTA ANA, Calif. (May 13, 2025) OC Sheriff investigators have identified an Oregon John Doe believed to be a victim of serial killer Randy Steven Kraft.
In November 2023, OC Sheriff Cold Case investigators identified a deceased John Doe found in unincorporated Laguna Hills in 1974 as Michael Ray Schlicht, 17, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Michael was long believed to be a victim of Kraft.
In early 2024, investigators began looking through the Kraft investigation to find evidence related to Schlicht. While searching, investigators found evidence related to a 1980 John Doe from Oregon, who was also presumed to be a victim of Kraft. Further research indicated the Doe was still unidentified and no evidence existed.
John Doe was found deceased early in the morning on July 18, 1980, along Interstate 5 outside Woodburn, Ore. He had been strangled, and alcohol and diazepam were found in his system. Kraft is believed to have kept a list of his victims on what is known as his “scorecard,” and this John Doe is believed to be “Portland Elk.”
Investigators believe Kraft is responsible for six homicides in Oregon and two in Michigan, in addition to his presumed California victims, which are believed to be more than 60. Kraft was sentenced to death in 1989 after a 10-month trial for the murder of 16 men. Investigators learned that evidence for all out-of-state victims was sent to OC Sheriff during the trial.
OC Sheriff investigators contacted the Oregon State Police (OSP) Cold Case Unit to notify them about the located evidence and offered to attempt to identify the Doe using investigative genetic genealogy (IGG). OC Sheriff cold case homicide investigators are trained in the application of IGG and have identified several Does using the method, including Michael Schlicht.
OSP agreed and a blood sample for the Doe was sent to Parabon Nanolabs, which developed a genetic profile. In January 2025, the profile was uploaded to GEDmatch, a publicly available DNA database that allows law enforcement use, and investigators began building the Doe’s family tree.
In early February 2025, investigators identified a possible candidate for the Doe. OSP and OC Sheriff collaborated to contact several of his close family members.
DNA samples were collected from a woman believed to be the Doe’s half-sister and a man believed to be his nephew. These DNA samples were used to positively identify the decedent as 30-year-old Larry Eugene Parks. Larry was last seen by family in Pensacola, Fla. in 1979. Family members described Larry as a “drifter” with no known ties to Oregon.
Oregon State Police Cold Case Unit is conducting the investigation into Larry’s homicide.
