On September 14, 1974 two men off-roading on a fire road found a deceased man on the side of the trail in present-day Aliso Viejo.
The man’s death was initially determined an accident due to alcohol and diazepam intoxication, and investigators worked to identify the man.
John Doe’s fingerprints were submitted to several organizations, but with no results. After several weeks, the man was interred at El Toro Memorial Park in an unmarked grave.
Investigators made many efforts of the years to learn John Doe’s identity, but his name remained unknown/
In 1980, OC Sheriff Homicide investigators noted there were deaths classified as homicides in 1978 due to alcohol and diazepam intoxication in Southern California, including Orange County.
Over the years, multiple young men were found deceased throughout Orange County and Southern California, including several within a few miles of where John Doe’s remains were discovered.
In May 1983, Randy Steven Kraft, an infamous serial killer later called the “Scorecard Killer”, was arrested for murder after a California Highway Patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on Kraft. In the front passenger seat of Kraft’s vehicle was a deceased man, identified as Terry Lee Gambrel. Around his feet were several empty beer bottles and an open prescription bottle of Lorazepam tablets.
In the trunk of Kraft’s vehicle was a coded list believed to be upwards of 67 homicide victims.
In May 1989, Kraft was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to death. An additional 10 murders Kraft was suspected of committing were not prosecuted. He remains incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison.
John Doe has long been thought to be an early victim of Randy Kraft and in November 2022, investigators submitted tissue samples to Othram Laboratories, a private forensic biotechnology company, to develop a DNA profile.
In February 2023, the DNA profile was received by the OC Sheriff Cold Case Team, which is comprised of two investigators trained in the application of investigative genetic genealogy. John Doe’s DNA profile was uploaded into a law enforcement-approved genealogy database and investigators began building his family tree.
In October 2023, after months of work, investigators identified the possible grandparents of John Doe. Investigators contacted a granddaughter of this couple, who told investigators she had not seen her 17-year-old brother since April of 1974. Investigators traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to obtain a DNA sample from a woman believed to be the mother of John Doe. Her DNA sample was used to positively identify the decedent as Michael Ray Schlicht of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Sheriff’s Department investigators now turn their focus to investigating Schlicht’s homicide case. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or crimestoppers.org.
