ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Nearly half a century after an unidentified teenage boy was found dead in Orange County, authorities have made a significant breakthrough in the case. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has identified the victim as Michael Ray Schlicht, 17, a suspected early victim of Randy Steven Kraft, also known as the “Scorecard Killer.”
Schlicht’s body was discovered on September 14, 1974, in what is now Aliso Viejo, with death attributed to an accident involving alcohol and diazepam. Despite efforts, he was buried in an unmarked grave at El Toro Memorial Park. The breakthrough in identification came through collaboration with Othram Labs, a forensic genetic genealogy company. DNA from Schlicht’s mother, residing in Kansas, Missouri, confirmed the match.
Kraft, currently 78 and on death row, was arrested in 1983 after a traffic stop revealed a deceased young man in his vehicle. Found guilty in 1989 for 16 murders, he is believed to have had many more victims, as indicated by a coded list found during the investigation. The 1974 case of Schlicht is now seen as part of Kraft’s early criminal activities.
Authorities continue to investigate Schlicht’s murder and urge anyone with information to contact Orange County Crime Stoppers. The resolution brings closure to the family, who are arranging a headstone for Schlicht’s grave.