MN MN - Mary, 15, & Susan Reker, 12, St Cloud, 2 Sept 1974

[imstilla.grandma]

“We still have physical evidence that was collected early in the investigation still in our possession,” Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Zach Sorenson told Forum News Service. “Currently some of which is being tested with advancements in DNA technology.”

Advanced DNA testing could be the key to unlocking the 1974 deaths of two sisters

The cold case killings of Mary and Susie Reker has plagued the Stearns County Sheriff's Office for decades. Now, investigators hope technological DNA advancements will help solve the case.

www.bemidjipioneer.com

 

[dotr]

February 28, 2025

Investigators using new technology as they work to solve 1974 cold case of two murdered St. Cloud sisters

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office is utilizing a new tactic for cracking cold cases.

www.kaaltv.com

'(ABC 6 News) — The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office is utilizing a new tactic for cracking cold cases.
It is a process called investigative genetic genealogy. Investigators hope it will solve the case of two St. Cloud sisters murdered back in 1974.''

 

[dotr]

Mar 3, 2025
Stearns County Sheriff’s Office reaches out to investigative genetic genealogists to help in cold cases

 

[dotr]

March 2025

'Double Murder - Mary and Susanne Reker​

The double murder of Mary and Susanne Reker happened on Labor Day of 1974 in St. Cloud. The sisters had gone out school supply shopping, according to FOX 9. Later, the sisters’ bodies were found “riddled with stab wounds” in Quarry Park. It looks like there have been two solid suspects in the past few years. One was Herb Notch, who the girls’ mom, Rita Reke, went and confronted on his death bed. The other is Lloyd Welch, who had attacked a different girl in the same area and in a similar way just a few days before Mary and Susanne. If you have any information you can email the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at [email protected] or call the department at 320-259-3701.'

Read More: Elderly Owatonna Man Sentenced For Cold Case Murder of MN Woman | Elderly Owatonna Man Sentenced For Cold Case Murder of MN Woman

 

[ELOCsoul]

March 2025
View attachment 574468

'Double Murder - Mary and Susanne Reker​

The double murder of Mary and Susanne Reker happened on Labor Day of 1974 in St. Cloud. The sisters had gone out school supply shopping, according to FOX 9. Later, the sisters’ bodies were found “riddled with stab wounds” in Quarry Park. It looks like there have been two solid suspects in the past few years. One was Herb Notch, who the girls’ mom, Rita Reke, went and confronted on his death bed. The other is Lloyd Welch, who had attacked a different girl in the same area and in a similar way just a few days before Mary and Susanne. If you have any information you can email the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at [email protected] or call the department at 320-259-3701.'

Read More: Elderly Owatonna Man Sentenced For Cold Case Murder of MN Woman | Elderly Owatonna Man Sentenced For Cold Case Murder of MN

 

[ELOCsoul]

Notch is the guy. The only question is did he have an accomplice. He was a likely suspect in other offenses where a knife was the weapon of choice, and there was nearly always an accomplice.

Lloyd Welch is a distraction.

 

[Richard]

Could there be any connections to other double abduction/murder cases in other states around that time frame?

In August 1968, the Stiver sisters of Berks County, Pennsylvania were abducted and murdered.

In 1974, the Leslie sisters went missing.

 

[flamingNora]

July 31, 1974, was the last time family heard or saw Cindy or Jackie Leslie. The doe network organization shows their age progression.

from: The Doe Network: Case File 94DFAZ

 

[flamingNora]

Notch is the guy. The only question is did he have an accomplice. He was a likely suspect in other offenses where a knife was the weapon of choice, and there was nearly always an accomplice.

Lloyd Welch is a distraction.

I have been reading over threads here; and somewhere you comment "investigators know its Notch".
So if Ramapo's IGG program proves it, then who would be the likely accomplice? - A posthumous trial for just one or two individuals? The Reker Sisters Case is still an active cold case.

 

[cenazoic]

Could there be any connections to other double abduction/murder cases in other states around that time frame?

Lloyd Welch was/is a POI and convicted of killing the Lyon sisters, Maryland 1975.

 

[flamingNora]

Investigators know who committed the Reker sister murders. The same man, acting with an accomplice, kidnapped a 14 year old girl around St. Cloud, almost exactly 2 years after Mary and Suzanne Reker were killed. The man stabbed the 14 year old girl and left her to die, but she lived. The same man was wanted for sexual assault on a woman in Benton County, in 1992.

What confuses me is what a Stearns County Sargeant stated comparing the 76' Dukowitz case to the 74' Reker Case last year.
“Her case bore similarities to the Reker killings, but law enforcement could find no connection between the two cases" Bohlig said.

The Reker sisters' 1974 deaths remain a mystery 50 years later - St. Cloud news, weather & sport

 

[Richard]

What confuses me is what a Stearns County Sargeant stated comparing the 76' Dukowitz case to the 74' Reker Case last year.
“Her case bore similarities to the Reker killings, but law enforcement could find no connection between the two cases" Bohlig said.

The Reker sisters' 1974 deaths remain a mystery 50 years later - St. Cloud news, weather & sports

The statement probably means that investigators could not find evidence strong enough to be admissible in court which would solidly connect the two cases.

 

[flamingNora]

Sgt Bohlig also stated "So the fact of the matter is, there is just nothing we have that we could use almost 50 years later to put Lloyd in MN with the Reker Sisters",,, and
"I went and interviewed Lloyd in prison. I was pleasantly surprised that he talked to me. I was told by prison staff that other investigators had flown out there to interview him and he wouldn’t cooperate at all, or talk to them at all, he did talk with me, I questioned him about this case,
and he cooperated with pretty much anything that I asked." link
Mary and Susanne “Susie” Reker - 2 of Hearts, Minnesota (Part 2) - The Deck. 22:00-29:13

So Lloyd was telling the truth about MN and ELOCSoul was right.....Welch is a distraction.

 

[ELOCsoul]

Sgt Bohlig also stated "So the fact of the matter is, there is just nothing we have that we could use almost 50 years later to put Lloyd in MN with the Reker Sisters",,, and
"I went and interviewed Lloyd in prison. I was pleasantly surprised that he talked to me. I was told by prison staff that other investigators had flown out there to interview him and he wouldn’t cooperate at all, or talk to them at all, he did talk with me, I questioned him about this case,
and he cooperated with pretty much anything that I asked." link
Mary and Susanne “Susie” Reker - 2 of Hearts, Minnesota (Part 2) - The Deck. 22:00-29:13

So Lloyd was telling the truth about MN and ELOCSoul was right.....Welch is a distraction.

It’s my belief that SCSO was able to determine where Lloyd was at the time of the Reker sisters murders. There was another Lloyd, from Appleton, WI who worked for Roy Hoppe’s carnival in nearby Kimball that weekend. I’ve spoken to Georgianna about her encounter. I have no reason to believe she was not attacked, but there have been some specific questions about her diary entries that she refuses to answer, and that puts holes in the theory of serious holes in her belief that it was Lloyd Welch who attacked her.

 

[ELOCsoul]

I have been reading over threads here; and somewhere you comment "investigators know its Notch".
So if Ramapo's IGG program proves it, then who would be the likely accomplice? - A posthumous trial for just one or two individuals? The Reker Sisters Case is still an active cold case.

Notch likely had various accomplices in his many crimes, so it’s hard to say who was with him, if anyone at all. What is clear is that Herb Notch and Mary Reker knew each other, and were seen together shortly before the murder when Mary was spending time with her family in Herb’s tiny town of Luxemburg, and was probably sneaking out at night.

 

[flamingNora]

I believe Helen Craver, along with Lloyd L. Welch Jr. together are culpable in the 74' deaths of Mary Reker and Susanne Reker. Whether or not retired investigators, students working in Ramapo College cold cases can either prove or disprove who the culprit(s) are with IGG remains to be seen.
Prosecutable evidence may or may not be discovered in that small degraded sample submitted by MN law enforcement. Welch, although a.distraction is not "ruled out".

 

[ELOCsoul]

I believe Helen Craver, along with Lloyd L. Welch Jr. together are culpable in the 74' deaths of Mary Reker and Susanne Reker. Whether or not retired investigators, students working in Ramapo College cold cases can either prove or disprove who the culprit(s) are with IGG remains to be seen.
Prosecutable evidence may or may not be discovered in that small degraded sample submitted by MN law enforcement. Welch, although a.distraction is not "ruled out".

Why do you believe they’re involved?

 

[flamingNora]

Why do you think they are not? I suggest reading posts #116 and #117 again.
But everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do wish to Thank you for allowing me to contact you here. I think we both can agree on Rita Reker being a truly an exceptional mother who deserves her day in court or at least an answer as to who murdered Mary and Susanne.

Similar weapons in the two cases? - Notch's weapon was a folding Buck Knife.

 

[flamingNora]

Could there be any connections to other double abduction/murder cases in other states around that time frame?

In August 1968, the Stiver sisters of Berks County, Pennsylvania were abducted and murdered.

In 1974, the Leslie sisters went missing.

"AI Gemini" actually made it look like the Reker Sisters case made some headway, yet
it was just AI Gemini combining two cases. (Mary Schlais and Reker Sisters) . See link
The Ramapo College investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) program played a role in the investigation of the Reker sisters case. Ramapo College researchers worked with a DNA profile obtained from a hat found at the scene, which led them to a potential connection through family trees. This information was then shared with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. WHAT?
This is why the the Reker Sisters Case is still unsolved and "AI Gemini" doesn't always work.

 

[flamingNora]

<modsnip>

In the past, Steve Notch was 11 years old at the time of the murders and Jeff Baillon's emmy-winning reporting is a rehash of Kupchella's "Mr. X".
Sheriff Soyka said the investigators have never stopped working on those crimes. He said back in 2018 he might reach out to outside agencies for new eyes, And Ramapo College is just that.

IMO, This case may never be solved because If there's No rape, (or sperm) that small degraded submitted sample may not yield results for the IGG team. I believe there is STILL a chance for a confession.