Trimont, Minnesota – A cold case from 1975 has been reinvigorated with the discovery of a new DNA sample in the murder investigation of 21-year-old JoAnn Bontjes. The breakthrough has sparked hope in solving a nearly 50-year-old mystery that has haunted the community for decades.
According to Martin County Sheriff Jeff Markquart, an unknown DNA sample was found at the scene where Bontjes’ body was discovered in 1975. The sample has been sent to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis, as authorities work to identify whose DNA it belongs to.
Investigators have compared the DNA sample with samples from multiple individuals, all of whom have been ruled out as contributors to the unknown profile. This development has fueled efforts to bring closure to a case that has remained unsolved for half a century.
Bontjes was last seen leaving the American Legion club in Trimont on October 2, 1975. The next day, her partially clothed body was found in a ditch near a cemetery south of Trimont, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Her car was discovered two miles away, with her belongings inside and the keys still in the ignition. The scene indicated that another vehicle had pulled in front of her car, raising suspicions of foul play in the young woman’s tragic death.
Authorities have also disclosed reports of sexually suggestive telephone calls received by beauticians in the area leading up to the discovery of Bontjes’ body. Friends and acquaintances have been interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation to shed light on the events surrounding her untimely demise.
Anyone with information related to the case is urged to contact Sheriff’s Sgt. Matt Owens or the BCA tip line. As the community awaits answers, the newfound DNA evidence offers renewed hope for justice in a case that has long remained a painful chapter in Trimont’s history.