Monday's Murder In The Heartland episode will address the heartbreaking homicide of Mary Klatt, which shook the town of Blue Earth in Faribault County, Minnesota.
The episode is set to explore the heartbreaking incident that took away the life of a hardworking hotel clerk. The episode will also focus on the anecdotes given by her family, close acquaintances, the murder investigation, and its subsequent trial.
This true-crime episode, titled Homicide Hotel, will premiere exclusively on Investigation Discovery (ID) on May 23, 2022, at 8.00 pm ET. Here is the official synopsis for the ID episode:
"An unknown assailant strangles overnight desk clerk Mary Klatt during her shift; the town of Blue Earth, Minn., struggles with the harsh reality that someone would want to harm Mary."ID Murder In The Heartland: All about Mary Klatt's murderer and his present whereabouts
Roger Allen Morton, a man from northern Iowa, was charged with the murder of Mary Klatt, an overnight motel clerk in southern Minnesota, in 2003.
He was reportedly working for a roofing company in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and stayed at the local AmericInn Motel for three days before Mary Klatt's death. Klatt was 53 years old and worked at the motel's front desk, and was found dead on May 29, 2003.
Klatt's body was discovered in the motel after one of the customers called 911 after not being able to find her. She was strangled, according to an autopsy, with the neckline of her T-shirt and was found in a room next to the front desk. The motivation, according to police, was ruled out as a robbery. The autopsy further revealed that Klatt had been sexually assaulted.
Morton was detained after Blue Earth police filed a complaint in Faribault County District Court accusing him of committing the offense the day before. DNA from Klatt's body was linked to samples Morton gave to police on the day of her death.
Investigators linked a phone call made that morning from the motel lobby to Morton's phone card. Morton claims he was in his room that night and denies making the call, instead claiming to have made a call that afternoon.
The DNA pointed to Morton, according to Blue Earth Police Chief Dean Vereide, and no other arrests were made. Vereide was particularly happy with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's quick response to the DNA evidence.
The prosecution used Roger's DNA match and phone records to prove his guilt at his trial in early 2004. The defense, on the other hand, claimed there were additional suspects, one of whom had already been convicted of criminal sexual conduct.
Despite this claim by the defense, Roger was found guilty in February 2004 by a jury on two separate charges. The charges included first-degree felony murder, including criminal sexual conduct, and second-degree murder. At the age of 46, he was condemned to life in jail without the chance of release.
Roger is still reportedly detained at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater in Bayport, Washington County.
Don't forget to watch the latest true-crime episode of Homicide Hotel on Investigation Discovery this Monday, May 23, 2022, at 8.00 pm ET.
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