Mary Klatt murder haunted the entire community for several years.
On May 29, 2003, Mary Klatt was found brutally murdered in the conference room of the AmericInn Motel, where she worked as a night clerk.
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Murder In The Heartland: Homicide Hotel’ explores the details of this tragic case and what happened to the killer, Roger Allen Morton.
Mary Klatt grew up in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and was well-respected by her community.
She worked as a teacher in Iowa but returned to her hometown to take care of her mother, who had become ill after her father had passed away.
Mary worked as a substitute teacher in the mornings and as a night clerk at the AmericInn Motel at night. On the day of the incident, Mary was engaged to Danny Larson.
Details of the Mary Klatt murder
Mary’s murder initially seemed like a robbery gone wrong; however, upon closer examination, investigators discovered that the crime was much more heinous.
Mary was found lying on her back in the conference room with her shirt pulled up and pants pulled down.
She was s*xually assaulted, manually strangled, and had defensive wounds and other injuries.
The investigation
During their investigation, the police discovered that the external doors of the motel were locked at 11 pm, and guests could only enter the motel through the front door with the help of the night clerk.
As per the show, the time of death was estimated to be between 3 am and 5 am on May 29. The investigators also found evidence that Mary had started her daily audit at around 3:12 am but never finished it.
The police soon found a lead when they discovered a nine-man construction crew from Mason City, Iowa, who were staying at the motel while working at a local hospital.
Roger Allen Morton, a member of the construction crew, was questioned regarding his whereabouts at the time of the murder.
Morton reportedly told the police that he had gone uptown to have a few drinks and play some pool after work on May 28, 2003.
He claimed to have returned to the motel at around 1:30 am and smoked a cigarette outside.
Morton claimed to have entered the unlocked front door and not seeing anyone on his way to his room, where he eventually slept.
Moreover, Morton denied knowing Mary or seeing anyone around the conference room.
Mary Klatt murder: the evidence against Morton
The police found evidence to contradict Morton’s account of events.
Phone records showed that a call was made from the motel lobby telephone at around 2:59 am on May 29, 2003, using a prepaid phone card Morton owned.
Morton claimed to have only used the phone on the afternoon of May 28, 2003.
Additionally, physical evidence linked him to the murder, including DNA matching the semen found in Mary’s vagina and one of the hairs found on her body.
Morton’s Conviction- where is he now?
Morton’s case went to trial in early 2004.
The prosecution used the DNA match and phone records as evidence of Morton’s guilt, while the defense mentioned other suspects, including one with a prior criminal s*xual conduct conviction, that could have committed the crime.
A jury found Morton guilty of first-degree felony murder and second-degree intentional murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Morton remains incarcerated at Minnesota Correction Facility – Stillwater in Bayport, Washington County.
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