Mary Klatt Murder: Where is Roger Allen Morton Now? – After being found guilty of the sexual assault and murder of a Blue Earth motel clerk, a 46-year-old Iowa man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release.
Roger Allen Morton, 46, of Mason City, Iowa, is accused of raping and strangling Mary Klatt, 53, at the AmericInn Motel on May 29 when she was working the nighttime shift.
A 911 call sent authorities running to a motel in Blue Earth, Minnesota, early one morning in May 2003. They discovered a horrible discovery inside: Mary Klatt, the night clerk, had been slain. ‘Murder In The Heartland: Homicide Hotel‘ on Investigation Discovery dives into the tragic story behind this senseless homicide and what happened to the culprit afterward. So, if you’re interested in learning more, we’ve got you covered.
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What Caused Mary Klatt’s Death?
Mary was a sweet and compassionate woman who grew up in the city of Blue Earth in Faribault County, Minnesota. Originally, the 53-year-old worked as a teacher in Iowa, but after her father died, her mother became ill. So Mary returned to Blue Earth to care for her. She then got a job as a night clerk at the AmericInn Motel and worked as a substitute teacher in the mornings. Mary was engaged to Danny Larson at the time of the incident.
One of the motel customers called 911 at 6 a.m. on May 29, 2003, after being unable to locate Mary, the clerk. The authorities discovered her in the conference room close to the front desk when they arrived. Mary was lying flat on her back, her shirt pulled up and her pants down. The motivation didn’t appear to be robbery, and there were no signs of struggle. Mary was sexually molested before being forcefully strangled to death, according to an autopsy. She also suffered further injuries and defensive wounds.
Who Was Mary Klatt’s Killer?
The outdoor doors are locked at 11 p.m., according to the motel manager. The guests could use their keycard to access the side entrance, but they had to go through the front door physically. As a result, the authorities assumed that one of the guests was responsible for the crime. According to the show, the time of death on May 29 was between 3 and 5 a.m. The investigators’ findings matched what they saw on Mary’s PC.
According to records, Mary started a daily audit as part of her job at 3:12 a.m. but never finished it. The cops discovered a nine-man construction crew from Mason City, Iowa, staying at the motel while working at a nearby hospital while checking through the guests. Roger Allen Morton was a member of the crew, and his whereabouts around the time of Mary’s murder were investigated.
Roger indicated that he went uptown after work on May 28, 2003, at about 8 p.m., to have a couple of beers and play pool. Roger stated he returned around 1:30 a.m. and lit a cigarette outside the motel after that. He said that the door was unlocked and that he didn’t see or hear anything on his way to his room. Roger stated he arrived in the room around 2:20 a.m. and eventually fell asleep.
Then, on May 29, 2003, at about 2:59 a.m., someone called using a prepaid card from the motel lobby phone, according to records. Roger had one of those prepaid cards and phone records proving he had made the call at the time. Roger, on the other hand, claimed to have only used the phone on May 28, 2003 in the afternoon.
Despite this, physical evidence linking him to Mary’s death put an end to the investigation. Roger’s DNA matched the sperm detected in Mary’s vagina as well as one of her body hairs.
What Happened to Roger Allen Morton and Where Is He Now?
The prosecution used the DNA match and phone records to prove Roger Allen Morton’s guilt at his trial in early 2004. The defence, on the other hand, claimed there were additional suspects, one of whom had already been convicted of criminal sexual conduct.
Despite this, Roger was found guilty of first-degree felony murder, including criminal sexual conduct, and second-degree intentional murder by a jury in February 2004. He was condemned to life in jail without the chance of release when he was 46 years old. Roger is still detained at the Minnesota Correction Facility – Stillwater in Bayport, Washington County, according to records.
