On Labor Day of 1974, less than 24 hours before 15-year-old Mary was to start her sophomore year of high school, she told her parents she needed to make a quick shopping trip to pick up some last-minute school supplies and a winter coat. Her younger sister, 12-year-old Susanne, tagged along and they waved goodbye to their father, who was painting the exterior of the house when they left. On a day so ordinary, it never crossed his mind that that would be the last time he’d see his two daughters alive.
Episode Info
There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the murders of Mary and Susanne Reker. To submit a tip please visit here or scan the QR code below.
To apply for the Cold Case Playing Cards grant through Season of Justice, visit www.seasonofjustice.org
![An undated photo of Mary Reker.](https://thedeckpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Undated-Photo-of-Mary-Reker.jpg)
An undated photo of Mary Reker. Courtesy: Stearns County Sheriff’s Office
![An undated photo of Susanne Reker.](https://thedeckpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Undated-Photo-of-Susanne-Reker.jpg)
An undated photo of Susanne Reker. Courtesy: Stearns County Sheriff’s Office
![A present-day photo of Zayres.](https://thedeckpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Present-day-photo-of-Zayres-1024x574.jpg)
A present-day photo of Zayres. Courtesy: Google
![A map with the girls’ last known locations.](https://thedeckpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Map-with-last-known-location-of-girls.png)
A map with the girls’ last known locations. Courtesy: The Minneapolis Star
![A newspaper clipping regarding the girls being found near the quarry.](https://thedeckpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Newspaper-Clipping-584x1024.jpg)
A newspaper clipping regarding the girls being found near the quarry. Courtesy: Stearns County Sheriff’s Office
Episode Source Material
- Cold cases of Stearns County, Minnesota, by Robert M. Dudley.
- FOX 9: Reker murders: Connection or coincidence?
- Minneapolis Star: Second murder probe continues at steady pace, by Dave Anderson via Newspapers.com.
- Minneapolis Star: Slain girls’ final hours retraced, by Dave Anderson via Newspapers.com.
- Star Tribune: Details still eerie 28 years after girls were slain, by Curt Brown via Newspapers.com.