Prosecutors in Waukesha County hope they can finally close a cold case nearly 40 years in the making.
They’ve charged 78-year-old John Bayerl with the 1979 murder of his wife Dona Mae Bayerl, who disappeared from their Muskego home one night after an argument they had.
John had long been considered a person of interest for investigators. He had been living in Fort Meyers, Florida when an arrest warrant was issued last Friday.
Bayerl made his first court appearance Thursday. No new evidence has been shared as to what led to the break in the cold case. A cash bond is set for $500,000.
Bayerl will be in court again next Feb. 28.