A Marathon County man charged with the homicide of Jim Ruland in Fond du Lac County appeared in court yesterday.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says 83-year-old Jerome Baier made his initial appearance, where Judge Anthony Nehls set a $1 million cash bond.
Baier will return to court on October 30th at 1:30 p.m. for a status conference.
The 83-year-old faces a charge of 1st-degree intentional homicide after Ruland was reported missing back in 1995.
A criminal complaint alleges that Ruland and Baier were living at a farmhouse in the Town of Ripon when a rift between the two developed over money.
Baier claimed Jim stole $1,200 in cash from him and ran up the phone bill.
Ruland would eventually try to move to a home in Kiel, but his family would report him missing.
Ruland’s vehicle would later be found at the Stretch Motel.
The complaint also says that during police interviews, Baier lied to police about forging checks in Ruland’s name to make sure the investigation doesn’t go anywhere.
Baier faces life in prison if convicted.
