Marathon County man makes initial appearance in 1995 cold case homicide

The 83-year-old Marathon County man arrested Friday morning at his residence for a first-degree intentional homicide charge in connection with the 1995 disappearance and presumed death of James Ruland of Fond du Lac County, made his initial court appearance yesterday.

The judge set a cash bond for Jerome Baier at one-million dollars. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October first, with a status hearing on his legal representation set for September 30th.

According to the criminal complaint, Ruland disappeared in October of 1995 and has never been found. Investigators say Ruland and Baier were roommates at a farmhouse on Cork Street Road in the Town of Ripon, and had a dispute over money.

The complaint details decades of investigation, including allegations that Baier gave investigators conflicting accounts about Ruland’s disappearance and about checks belonging to Ruland.

Investigators also say DNA testing in 2020 found that DNA from a tire and jack handle recovered from Ruland’s abandoned vehicle matched Ruland.

The complaint says extensive searches for Ruland’s remains have been unsuccessful.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office continued investigating the case through this year, including an inquest that began in July.

Baier faces a possible life sentence if convicted.