FOND DU LAC COUNTY (NBC 26) — Jerome Baier is facing a first degree murder charge in the 1995 disappearance of James Ruland.
Baier appeared in court for the first time Monday, where his bond was set at one million dollars.
But why is he facing charges now for something that happened over 30 years ago?
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says Baier was questioned this past July about Ruland's disappearance as well as other details — to which he says things were not adding up.
"Some of the the things related to the victim that the defendant was saying learned to not be true," Toney said.
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According to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC 26, Baier admitted that he lied to police, saying he knew they were investigating Ruland's disappearance and he wanted to make their job "more difficult."
The complaint also revealed a brief human remains investigation that was conducted in 2023 at the Cork Street Road property in Ripon, which Baier and Ruland both lived at before Ruland's disappearance.
During a search on the property, law enforcement received a hit from one of their K-9s. But once ground penetrating radar was brought to the site, it was deemed that Ruland's remains were not on the property.
Toney says the county has been in contact with Ruland's family since the arrest was made.
"Whether its one day or 30 years the relief when family knows that process for justice is beginning," Toney said. "I think is something that we all strive to do."
Ruland was last seen around Oct. 24 of 1995.
Prior to Ruland's disappearance, the criminal complaint outlines a dispute between the roomates over alleged unpaid rent and utilities, as well as money that Baier claimed Ruland stole.
However, law enforcement has disproven those claims with bank statements which date back to 1995 before Ruland went missing.
Ruland's remains have not been found.
Baier is slated to appear back in a Fond du Lac County court room for his preliminary hearing on Oct. 1 at 1:30 pm.
