FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — A man accused of murdering his roommate more than 30 years ago in Fond du Lac County was ordered to stand trial Thursday.
Jerome Baier, 83, is charged in the killing of James "Jim" Ruland, who hasn't been seen since 1995. Ruland was 40 at the time of his disappearance and lived in the Town of Ripon, along with Baier, who authorities said was his roommate at the time.
Baier appeared in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing, where Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Anthony Nehls found enough evidence to move the case forward and order the man to stand trial.
Baier then entered a not guilty plea to the single charge of first-degree murder.
The 83-year-old was arrested earlier this month at his rural address near Spencer, in Marathon County. Evidence uncovered from 31 years of investigations shifted the case from a missing person inquiry to a homicide investigation, according to investigators.
A 2021 lab test of previously submitted evidence from searches for Ruland's remains yielded results that helped corroborate information from interviews and other analyses, leading detectives to develop enough probable cause for an arrest.
Investigators did not say what specific evidence led to the arrest. Deputies added Ruland's remains have not been recovered, although efforts continue.
Baier is due back in court Nov. 2.
