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FOND DU LAC, Wis. - A Wisconsin man disappeared in 1995. Now, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office has arrested a suspect on a charge of first-degree intentional homicide.
Roommate arrested
Cold case arrest:
While James Ruland's remains have never been found, authorities developed probable cause to support a homicide arrest after decades of investigation.
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Jerome Baier, Ruland's roommate at the time of his disappearance, was arrested after a search of his rural Marathon County home early Friday morning, Sept. 18.
What's next:
Baier, 83, is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail. He's scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Sept. 21.
Jerome Baier
James Ruland
The backstory:
James Ruland was last seen on Oct. 24, 1995, though a witness said they may have seen him hitchhiking in North Fond du Lac a few days later. The 40-year-old from the town of Ripon was never seen again, but his station wagon was found at a North Fond du Lac truck stop with the keys in the ignition and his possessions in the cargo area on Nov. 14, 1994.
Ruland's information was entered into numerous nationwide databases, and over the past 31 years, investigators continued to try to find him. But evidence uncovered over the years shifted the focus from a missing person case to a homicide investigation.
James Ruland
Investigators used human remains detection K-9s, ground-penetrating radar and aerial searches. They conducted large-scale excavations of potential burial sites, dove in waterways and searched a pig farm's manure pit. Still, Ruland was never found.
In 2021, forensic technology led detectives to request more tests on previously submitted evidence. The results from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab corroborated information from interviews, and the investigation continued – leading to Baier's arrest.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Marathon County Sheriff's Office assisted the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office in the investigation into Ruland's disappearance and death.
Tips still wanted
What you can do:
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office is still looking into Ruland's death and disappearance. Anyone with information related to the case should call Lt. Alex Volm at 920-924-2406 or Det. Dave Olig at 920-906-4799. To remain anonymous, call the Fond du Lac County Law Enforcement Tip Line: 920-906-4777.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage of the case that includes details from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.