The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office has arrested a suspect in connection with a cold case murder of a James "Jim" Ruland back in 1995.
The sheriff's office said the suspect, Jerome Baier, was arrested at a rural address near Spencer, Wisconsin on Friday morning.
According to the sheriff's office, Ruland was last seen on Oct. 24, 1995, after a witness said he may have been hitchhiking in North Fond du Lac on Oct. 26, 1995. He was 40 years old at the time of his disappearance and was living at an address in the Town of Rippon.
After his disappearance, his vehicle was later found at a truck stop in North Fond du Lac.
According to the sheriff's office, law enforcement has conducted extensive efforts over the past 31 years. In 2021, advances in forensic testing technology led detectives to request additional testing of evidence. Those results helped corroborate information, and then more interviews took place and efforts to find his remains continued.
His remains still have not been found, but the sheriff's office said there was enough evidence to arrest Baier. Officials said Baier was Ruland's roommate at the time of this disappearance.
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