Mary Jo Bailey, now 81, is charged with murdering Yvonne Menke out of jealousy from an alleged love triangle.
BALSAM LAKE, Wis. — In 1985, Yvonne Menke gave her boyfriend Jack Owen an ultimatum: Minimize off ties with Mary Jo Bailey, his on-again/off-again alternate love curiosity — whom he additionally helped practice horses — or Menke would go away him.
That is the state of affairs Polk County, Wisconsin’s District Legal professional Jeff Kemp laid out for the jury previous to Menke being murdered.
“Be together with her solely or by no means, which meant no extra Mary Jo, romantically or coaching horses collectively,” Kemp mentioned in his opening assertion Monday.
The prosecution believes that put the now-81-year-old Bailey over the sting, so she waited within the stairwell of Yvonne’s condominium on a chilly December morning and shot her thrice when Yvonne got here down.
Police started to suspect Bailey shortly after the December 1985 homicide however didn’t cost her till November 2023, when investigators dusted off the chilly case.
Within the opening assertion, Bailey’s protection legal professional emphasised there by no means actually was a “break” within the case.
“Usually, chilly circumstances get charged after reminiscent of DNA is lastly matched to any individual. That isn’t what occurred on this case. That’s not why we’re right here at the moment,” mentioned legal professional Donna Burger. “There isn’t a DNA proof. There isn’t a direct proof on this case.”
Prosecutors are anticipated to put out proof of jealousy and different crimson flags displayed by Bailey.
Menke’s daughter Julie, who was 20 on the time and lived together with her mom, testified a few cellphone name she acquired the day earlier than the homicide. A girl’s voice requested if her mom was house and what time she left for work.
Julie Connors started to weep as she recounted these particulars.
“As a result of I really feel the caller was the one who murdered my mother and I informed her the whole lot she wished to know to make it occur,” Connors testified.
Essentially the most compelling piece of proof the prosecution previewed of their opening assertion concerned boot prints within the contemporary snow alongside the trail the killer took to get away. Kemp mentioned the prints match the tread and put on sample of a pair of uncommon Arctic Cat snowmobile boots in a uncommon measurement, seized from Bailey after the crime.
However of their opening assertion, Bailey’s protection attorneys emphasised what the prosecution lacks for proof.
“Sadly, there isn’t any direct proof as to who killed Yvonne Menke. This case as an alternative is constructed on rumor and innuendo,” Burger mentioned.
The trial is predicted to final two weeks.
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