Florida Man Charged With Murder In Wisconsin Cold Case

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI -- A 78-year-old Florida man has been arrested and charged in Wisconsin after authorities say he may be the person responsible for his wife's death in 1979.

According to court records, John Bayerl has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, and is being held in the Waukesha County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. If convicted, John Bayerl faces life in prison with no possibility of parole.

According to Muskego police in May 1979, John Bayerl told officers that his wife, Dona Mae Bayerl left their home after a quarrel, and drove off in the family car. The car was returned that night. John Bayerl told police that when the children woke up the next morning, Dona was gone.

At the time, local authorities believed she did not leave of her own free will. Police found blood in the garage, determined to be Dona Bayerl's, according to information posted by police on the City of Muskego's website.

Muskego Police said a circumstantial case was originally developed against a suspect, but no charges were issued because of a lack of evidence.

Police said John Bayerl remained a person of interest, and the case of Dona Bayerl's disappearance was later reclassified as a homicide.

According to Muskego police, a break in the case led to Bayerl's Feb. 15 arrest at his home in Fort Myers, Florida with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff's Department.

He is currently housed in the Waukesha County Jail and is awaiting his next hearing on Feb. 28.