Yvonne Menke, a mother of four, was shot to death in her apartment stairwell after KARE 11 reported that she and her family felt uneasy after receiving a confrontational phone call the day before her murder.
An 80-year-old Arizona woman was arrested Monday and charged with first degree murder in connection with the 1985 death of a Wisconsin woman, according to authorities.
Mary Josephine Bailey was taken into custody by local authorities in Apache Junction Monday morning accused of the 37-year-old cold case murder of Yvonne Menke in Polk County, Wisconsin, according to CBS News.
Menke, 45, was killed on the morning of Dec. 12, 1985, in St. Croix Falls, according to CBS News. The mother of four was shot to death in her apartment stairwell after KARE 11 reported that she and her family felt uneasy after receiving a confrontational phone call the day before her murder.
The victim’s 20-year-old daughter, Julie, said to St. Croix Falls Police Officer Mike Severson at the time, "I knew this was going to happen,” KARE 11 reported.
It was very cold and the ground was snow-packed on Dec. 12, 1985, according to KARE 11. At the time, police at the scene were able to take impressions of two footprints that appeared to come from Arctic Cat snow boots, KARE 11 reported.
The day after the shooting, investigators asked Bailey to show them her boots and shoes, according to reports.
"Mary Jo showed them some footwear that she had within her residence. When asked if she had any other boots, Mary Jo stated she did. Mary Jo opened a door and retrieved a pair of Arctic Cat snowmobile boots, size 5," according to the criminal complaint obtained by KARE 11. "Mary Jo gave officers permission to seize the boots."
Lab tests found the boots' tread pattern, size, and wear pattern were a match to the sulfur casts taken of the prints at the crime scene, according to the complaint obtained by KARE 11.
Bailey also did own a .22 caliber pistol, the same type of gun used to kill Menke, according to the Star Tribune. Baily said she had obtained the gun from an ex-husband, according to The Star Tribune.
The criminal complaint obtained by KARE 11 said that Bailey was the prime suspect from day one, and investigators believe she killed Menke out of jealousy stemming from a "love triangle." The two women had both been dating the same man, and he recently had chosen Menke over Bailey, according to the criminal complaint obtained by KARE 11.
However, the case quickly grew cold despite that every new Polk County sheriff to take office since 1985 has re-opened it and made new efforts to solve it, according to reports.
Between 2021 and early 2023, new interviews were done in the case and witnesses were spoken to again. In the latest round of dialogue, new evidence emerged, according to the Star Tribune.
Some of the witnesses revealed in the new evidence Bailey had been emotionally upset the night before Menke's murder, according to the Star Tribune. One witness told authorities that after Menke was killed, Bailey had asked them to burn some clothing for her, the Star Tribune reported.
When investigators told Bailey that she would likely be charged for Menke's death, "Mary Jo did not respond and continued to sit at the table without any emotional or verbal response," the complaint obtained by KARE 11 said.
Bailey is awaiting extradition from Arizona to Wisconsin. It is unclear as to when she will be sent to Wisconsin, according to the Polk County Courts. She has not yet entered a plea nor obtained legal representation, according to the courts.
Polk County Sheriff Brent Waak tells Inside Edition Digital via email, "I am not commenting at this time as this is an ongoing investigation."
The sheriff's office says this is still an ongoing investigation, and anyone with information on this case is asked to contact them at 715-485-8300.
