(First published in the December 5, 2019 issue of City Pages)
Police won’t say yet what led to the arrest last week in the Marathon County murder case
State Special Prosecutor Richard Dufour prepares in court Monday in the probable cause hearing for Cindy Schulz-Juedes, who is accused of killing her husband in a case that dates back to 2006.
Police on Aug. 30, 2006, first started investigating the death of Kenneth Juedes in rural Marathon County. Juedes was 58 at the time. He was found dead in the 3700 block of Maple Road in the town of Hull.
The evidence led detectives at the time to believe Juedes was intentionally shot to death in his home near Colby.
On Nov. 27, officers arrested his widow, Cindy Schulz-Juedes, 65 of Chippewa Falls, in connection with the 13-year-old case. Official charges have not yet been filed as of Wednesday morning, but Schulz-Juedes appeared in Marathon County Court Monday for a probable cause hearing.
Why now? Authorities aren’t saying.
A judge set a $1 million bond for Schulz-Juedes. According to state special prosecutor Richard Dufour, speaking during the probable cause hearing, Schulz-Juedes had motivation to commit the crime. She was the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy, and other than a home she later sold for around $200,000, Dufour told the court she had little to gain in assets from a divorce. He told the court that reports showed the two fought often.
Cindy Schulz-Juedes
There were inconsistencies in her story, Dufour told the court. Schulz-Juedes had owned a 20-gauge shotgun, which is what Kenneth was shot with. She claimed after the homicide it had been stolen, despite previous opportunities to have reported it stolen, Dufour told the court. Other statements she made to law enforcement were inconsistent.
Dufour pointed out that she had no blood on her clothing, despite there being a lot of blood at the crime scene, when she reported the crime.
Neither the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office nor the special prosecutor gave any insight into what led them to arrest Schulz-Juedes. Marathon County Sheriff Parks says he is unable to say anything further about the case. It has remained open for the past 13 years and has been actively worked by detectives in that time, he said, with regular follow ups and reviews.
Jail reports from Marathon County list requested charges of first-degree intentional homicide.
