POLK COUNTY, Wis. — An 80-year-old woman is facing charges nearly 40 years after the murder of a woman who was believed to be dating the same man in Polk County, Wisconsin.
Mary Josephine Bailey, 80, was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona in connection with the deadly shooting of Yvonne Menke, 45, on Dec. 12, 1985, according to WEAU. Bailey has been charged with first-degree murder.
The shooting happened at an apartment building in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, according to the news station.
Menke died after she was shot multiple times in her head and neck, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said. She was leaving her home to go to work at the time of the shooting.
The sheriff’s office said that someone was seen fleeing from Menke’s home in the alley.
In a criminal complaint that was filed this week, according to KTVK, investigators spoke with Menke’s boyfriend, Jake Owens and others following the shooting.
“Law enforcement learned that for the past several years, Jack Owen, Yvonne Menke, and Mary Jo Lunsmann, now known as Mary Jo Bailey, had been involved in somewhat of a ‘love triangle,’” according to the news outlet. The documents said that Owen often dated Menke and Lunsmann (Bailey) at the same time over a couple of years. Multiple witnesses suggested that Bailey was responsible for Menke’s murder.
“The crime and the ‘up close and personal’ attack appear to show personal knowledge and a strong emotional reaction towards Yvonne Menke. … It is probable that the person responsible for the homicide was not a stranger to Yvonne Menke, but rather someone who was aware of her and her daily habits,” according to the criminal complaint obtained by KMSP.
“Based on the well-documented ‘love triangle’ between Yvonne Menke, Jack Owen and Mary Jo (Lunsmann) Bailey, in addition to Mary Jo’s suspected animosity towards Yvonne Menke, witness statements, and the physical evidence collected at the scene (boot prints closely matching boots recovered from Mary Jo (Lunsmann) Bailey), [authorities] believes that Mary Jo (Lunsmann) Bailey is responsible for killing Yvonne Menke on Dec. 12, 1985,” according to the criminal complaint obtained by the news station.
The case was reopened in 2021 and investigators spoke with Bailey last January. She denied any involvement in Menke’s murder, KTVK reported.
Bailey is awaiting extradition back to Wisconsin from Arizona, WEAU reported.