Mary Jo Bailey, aged 81, received a life sentence on Tuesday, July 2, for the first-degree murder of Yvonne Menke, a crime dating back to December 1985.
This conviction brought closure to a case that had lain dormant for decades until it was reopened in 2021.
The Crime and Investigation
In December 1985, Yvonne Menke was fatally shot three times — once in the neck and twice in the back of the head — outside her apartment building.
Menke, a 45-year-old mother of four, had stepped outside to warm up her car before work when the tragic incident occurred.
Her daughter, who was inside the apartment, heard the gunshots and witnessed a person running away from the scene.
Menke's lifeless body was found at the bottom of the building's exterior stairs.
Initial investigations yielded evidence that implicated Bailey.
Her boots matched shoe prints found in the snow at the crime scene, and a note with Bailey's car information was discovered in Menke's purse.
Furthermore, Menke’s family reported receiving several mysterious phone calls from a woman asking about Menke's morning routine.
Despite these leads, the case went cold until 2021.
Polk County Investigations Liaison Deputy Mark Biller and Lt. Andrew Vitalis reignited the investigation, conducting new interviews and uncovering additional information.
They believed that some witnesses, who initially remained silent out of fear, had since come forward with crucial details.
The motive behind this heinous act stemmed from a love triangle involving Bailey, Menke, and a man named Jack Owen.
Both women were romantically involved with Owen at the same time.
Owen, who later married another woman and relocated to Montana, passed away in 2021.
His death and the passage of time likely influenced new witnesses to speak out, contributing to the reopening and eventual resolution of the case.
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| Yvonne Menke |
The Trial and Sentencing
Bailey was convicted of first-degree murder on June 5, 2023.
During her July 2 sentencing at the Polk County Courthouse, she was given a mandatory life sentence.
Due to a Wisconsin state law from 1985, Bailey was granted the possibility of parole in just over 19 years.
However, Judge Scott Nordstrand expressed that he would have set her parole eligibility at 38 years if not constrained by the law.
"I think it needs to be said how brutal and how horrific this crime was. And cold-blooded," Nordstrand stated in court.
Assistant District Attorney Holly Wood-Webster highlighted Bailey's lack of remorse and accountability during the trial.
"Other than her lack of denial, Ms. Bailey has not admitted what she did, she has not taken accountability for her actions, she has shown no remorse," Wood-Webster said.
"In fact, she told the bailiff after she was convicted that she can now retire and not worry about it. This is first-degree murder … Ms. Bailey should not be eligible for parole."
The Impact on Menke’s Family
The emotional toll on Menke's family was profound.
Before Bailey’s sentence was announced, three of Menke’s children — Julie Connors, Sue Raska, and James Menke Jr. — provided heart-wrenching statements.
Connors, who was 20 at the time of her mother’s murder, recalled the lifelong pain inflicted by Bailey's actions.
"You waited in a dark stairwell to maliciously murder my mom. You sentenced us to a life filled with pain, sadness, and hurt," Connors said.
She also read a statement from her sister Raska, who was pregnant at the time of Menke’s death.
James Jr., who was 16 in 1985, expressed mixed feelings about the verdict.
“To me, this is not justice,” he said.
“She got to lead her life. We didn’t live ours. But it’s as close as it’s going to get. So, now we can finally put this behind us. But [Bailey] should never be let out again.”
As of now, Bailey's defense team is considering an appeal, but the life sentence brings a sense of closure to the Menke family.
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