Michigan man charged in killing of wife in Wisconsin in 1975

By: Associated Press//October 11, 2018//

By: Associated Press//October 11, 2018//

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STURGEON BAY, Wis. (AP) — A Michigan man has been charged with killing his wife more than four decades ago in Wisconsin, even though her body has never been found.

Law enforcement agents from Wisconsin and Michigan arrested 82-year-old Richard Gale Pierce on Thursday in his hometown of Cheboygan, Michigan. A criminal complaint charges Pierce with killing 35-year-old Carol Jean Pierce in Sturgeon Bay in September 1975.

Pierce has claimed his wife left him. According to a criminal complaint , Pierce had the opportunity to kill his wife, and his possible motives included a desire for monetary gain. The complaint speaks of a likely abusive nine-year marriage.

Pierce is charged with first-degree murder and disinterment of the dead. He is being held at Cheboygan County Jail, pending his return to Wisconsin

It’s unclear if Pierce has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

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