Jury selection complete in decades-old cold case murder trial of Betty Rolf
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – 35 years later, the justice system attempts to deliver for one Grand Chute family after 60-year-old grandmother Betty Rolf was murdered on her walk to work in November 1988.
Ten men and five women were selected from a pool of 102 to be the jurors in the trial of 68-year-old Gene Meyer, who is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual assault with the use of a dangerous weapon, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 5.
The case went cold until 2019 when DNA testing caused it to be reopened. Eventually, authorities were able to narrow the suspect down to Meyer, who was living in Washington state at the time.
Meyer was 32 years old at the time of the crime. If convicted, he faces a life sentence for the murder charge and up to 60 years for the sexual assault.
The judge, prosecution, and defense narrowed down the pool of jurors by asking them many questions about their lives and their ability to remain fair and impartial. The whole process took over five hours.
Opening statements of the trial are expected to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
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