DARLINGTON - A hearing isn't expected until early next week for a Waukesha man held as the sole suspect in the triple homicide that occurred over the weekend in rural South Wayne.
Jaren Kuester, 31, remains jailed in Lafayette County after a judicial review Tuesday morning, April 30, according to Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley. Suspects cannot be jailed longer than 72 hours without a judicial review or initial appearance in court. Kuester was jailed early Monday morning.
No charges are yet filed, and no details about how the victims were murdered have been released. A "huge volume" of information will take days to comb through before evidence can be forwarded to District Attorney Katherine Findley for a charging decision, Pedley said.
"At this time, we do not know when a bail hearing will occur and, based on previous history with case information this large, it may not occur until early next week," he said.
Pedley also announced in an email to media Tuesday morning that he won't be releasing any more information about the case until further notice.
"I believe the public's need to know is satisfied, for now, and when additional relevant facts can be shared, they will be shared," he said.
Pedley said the investigation is successfully moving forward and his officers and state agents have developed a "phenomenal" partnership and team spirit.
Found dead Sunday morning in a Philippine Road farm house were Gary Thoreson, 70, his wife Chloe, 66, and his brother Dean, 76. The killings appear to be at random and have no motive. Neighbors and friends describe the Thoresons as quiet, responsible people who farmed the surrounding acreage and were deeply involved in their community.
History of violence
News reports from the past decade-plus depict Kuester as a former high school wrestler and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) enthusiast who fought under the moniker "The Hitman." He grew up in Waukesha with five brothers.
His love of fighting extends outside the ring, according to court records from Waukesha County.
When he was 18, Kuester reportedly trashed his parents' house in Waukesha, damaging walls and breaking doors. At one point, he tackled his father, broke his glasses and threw Gatorade at his face, according to the criminal complaint described this week in the Waukesha Patch news site.
In November 2001, Kuester was one of four people who beat up another man with a billy club, according to another complaint. When police arrived, "they found the victim covered with blood on his face and shirt, as well as a two-inch gap that required staples to close," Patch reported. The fight started after Kuester's brother pushed the victim's girlfriend at school.
In 2002, he was sentenced to six months in jail for convictions of battery, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon. He was ordered to complete anger management counseling and take all his prescribed medications.
In the decade since, Kuester's offenses have mostly been traffic citations and small claims court judgments. He and his brother still owe $3,618 in unpaid rent after getting evicted from a Waukesha apartment building, according to a small claims case filed in 2007.
Bailed, then jailed again
Days before getting picked up Sunday as the suspect in the triple homicide case, Kuester was again in trouble with the law.
He was bonded out of the Waukesha jail Friday afternoon after police arrested him the previous afternoon on a warrant for obstructing justice, or contempt of court, according to Lt. Tom Wagner, Criminal Investigation Division at the Waukesha Police Department. In such cases, a defendant can typically pay a $243 bond or spend five days locked up.
Kuester went missing over the weekend in Green and Lafayette County. Family and friends told authorities they were worried about his mental health and concerned he might hurt himself. His abandoned vehicle was found Saturday in a field off County M in Cadiz Township, along with a trail of his discarded clothing leading away from it. Authorities believe he walked naked or partially naked to the Thoreson home, located miles away over rugged terrain and across the Pecatonica River.
He was taken into custody Sunday afternoon in Waukesha with a pickup truck belonging to one of the victims.
Jaren Kuester, 31, remains jailed in Lafayette County after a judicial review Tuesday morning, April 30, according to Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley. Suspects cannot be jailed longer than 72 hours without a judicial review or initial appearance in court. Kuester was jailed early Monday morning.
No charges are yet filed, and no details about how the victims were murdered have been released. A "huge volume" of information will take days to comb through before evidence can be forwarded to District Attorney Katherine Findley for a charging decision, Pedley said.
"At this time, we do not know when a bail hearing will occur and, based on previous history with case information this large, it may not occur until early next week," he said.
Pedley also announced in an email to media Tuesday morning that he won't be releasing any more information about the case until further notice.
"I believe the public's need to know is satisfied, for now, and when additional relevant facts can be shared, they will be shared," he said.
Pedley said the investigation is successfully moving forward and his officers and state agents have developed a "phenomenal" partnership and team spirit.
Found dead Sunday morning in a Philippine Road farm house were Gary Thoreson, 70, his wife Chloe, 66, and his brother Dean, 76. The killings appear to be at random and have no motive. Neighbors and friends describe the Thoresons as quiet, responsible people who farmed the surrounding acreage and were deeply involved in their community.
History of violence
News reports from the past decade-plus depict Kuester as a former high school wrestler and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) enthusiast who fought under the moniker "The Hitman." He grew up in Waukesha with five brothers.
His love of fighting extends outside the ring, according to court records from Waukesha County.
When he was 18, Kuester reportedly trashed his parents' house in Waukesha, damaging walls and breaking doors. At one point, he tackled his father, broke his glasses and threw Gatorade at his face, according to the criminal complaint described this week in the Waukesha Patch news site.
In November 2001, Kuester was one of four people who beat up another man with a billy club, according to another complaint. When police arrived, "they found the victim covered with blood on his face and shirt, as well as a two-inch gap that required staples to close," Patch reported. The fight started after Kuester's brother pushed the victim's girlfriend at school.
In 2002, he was sentenced to six months in jail for convictions of battery, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon. He was ordered to complete anger management counseling and take all his prescribed medications.
In the decade since, Kuester's offenses have mostly been traffic citations and small claims court judgments. He and his brother still owe $3,618 in unpaid rent after getting evicted from a Waukesha apartment building, according to a small claims case filed in 2007.
Bailed, then jailed again
Days before getting picked up Sunday as the suspect in the triple homicide case, Kuester was again in trouble with the law.
He was bonded out of the Waukesha jail Friday afternoon after police arrested him the previous afternoon on a warrant for obstructing justice, or contempt of court, according to Lt. Tom Wagner, Criminal Investigation Division at the Waukesha Police Department. In such cases, a defendant can typically pay a $243 bond or spend five days locked up.
Kuester went missing over the weekend in Green and Lafayette County. Family and friends told authorities they were worried about his mental health and concerned he might hurt himself. His abandoned vehicle was found Saturday in a field off County M in Cadiz Township, along with a trail of his discarded clothing leading away from it. Authorities believe he walked naked or partially naked to the Thoreson home, located miles away over rugged terrain and across the Pecatonica River.
He was taken into custody Sunday afternoon in Waukesha with a pickup truck belonging to one of the victims.