DARLINGTON - Jaren Kuester had blood on his hands when he met with a Lafayette County detective hours after the bodies of three rural South Wayne residents were found murdered, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing Monday, May 13.
After hearing the testimony, a judge ruled that prosecutors have shown enough evidence to prove it is "probable and plausible" that Kuester committed a felony and the case against him can move forward.
Kuester, 31, is bound over for an arraignment at 10 a.m. Monday, June 3. The Milwaukee man is charged with bludgeoning Gary Thoreson, 70, his wife Chloe Thoreson, 66, and his brother Dean Thoreson, 76, with a fireplace poker on April 27 in the home where Gary and Chloe lived on Philippine Road in Wiota Township.
Detective Joe Thompson, of the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department, testified he met with Kuester twice - in Waukesha on the evening of April 28, and in Darlington the next day, after Kuester had been jailed as the sole suspect in the murders.
Thompson said Kuester had dried and fresh blood on his hands, a lump on his head and scratches on his body when they met that Sunday evening in Waukesha. Kuester had been arrested that afternoon in Waukesha with a blue pickup truck registered to the Thoreson brothers, which he reportedly took and drove from Lafayette County to Waukesha.
"He wasn't sure if he wanted to speak with us," Thompson said.
The next afternoon, Kuester told jail administrator Mary Paisley he wanted to meet with Thompson. This time, Thompson said, Kuester admitted to committing a crime.
"He told me he had killed three people," Thompson said. "He was kind of confused as to the dates and times."
Thompson and other investigators have pieced together a timeline for the weekend when the Thoresons were found dead. They say Kuester started driving aimlessly after being bailed out of jail in Waukesha Friday, April 26, then abandoned his SUV in western Green County near Browntown, disrobed and started running.
"He thought there were people following him," Thompson said. Kuester's path took him across rough terrain, and he swam through two rivers, Thompson added.
Kuester stopped running around sunset and went into a barn at the top of a hill, then seeing the nearby house was unoccupied, broke in through a window, according to Thompson.
Dean Thoreson was killed when he arrived at the home sometime the next day, Saturday, April 27, and Gary and Chloe Thoreson were killed when they arrived at the home sometime after that, according to the criminal complaint.
Public defender Guy Taylor said last week he is exploring the possibility of an insanity plea for Kuester. Taylor was one of four people sitting with Kuester at Monday's hearing, including a detective for the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office and two other public defenders on the case, Jason Daane and Jane Kleven.
Kuester kept his head down for most of the hearing. As they did at his initial appearance Friday, his family and the victims' families again sat in the courtroom.
Kuester remains jailed in isolation on a $3 million bond.
After hearing the testimony, a judge ruled that prosecutors have shown enough evidence to prove it is "probable and plausible" that Kuester committed a felony and the case against him can move forward.
Kuester, 31, is bound over for an arraignment at 10 a.m. Monday, June 3. The Milwaukee man is charged with bludgeoning Gary Thoreson, 70, his wife Chloe Thoreson, 66, and his brother Dean Thoreson, 76, with a fireplace poker on April 27 in the home where Gary and Chloe lived on Philippine Road in Wiota Township.
Detective Joe Thompson, of the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department, testified he met with Kuester twice - in Waukesha on the evening of April 28, and in Darlington the next day, after Kuester had been jailed as the sole suspect in the murders.
Thompson said Kuester had dried and fresh blood on his hands, a lump on his head and scratches on his body when they met that Sunday evening in Waukesha. Kuester had been arrested that afternoon in Waukesha with a blue pickup truck registered to the Thoreson brothers, which he reportedly took and drove from Lafayette County to Waukesha.
"He wasn't sure if he wanted to speak with us," Thompson said.
The next afternoon, Kuester told jail administrator Mary Paisley he wanted to meet with Thompson. This time, Thompson said, Kuester admitted to committing a crime.
"He told me he had killed three people," Thompson said. "He was kind of confused as to the dates and times."
Thompson and other investigators have pieced together a timeline for the weekend when the Thoresons were found dead. They say Kuester started driving aimlessly after being bailed out of jail in Waukesha Friday, April 26, then abandoned his SUV in western Green County near Browntown, disrobed and started running.
"He thought there were people following him," Thompson said. Kuester's path took him across rough terrain, and he swam through two rivers, Thompson added.
Kuester stopped running around sunset and went into a barn at the top of a hill, then seeing the nearby house was unoccupied, broke in through a window, according to Thompson.
Dean Thoreson was killed when he arrived at the home sometime the next day, Saturday, April 27, and Gary and Chloe Thoreson were killed when they arrived at the home sometime after that, according to the criminal complaint.
Public defender Guy Taylor said last week he is exploring the possibility of an insanity plea for Kuester. Taylor was one of four people sitting with Kuester at Monday's hearing, including a detective for the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office and two other public defenders on the case, Jason Daane and Jane Kleven.
Kuester kept his head down for most of the hearing. As they did at his initial appearance Friday, his family and the victims' families again sat in the courtroom.
Kuester remains jailed in isolation on a $3 million bond.