03/18/2019- Nearly 43 years later, a major break in a Marinette County cold case. Marinette County Sheriff Jerry Sauve and other law enforcement officials held a press conference Friday to announce they’ve made an arrest in connection with the 1976 double murder of David Schuldes and Ellen Matheys at McClintock Park in the town of Silver Cliff. The suspect, taken into custody March 14th, is 82-year-old Raymond Vannieuwenhoven of Lakewood. Sheriff Sauve explains DNA from the scene and new technology from Parabon NanoLabs introduced to the case last July helped lead authorities to Vanniewenhoven, who had not been named in previous investigation efforts.
On July 9th, 1976, authorities discovered the body of David Schuldes, who had been shot, in McClintock Park. The body of Ellen Matheys, who was also shot and had been sexually assaulted, was found a short distance away in a wooded area.
Sheriff Sauve stresses that this investigation is ongoing and at this point, the department has no knowledge as to whether Vannieuwenhoven knew the victims personally. Vannieuwenhoven has been a regional resident most of his life and has had little prior contact with law enforcement. He’s currently being housed at the Marinette County Jail pending formal charges.