Man Charged in Wisconsin Rapids Cold Case Fails to Appear in Court

Monday, September 12th, 2022 -- 1:00 PM

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has filed charges in the cold case homicide of Benny Scruggs which occurred in July of 1985.

Donald Wayne Maier, age 60, has been charged with First Degree Murder. On July 17, 1985, twenty-nine-year-old Benny Scruggs was stabbed to death in his home on Travis Drive in Wisconsin Rapids. Police were dispatched based on a call from a neighbor who was alerted by Scruggs’ wife Yvonne.

The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department has led this investigation through the years, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Division of Legal Services, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory.

The investigation lay dormant until the accused brought the matter back to the attention of the police in March of 2012 and the investigation has proceeded apace since then. As in any criminal proceeding, Mr. Maier is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Criminal Litigation Unit of the Division of Legal Services of Wisconsin DOJ is handling the prosecution and is unable to comment beyond what is contained within the complaint or stated in court, because this is an ongoing criminal prosecution.

Maier was scheduled to appear in court on Friday, but did not, even though he’s currently being held in the Racine Prison. Due to the nature of the crime and Maier’s history, a cash bond was set at $100,000.

A public defender spoke with the judge and said an attorney is willing to take Maier’s case, but he must go through an evaluation first. Court officials didn’t say what the evaluation was for.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.