Found Deceased WI - Joan Bue Butterbach, Oct 5, 1971, Tainter Lake, Menomonie, WI, wife of ex-CIA agent *cold case*

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Joan Bue Butterbach left her home at 1431 Garfield Ave, Waukesha WI for Bird Island, MN during the early morning hours of October 5, 1971 to visit friends. She was supposed to continue on from there to the Bue family farm in Chatfield, MN. She was found April 18, 1977, strangled, in the trunk of her 1969 Ford Mustang near the Lamb's Creek boat landing, Tainter Lake in the Town of Tainter, WI, just north of Menomonie, WI.

The Leader-Telegram, Tue, Apr 19, 1977, Page 1 stated that the partially-clothed body was found face down in the trunk. A piece of clothing, possibly a portion of her dress, was knotted tightly around her neck. When she failed to arrive Oct. 9 at the home of her brother-in-law in Rochester, MN, she was reported as missing.


Incredibly, townspeople diving in the lake had known the car was in Tainter Lake for four years prior to it being found but never bothered to report it to the authorities.

"During the summer of 1972, local kids discovered a submerged vehicle in Tainter Lake, Menomonie, WI. They used it to dive from into the cool waters. (This “lake” looks more like a river as it is approximately 50 yards wide. On one side is a Supper Club called Jake’s and directly across, on the other shoreline, is the boat launch that was used to launch the car into the water). The kids had reported to authorities that the car was there and went so far as to break off a windshield wiper to prove their finding. It would be safe to say that many (if not all) of the town’s 11,112 residents knew there was a submerged car in the water. This included the Sheriff of Dunn County, Sheriff Daryl “Corky” Spagnoletti, who took no interest or action. Why?" Sheriff Spagnoletti also had all the evidence from the car destroyed sometime after the car was found.

Sheriff Spagnoletti of Dunn County was in charge of that investigation and also the abduction and murder of 25 year old Mary Schlais, also in Dunn County. Schlais' body was found near 408th Ave, Elk Creek Lake, Township of Spring Brook, WI, 15 miles east of Menomonie, WI, Feb 15, 1974.

Citizens Against Homicide, page 4

Tampering with the throttle assembly isn't something your average person would be able to do. An auto mechanic would more than likely be able to do this.
In processing the vehicle, it was discovered the headlight switch on the vehicle was in the “on” position; the ignition was in the“on” position; the spare tire was removed from the trunk and was placed in the back seat; the throttle assembly was taken apart, the spring was removed and it was locked into a wide open position. This allowed the car to be catapulted down the boat ramp and into the water without assistance from a driver.

Waukesha Daily Freeman Wed, Apr 20, 1977, Page 1 & 3



According to the Waukesha Daily Freeman, Wed, Apr 20, 1977, Page 1, Sheriff Spagnoletti stated that the state crime lab determined that the car had been submerged about Oct 5, the day she left Waukesha.

tainter lake2.jpg
 
Interesting how the spare tire went from the back seat of the 1969 Mustang to the trunk weighing down the suitcase. Otherwise it might have floated to the top a long time ago?

Sources: Newspapers.com
sparetire3.webp

sparetire2.webp

sparetire.webp


"Apparently, it was common practice for all sheriff departments to send their evidence to Madison, Wisconsin to be stored. Finally, the day came when Madison informed all the municipalities they would be sending their evidence back to them, they just did not have the room for it any more. Upon receiving Joan’s murder evidence, Spagnoletti had it destroyed. Now, in a murder investigation, it is state law that evidence must always be preserved...The evidence included clothing, jewelry and some sort of binding that was used." Did the evidence include the Mobil Gas receipt?


"The family was not provided a copy of the autopsy report nor a copy of the Mobil receipt with Joan’s signature."

In tracing her route, she drove Wisconsin I-94, prior to the exit (right) into Menomonie, she stopped at a Mobil Gas Station to fill up (per gas receipt).


butterbachcreditcard.webp


Another interesting observation:

Corky was very active in the community. He was past president of the Menomonie Lions and JayCees and was a Master Mason and Past Master of Lodge 164 in Menomonie. He earned his 32 Degree Scottish Right and served as a Shriner in the Eau Claire Mehara Shrine Club where he was involved with the Funsters and paraded with the Shrine Clown Club for many years. Corky was also a faithful Packer and Badger fan. Corky was well known to many. His smile and jovial manner put people at ease while his energy and enthusiasm got things done. He loved his family, going to their cabin at Barnes, WI


tainterlake.webp


Wisconsin did send their elite cold case detectives to look into this homicide. The Wisconsin DOJ report that the cold case detectives put together was shared with the family, but that was all. They refused to provide them a copy. The current Sheriff provided no further info except that most of the report was their investigative questioning aimed at Daryl Spagnoletti.

This is the same sheriff who gave conflicting statements about the spare tire, destroyed evidence on Joan's murder, and knew the vehicle was in the water for years and failed to investigate it. Most of the report was their investigative questioning of the sheriff.


Unfortunately, the family was told that in 1992, volunteers at the WPD had changed all the old reports to microfiche and in that process the reports in reference to the Joan Butterbach homicide were misplaced. To this day, the reports have not been located.

 
Very unusual and strange case. Especially since the husband took his life in 1973. Yet it looks like the sheriff of the county where she was found did everything possible to either make himself look suspect or make himself look like the most incompetent sheriff in WI.
 

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