John Sarver
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — A 7-figure bond has been set for a man accused of a decades-old murder.
A one million dollar bond has been set for 57-year-old John Sarver in connection to the 1984 murder of Eleanore Roberts. Sarver made his initial appearance in Wood County Circut Court Friday afternoon. He has been charged with one count of 1st-degree murder and faces up to life in prison.
Sarver was taken into custody by Wood County and Wisconsin Department of Justice officials Thursday morning. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Annie Jay with the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Sarver is accused of murdering 73-year-old Eleanore Roberts on November 26th, 1984. Roberts was found dead in her bathroom by her son on the morning of November 27th. She was lying on the floor with her head covered by a rug. When the rug was removed Roberts son found her with clear head injuries and multiple stab wounds.
According to the criminal complaint, there were no signs of forced entry, the front door of the home was left unlocked and only three items were missing—the telephone, a pair of scissors and a kitchen knife. The knife and scissors were found a mile-and-a-half from Roberts’ home. The telephone was found in the Wisconsin River.
A full-face ski mask was also discovered caught in the branch of a tree across from the Roberts residence. Mitochondrial DNA from that ski mask analyzed in March of this year by the FBI was traced back to Sarver. The complaint also says the ski mask, the scissors, the knife, and the telephone were all found along a line consistent with the route of travel from Roberts’ home to Sarver’s at the time of the murder.
A preliminary hearing and arraignment has been scheduled for Sarver on September 14th.
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