RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) — A judge has approved a forensic consultant to be a witness for the prosecution in the case of Robin Mendez, the Minocqua man accused of killing his wife Barbra in 1982.
Wednesday Oneida County Circuit Court Judge Jill Falstad granted a motion to have forensic consultant Christopher Robinson be allowed as a prosecution witness. Robinson’s website lists tool mark examination among several other specialties. That analysis was key to his working on the Mendez case.
Mendez, now 70, was never charged and the case went cold after Barbara Mendez’s body was found at the credit union where she worked. Last year, the television program “Cold Justice” picked up the case and did an additional investigation that later involved the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney.
Michael Schiek recommended charges and Robin Mendez was taken into custody a year ago.
In the show, Robinson’s work was a key to providing evidence used to convince Schiek to press charges.
A trial date has been set for April.
