George Jares (6 of Clubs, Wisconsin)

Summary

The Deck Podcast Summary: George Jares (6 of Clubs, Wisconsin)

Episode Overview In the May 28, 2025 episode of The Deck, host audiochuck delves into the chilling unsolved murder of George Jares in Eagle River, Wisconsin. This detailed exploration unpacks the complexities of the case, the investigation's twists and turns, and the lingering questions that remain nearly four decades later. By collaborating with investigators and family members, audiochuck aims to shed light on this cold case, hoping that new insights or tips from listeners will finally bring justice for George and his loved ones.

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Introduction to George Jares

George Jares, a 43-year-old restaurant owner in Eagle River, Wisconsin, appeared to embody the quintessential family man. Having transitioned from a greeting card salesman to a successful entrepreneur, George was passionate about his children, the outdoors, and his business, the Arbor—a local supper club renowned for its prime rib and award-winning brandy cocktails. However, behind this facade lay a life shadowed by secrets and possible connections to organized crime.

Notable Quote:

"From the outside, George was a family man... But after George was shot and left for dead in his restaurant's parking lot, details of his life began to emerge that painted a rather different picture."
— Ashley Flowers [02:07]

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The Night of the Murder

On August 3, 1986, at approximately 1:30 AM, Marcy, a resident of Eagle River, was awakened by loud noises resembling gunshots emanating from near the Arbor. She observed a lone figure moving away from the restaurant and promptly alerted authorities. Within minutes, police arrived but initially found no sign of disturbance. Progressing to the back of the property, officers discovered George lying critically injured in his pickup truck.

Notable Quote:

"They weren't sure what was going on... They discovered a male laying on his back. He was still alive..."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [04:18]

George was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he remained on life support. Tragically, he never regained consciousness and succumbed to his injuries on August 8, 1986.

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Initial Investigation and Evidence

Detectives, led by Charisse Rozga Anderson, conducted a thorough examination of the crime scene. Notable findings included:

• .22 Caliber Revolver: Found east of the road, the firearm had a serial number tracing back to a woman in West Virginia but was stolen in 1974, complicating the trace.
• Aviator Sunglasses: Discovered near the scene, these contained a latent thumbprint that, unfortunately, was compromised due to improper evidence handling in the 1980s.

Notable Quotes:

"The revolver was likely moved through underground channels and could have changed owners dozens of times before it ended up in the hands of George's shooter."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [07:07]

"Bagging items in plastic is detrimental to preservation because plastic bags trap moisture, degrading any biological matter..."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [41:28]

Despite these findings, the physical evidence provided little concrete leads, leaving investigators to explore other avenues.

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Suspicions Around Linda Jares

George's wife, Linda Jares, was a central figure of suspicion early in the investigation. Married for over two decades, Linda's relationship with George was marred by marital strife, including George's infidelity and Linda's own extramarital affair. Additionally, Linda stood to inherit George's estate, providing a potential motive.

Notable Quote:

"Linda was the kind of woman that everybody loved her... But boy, you could not believe what she would tell you. She was such a liar."
— Lenore Penny V [17:12]

Linda's suspicious behavior further fueled theories of her involvement. For instance, after George's shooting, Linda made several phone calls from locations far from the crime scene, which investigators found highly convenient and potentially orchestrated to establish an alibi.

Notable Quote:

"She states that while she was up here from July 30th to the 2nd, everything went well, gave no indication of any trouble or problems with anybody or anything."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [19:32]

Despite mounting suspicions, there was insufficient evidence to definitively link Linda to the murder, especially after her passing in 2023.

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Connections to Organized Crime

Investigators uncovered potential ties between George Jares and organized crime, specifically the Teamsters Union in Eagle River, which had historical connections to the mob. George's side ventures, such as flying planes to Cicero to avoid long drives and associating with individuals like Alan Dorfman—a known mob figure who was himself murdered in 1983—suggested deeper, possibly dangerous affiliations.

Notable Quote:

"We believe that is a dead end... The .22 caliber revolver, it's used in a lot of homicides..."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [08:50]

The similarity between George's murder and Alan Dorfman's unsolved killing added a layer of complexity, hinting at possible retaliation or silencing within criminal circles.

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Reopening the Case in 2004

In 2004, Detective Rozga Anderson took over the case and reassessed prior leads. She identified Jamie Goodrum, a young bartender at the Arbor, as a new suspect. Despite her troubling criminal background, including arrests for arson and issuing worthless checks, Jamie vehemently denied involvement in George's death. Her subsequent conviction for the unrelated murder of her own children further complicated her credibility and potential links to George’s case.

Notable Quote:

"Jamie told detectives that it was because she had stolen money from the restaurant, which seemed to satisfy them because they never tried to interview her again."
— Ashley Flowers [38:50]

Despite multiple interviews and the resurfacing of new questions, Jamie Goodrum's involvement remained unsubstantiated, and the case once again went cold.

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Challenges with Physical Evidence

The mishandling of physical evidence in the 1980s severely hampered the investigation. The thumbprint on the sunglasses, initially thought to be a crucial lead, was rendered unusable due to melting grease from poor storage conditions. Modern advancements in DNA technology offer a glimmer of hope, but as of the latest updates, no usable genetic material has been extracted to identify the perpetrator.

Notable Quote:

"DNA testing nearly impossible... Even if it was, you still need a viable database to run it through."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [41:28]

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Current Status and Appeal for Information

Nearly 38 years after the murder, Detective Rozga Anderson acknowledges the slim chances of solving the case without new information. With the primary suspect, Linda Jares, deceased and other potential leads exhausted, the investigation relies heavily on public assistance. The podcast appeals to listeners to come forward with any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, as it could be the breakthrough needed to finally resolve George Jares' tragic death.

Notable Quotes:

"If you have any information about the murder of George Jares in Eagle River, Wisconsin on August 3, 1986, please come forward."
— Ashley Flowers [44:48]

"Please don't think, oh, it's just something little... it could be the break that we need."
— Charisse Rozga Anderson [44:57]

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Family’s Struggle and Legacy

George's sister, Lenore Penny V, shares her ongoing grief and the struggle to find closure. The loss of George, compounded by the deaths of their parents, has left Lenore feeling isolated and desperate for answers. The family's connection to Cicero, a place with its own history of mob influence, adds another layer of complexity and sorrow to their plight.

Notable Quote:

"It's still painful. It's a loss, a big loss that was unnecessary. I wish he was here... he was a good man."
— Lenore Penny V [44:24]

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Conclusion

The The Deck episode on George Jares presents a compelling narrative of a seemingly ordinary man whose life and death are entwined with mystery, potential mob connections, and an investigation hampered by time and mishandled evidence. As Detective Rozga Anderson continues to seek answers, the podcast underscores the vital role that community awareness and listener involvement play in breathing life into cold cases.

Listeners are encouraged to reach out with any information that might aid in solving this enduring mystery, honoring George Jares' memory and bringing peace to his family after decades of uncertainty.

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If you have information related to this case, please contact the Vilas County Sheriff's Office at 715-479-4441 or anonymously via their tip line at 1-800-472-7290.

Transcript

[Ashley Flowers]

Hi, I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast Crime Junkie. Every Monday, me and my best friend Brit break down a new case, but not in the way you've heard before, and not the cases you've heard before. You'll hear stories on Crime Junkie that haven't been told anywhere else. I'll tell you what you can do to help victims and their families get justice. Join us for new episodes of Crime Junkie every Monday. Already waiting for you by searching for Crime Junkie wherever you listen to podcasts.

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[Ashley Flowers]

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[Ashley Flowers]

Our card this week is George f. Jarris, the six of clubs from Wisconsin. From the outside, 43 year old George was a family man, a former greeting card salesman turned restaurant owner who loved his kids, the outdoors and working hard. But after George was shot and left for dead in his restaurant's parking lot, details of his life began to emerge that painted a rather different picture. And the surprising twists that detectives uncovered led them to suspect that George had been targeted by a hitman. For nearly 40 years, they have been looking for that shooter and possibly More importantly, the person who hired them. I'm Ashley Flowers and this is the deck it. At around 1:30am on August 3, 1986, a woman named Marcy in Eagle River, Wisconsin was drifting off to sleep when a loud popping noise jolted her out of bed. It sounded like gunshots coming from just outside her home, so she ran to the window to see what was going on. I mean, it was still dark, but she was able to make out a lone figure walking across her yard away from this local supper club down the street called the Arbor. That's when she alerted authorities. Less than three minutes after that call, two city officers responded to the restaurant from the sidewalk. There didn't appear to be anything amiss, but as they made their way to the back of the property, they heard what sounded like someone gasping for air. Here's former Viless County Sheriff's detective and current evidence tech Charisse Rozga Anderson. She was assigned to this case in 2004.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

They weren't sure what was going on, and when they came upon the pickup truck in the back to the south of the building itself, they discovered a male laying on his back. He was still alive and I do see an officer dis notified dispatch at 1:35am that they had a victim with a severe head injury and an ambulance was needed. So that was within three minutes of the actual call.

[Ashley Flowers]

Officers immediately recognized the man as the owner of the restaurant, 43 year old George Jarris. He'd moved to the area the summer before to open Arbor, which quickly became a successful business. The Arbor was home to Wisconsin's best brandy, old fashioned and served a prize winning prime rib. But now its owner was lying unconscious on his back and appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the right side of his head. As officers called for backup, George was rushed to the hospital. It was 2:30am when George's younger sister, Lenore Penny V got the call that her brother had been shot. She was living in Illinois at the time, where they'd both grown up.

[Lenore Penny V]

It was a crushing blow to me after that. I never wanted to answer the phone in the middle of the night because I didn't want bad news like that.

[Ashley Flowers]

The next day she packed up and headed to the Wisconsin hospital where she met her parents, George's wife Linda, and their two sons, George III and Michael. George was on life support in a coma when they arrived. He'd already been through surgery, but he hadn't regained consciousness since the shooting, so he wasn't able to communicate with investigators, which meant that they hoped the crime scene could do some talking for them. Here's Detective Rozga Anderson again.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

And that's when they discovered the place was all secure. Doors were locked. No windows were broken. His vehicle was there. Keys were in the ignition. It was unlocked. Nobody tried breaking into the place. They could have taken a perfectly good pickup truck. The keys were right there. They could have taken his wallet. They didn't do that. And then, as the officers were spreading and looking out, further enlarging the crime scene and looking for more evidence, they found a pair of aviator sunglasses along the trajectory of where the witness who called it in saw him walking. And then as they grew their search pattern, they found a.22 caliber revolver firearm to the east of the road, like it was just tossed.

[Ashley Flowers]

Both the sunglasses and the firearm were collected and bagged in plastic. And not only did the revolver have a serial number, but it also had a latent thumbprint set into grease near the grip. This led investigators to suspect that whoever pulled the trigger was probably lying in wait for George outside of the restaurant near the kitchen's oil and grease deposit. Detective Rozga Anderson said the revolver had five spent shells in the cylinder and a sixth round that appeared to be a misfire. From what they saw at the scene, investigators assumed that three bullets had struck George, One had struck and shattered the window of his truck, and one had completely missed. At the time, no testing was done with the sunglasses, but the revolver was sent to the FBI crime lab for fingerprint analysis. But unfortunately, by the time that it arrived, the grease print had actually melted in the plastic bag. Investigators had photographed it beforehand, but the image quality wasn't good enough to enter anything into a database. Now, as for a serial number on the gun, detectives were able to trace it back to its original purchaser, a woman in West Virginia. But according to Detective Rozka Anderson, it had been stolen from that woman's house in 1974, a full 12 years before the shooting. Which pretty much ruled that woman out and made tracing the gun to a shooter much more difficult. Detective Rozge Anderson said that they had located robbers in that case, the one where the gun was stolen. But there was never any evidence linking them to this crime. The revolver was likely moved through underground channels and could have changed owners dozens of times before it ended up in the hands of George's shooter.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

So that, we believe, is a dead end. The.22 caliber revolver, it's used in a lot of homicides, and they had no qualms leaving it at the scene. I don't think it was accidentally dropped like the sunglasses. I think the sunglasses were probably dropped accidentally, but that firearm, I think it was tossed.

[Ashley Flowers]

So with the evidence providing little help, investigators began canvassing the area in the following days, talking to arbor employees and learning more about George. They started by interviewing George's family at the hospital. On August 4th. His wife, Linda, told detectives that she and George had met in Cicero, Illinois, where they lived full time with their two sons, right up until George bought the arbor in the summer of 1985. According to George's sister, he'd chosen Eagle river because he was familiar with the area. The Jarras family used to vacation up there, and a number of George's friends from Cicero already had homes in the area. But George made the move out to Wisconsin on his own, and Linda and the kids commuted the six hours back and forth between the two places. Linda told detectives that she was planning to move to Eagle river with the kids full time eventually, but was just wrapping up some things in Cicero, even though it was late. Linda was actually on a drive back from one of their trips to Eagle river when George was shot. Linda told investigators that it wasn't until she got home that she learned what happened to her husband.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

She had just arrived, like, at 5:30 in the morning, and she got the phone call that her husband was shot and was at Wausau Hospital. And I guess she had a friend driver up there.

[Ashley Flowers]

The rest of George's family didn't really know anything that could help the investigation. They had been in Illinois at the time of the shooting, but they were all there in Wisconsin on August 8th when George passed away in the hospital. With his death, investigators lost their most direct link to the crime, the one person who might have known who the attacker was. Here's George's sister, Lenore.

[Lenore Penny V]

Again, I was devastated when it happened, and I was very depressed. I probably should have gone into some kind of therapy because I was so upset by the whole thing. I just. I had a problem handling it. It was like the first death that was ever so close to me. I mean, my grandpa had passed, my grandma had passed. But for my brother, you know, to lose my brother when he was 43 years old to a violent crime, I just really had a hard time with it.

[Ashley Flowers]

While George's family struggled to accept their new reality, investigators were having a hard time IDing the shooter, even though, as you'll hear detective Rosia Anderson say, many people who were at the arbor that night thought they'd seen the shooter before the crime.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

He was described as kind of a Seedy or shady looking character, a tall, thin white male. And he seemed really jumpy or nervous, according to the witnesses. And he wanted to know what time George was getting off of work, because George was bartending at the time. He owned the business, but he also worked his own business. And in fact, the person said it was almost like, what time? Not what time are you guys closing, but what time does George get off of work? So they thought that was kind of suspicious.

[Ashley Flowers]

Several people at the bar also said this suspicious man had been driving a red 1970 or 1971 Ford Mustang. And some people noted seeing a second person in the car, but they weren't able to give a description. According to media coverage at the time, officers said that they were searching for this red car. They also had a composite sketch made up, but it's unclear if that was ever circulated to the public. Either way, nothing consequential popped up as a result of their public appeals. But they had learned more from talking to the people who knew George. Turns out he'd been receiving unusual phone calls at the restaurant in the days leading up to his shooting.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Reportedly, he had told people, several different people, and these are patrons. When you think it's a small community, they're the same regulars, right? And he had told them that he's been getting these phone calls, like in the evenings, and he would answer and there wouldn't be anybody on. He was a little irritated by the phone call. There it is again. And no one's on there. He never told anybody or, you know, speculated who it might have been. It didn't seem like it concerned him and more irritated him.

[Ashley Flowers]

It almost seemed to investigators that someone who didn't know George was trying to learn his routine, finding out what time he usually got off work. Of course, this was merely a hunch, but that combined with the untraceable gun and the description of a shady looking character in the area led investigators to tell the local news that they were looking into professional killers. Just for clarification, in this next clip, you'll hear Detective Rozga Anderson pronounce George's last name slightly differently than I did. But our pronunciation is based on his sister Lenore's guidance.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

It was almost like a classic hit. They left the.22 at the scene because they knew it couldn't be traced back to them. And so the question would be, who hired that person? And the person right now that is at the top of the list is Linda Jersey.

[Ashley Flowers]

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[Ashley Flowers]

Linda and George had been married for over two decades at the time of his murder and in that time George's sister Lenore had become close to Linda, but she learned it was hard to trust her.

[Lenore Penny V]

Linda was the kind of woman that everybody loved her. She got along with everybody. She was really nice. She put on this great front. She was great with the Kids, wonderful cook. But boy, you could not believe what she would tell you. She was such a liar. And we were like sisters. I mean, I'd never had anybody like that. And boy, we got along so well and okay, things were great. Well, okay. You know, every so often you'd hear something. Yeah, okay. And as I got older, I realized that she wasn't telling me the truth about everything. Even I have talked now I talk to her kids as adults. And they both said, yeah, my mom had a problem with the truth, you know, and I really liked her. I just couldn't trust her. And she'd stab you in the back.

[Ashley Flowers]

Our reporter Nicole Kagan asked Lenore directly about Linda's possible involvement in George's death. Was this something you thought she could be capable of?

[Lenore Penny V]

Yes.

[Ashley Flowers]

Do you remember what your parents thought at the time? Were they more leaning towards maybe Linda had something to do with this?

[Lenore Penny V]

Yes. It took me a lot longer to learn to not trust her.

[Ashley Flowers]

George wasn't a perfect angel either. And together marriage was hard. Things were complicated by the fact that Linda didn't want to move away from the Cicero area right away. The long distance marriage was taking its toll.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Several of the patrons who were interviewed that stated that George confided in them that he wanted Linda up here. He wanted Linda in Eagle River. He wanted her to come up here and be a wife. He wanted her to help her out or help out with the business. Patrons friends of George and Linda did state that George was having an affair or affairs, and Linda also admitted that. So they did have trouble with their marriage. It sounded like it, but they were.

[Ashley Flowers]

Trying to make it work, it seemed, as evidenced by the trip Linda had just made to Eagle river with the boys.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

She states that while she was up here from July 30th to the 2nd, everything went well, gave no indication of any trouble or problems with anybody or anything. She did say that George could be obnoxious when he drank, but again, say there was no longstanding with that type of thing.

[Ashley Flowers]

Linda said that she left for Cicero with her sons at around 10.30pm on August 2, and after driving for about a half hour, she stopped at a Holiday Inn to call the Arbor from the hotel's phone. She said she needed to reach George because she thought she'd left her earring in the bathroom of the restaurant and she wanted him to check for it, but she wasn't able to get through. So after driving another hundred miles, Linda stopped a second time at around 1am at a gas station to try George again from a Payphone.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

And then there was a conversation. There was trouble with the phone. They were disconnected. She called a second time and got through. And then she told George to make sure to notify the operator that they were dropped.

[Ashley Flowers]

Linda said she got back on the road and continued on to Cicero without stopping again, making it home at about 5:30am Investigators found that there actually were records showing that Linda had placed a call from a payphone two hours away from Eagle river, just 30 minutes before the shooting. But to them, that alibi seemed almost too convenient. According to Detective Razia Anderson, Linda was eager to have investigators check the call logs.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Yeah, and I thought that was suspicious, you know, I mean, is she creating an alibi that it wasn't her, you know, at least physically her pulling the trigger? Was an earring ever found in the bathroom? No, it was not. I wear earrings all the time. I'm naked without them, so. And I never take off this necklace. And I have never, ever taken earrings off, especially in a restaurant in the bathroom. I thought that was a little suspicious.

[Ashley Flowers]

And the elusive earring was not all. There was another evidentiary detail that stood out to detectives.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

There was talk about a necklace being missing from the body of George that he always wore. He never, ever took it off.

[Ashley Flowers]

Well, it so happened that in the days following the shooting, that very necklace just turned up on a side tray in George's hospital room, the same hospital room that Linda had been in and out of every day since returning to Eagle River. No one could prove that she left it there, of course, but in the eyes of investigators, it didn't exactly help her case.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

The theory was, oh, whoever killed him took it off and gave it to Linda as proof of the act was done. They made it into seriously a very big thing like, oh, that was proof of the death, proof of the killing.

[Ashley Flowers]

The necklace was never collected as evidence, though. Hospital staff turned it over to Linda, who ended up bringing it to the funeral home and having it placed around George's neck for the service. And in a move you don't see every day, Linda actually ended up bringing the man she was seeing on the side to George's wake. She even went as far as to invite him to stay with her at George's house in Eagle river with the rest of his immediate family.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Jerry's family stayed on the lower level, and her and her one boyfriend stayed in the upper level. This was at the wake of her dead husband.

[Ashley Flowers]

According to Detective Rozga Anderson, George had known about Linda's boyfriend because she had brought him to Eagle river. Before, but nothing was ever said about it. Probably the same way most people didn't say anything about the ongoing affair detectives uncovered George was having with someone 24 years his junior. Investigators looked into Linda's boyfriend, but they couldn't link him to the crime. He was also in Cicero at the time of the shooting. So though Linda did have a motive, with the marriage troubles and the fact that she was the sole beneficiary of George's estate, investigators just didn't have nearly enough to conclusively say Linda orchestrated the hit on her husband. In order to charge someone for hiring a hit, prosecutors don't necessarily need to know the identity of the hitman. But without that, they need rock solid evidence against the solicitor, like recorded conversations or bank transfers. None of which could be found in Linda's case. So maybe she wasn't the solicitor. I mean, after all, she wasn't the only shady figure that police had come across.

[Lenore Penny V]

My brother was sometimes involved in shady dealings, you know, and I really don't know more than that. And it was best that way. Also, you have to understand that we came from Cicero, and I don't know if you know about much about Cicero. Everything you hear as far as not so much gangs, but mobs and the way things are run, and it's the machine. And yes, it's all true. I mean, you read it in the paper and people go, oh, come on. Well, no, that's how it is, and that's how it's been all my life. My parents were not involved in anything like this. They were not involved in anything illegal like this. My brother, I was never so sure. Gut feeling is he got involved in something he should not have been involved in, and it got him killed.

[Ashley Flowers]

George never necessarily told his family he was connected to mob activities, but some of his actions led them to assume it may have been the case. You see, Eagle river had some mob ties, notably in connection with the Teamsters labor union. Starting in the 60s, the Teamsters Union got famously tied up with organized crime. And for whatever reason, Teamsters members were known to frequent Eagle River. So landing there, of all places, for his restaurant. A bit of a flag later on once they got hip on the area. Flag number two was Georgia's side gig, flying planes between there and Cicero.

[Lenore Penny V]

The reason that he purchased the airplanes was so that he could fly to Eagle river and he didn't have to drive that seven hours, so he could fly. So I also know that he would take other people up there, one of which, I was told, was Dorfman who was a mob figure. So there's a connection. And I don't know. And you don't know what happened to the man, and you don't know. I don't know.

[Ashley Flowers]

This Dorfman was Alan Dorfman, a prominent figure in Chicago's organized crime circuits, and particularly the teamsters union. And here's where things start to get weird. Three years prior, in 1983, Dorfman was murdered in what many have come to believe was an effort to keep him from talking to authorities about the teamsters illegal activities. His case has never been solved. And what's more, Dorfman was shot eight times in the head with a.22 caliber pistol as he was walking in a parking lot, which sounded to investigators a lot like how George had been killed. If we do take the teamsters theory.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

What would the motive be there? Something about knowing too much or something people thought? Oh, Dorfman probably told jer some stuff.

[Ashley Flowers]

Unfortunately, if George's murder was a mob hit, the investigation probably wouldn't get much further. The mob notoriously has a code of silence which bars them from cooperating with authorities, and it scares off anyone on the outside who might want to offer a tip. I mean, even George's family is wary of going down this road.

[Lenore Penny V]

If it was mob related, we don't want to be involved. And the less I know, the better.

[Ashley Flowers]

That left detectives with two investigative options. One, somehow track down a professional hitman from just a police sketch, or two, get someone from the mob to come forward. Neither possibility felt very promising. So things were quiet for about seven years. But in February of 1993, the Vilas county sheriff's office got a call from a police officer in Cicero. He had just arrested Linda Jarris in a motel room that she had booked under a fake name. Spring is a powerful time to start fresh. If you've ever wanted to learn a new language, now's the perfect time. Spring into something new with Rosetta stone and start building a skill that lasts. With 30 years of expertise and millions of learners around the world, Rosetta stone offers immersive language training in 25 languages enhanced by truaccent technology that helps you perfect pronunciation and speak with greater clarity and confidence. You guys should see the magic that goes into making sure I pronounce stuff right on my shows. It is something that I have to work at. So the truaxent technology is what I love the most. Because, listen, I think I'm saying something very right. Turns out I'm always way off. Like, for some reason, I Just do not hear it. But thankfully, my computer or phone, whatever, I'm using my app, my web browser, it always does, making sure I don't sound like a fool. So don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential. Now the Deck listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That is unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com DECC to get started and claim your 50% off today. The youth mental health crisis is all over the news, and it's no surprise that social media is a big driving force behind it. GAB is addressing this problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech in steps. Tech in Steps works by providing a kid safe phone and watch with no social media or Internet apps for every age and stage. So whether you have younger kids, tweens, or teens, Gab keeps them socially connected safely. Social media is literally my parenting nightmare. And even though Joe is three, Eric and I already have had conversations about when we're going to let her have a phone and what rules we're going to have around it. It seemed so complicated because I feel like everyone around her is going to have one. I mean, I literally at one point suggested we create an M. Night Shyamalan village type scenario. But then I learned about GAB and it feels like the perfect solution. Protecting your kids has never been easier. For the best deals, sign up to Gab today. No contract [e-mail] deck that's Gab G A B B.com dec gab.com dec terms and conditions apply. In the years after George's death, Linda went on to have a number of legal troubles. Here's Lenore.

[Lenore Penny V]

But after he died, she got involved with horse racing. She got involved with bad checks. She ended up in Cook County Jail. She ended up in prison. I think she was in jail twice. Once the kids were younger, and again, I can't really. I don't know a lot about it this time.

[Ashley Flowers]

Cicero PD had arrested Linda for credit card fraud and forged checks. The agency had reached out to Viless county because when they collected Linda's belongings, they found a suspicious letter that she had written to a friend of hers named Bernard Soriano or Bernie.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

She had referred in these letters that she was going to prison and how she was not going to go alone. She was trying to get money from this person to help her out in her current situation. According to the officer from Cicero pd, the letter made reference to this male having to do something with killing someone.

[Ashley Flowers]

It seemed like Linda had written to Bernie as some sort of extortion attempt, a threat to tell police that Bernie had killed someone if he didn't send her the money she asked for. A Vilas county detective drove down to Cistro the very next day to ask Linda some more questions about this Bernie guy. Now, Linda told them she had met Bernie while gambling at a racetrack in 1990. This is four years after George's murder. She also said that Bernie owed her $112,000 from loans that she'd given him. So then what did she mean by writing that Bernie had something to do with killing someone? That's what they asked her.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

She had no explanation for why she put that there. But then she explained that the person that she referred as being killed, quote, unquote, would have been her. She states that what she meant was that going to prison would kill her and that Bernie would be responsible somehow for having had her go to prison because he owed her this money and could not repay it. That's how she explained that at the time.

[Ashley Flowers]

Detectives did track Bernie down, but it didn't go very far, partly because he didn't match the police composite sketch from 1986, and partly because Linda claimed they met after George's murder and they took her word for it. A woman who had just been arrested for fraud under a fake name Bernie, passed away in 2022. So, unfortunately, there is no asking him about it now either. While Cicero police had Linda in custody, they also questioned her about another man that she had lent money to, named Ronald Giotto. According to Linda, she had met Ronald at a Halloween party in 1987, the year after George's murder, and for some reason, she lent this guy over $200,000. Detective Roska Anderson says Linda was asked if she had ever seen Ronald with anybody that drove a red Mustang.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Her answer was, I can't say yes. I can't say no. It's possible.

[Ashley Flowers]

When asked straight on about George's murder, Linda adamantly denied having anything to do with it. But when officers asked whether Ronald might have a different answer to that question.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Her answer was, quote, unquote, I'm not saying he would or he wouldn't. That's a possibility.

[Ashley Flowers]

But again, because Linda claimed that she had Met Ronald After 1986, detectives then didn't really explore him as a suspect. Detective Rothka Anderson wasn't able to determine whether or not he was still alive. So, Ronald, if you're out there and listening, please contact the Vilas County Sheriff's Office. Now, at this point, little follow up doesn't get you very far. So the case went cold again.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

After 93 spinning the wheels, it's now 7 year old case and people are retiring. The detective sergeant, he's off the case. Another detective sergeant retired. And so then there's really, it's. You hate to say it, but it's not being worked, okay? And we have limited resources, limited personnel and new cases come in. If this was the only case, man, we could all be in here working on it, right? But it's not.

[Ashley Flowers]

2004 is when Detective Rozga Anderson was assigned to George's case. And when she started going through it, she realized that while Linda looked really good for this, there was another very plausible possibility. A suspect that detectives may have been far too quick to eliminate all those years ago.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

At the time of the shooting, she was 19 years old and she was married, had a five month old baby boy and was pregnant with a couple months pregnant with her second child.

[Ashley Flowers]

She's talking about a young woman named Jamie Goodrum, one of George's bartenders at the Arbor. Detectives first interviewed her about 11 days after the murder as part of their initial outreach, but they never flagged anything. According to reports, Jamie had only been bartending at the Arbor for three weeks at the time of the shooting. But interestingly, after George's murder, she never returned. She wasn't fired, but records indicate that she just never came back. Looking into her, there were a few key details that stood out to Detective Rozga Anderson. For one, Jamie had been arrested in 1985 for arson. The charges were ultimately dropped or downgraded, but that same year she was arrested again for issuing worthless checks and placed on probation. And listen, whatever, people get in trouble and I might cold turkey drop a job where my boss was killed in the parking lot too. None of that is what stands out most. What stands out is what patrons at the Arbor were saying about Janie and George. That the two had, quote, more than just a casual relationship. Apparently the teen and the then 43 year old had been seen out together after work a number of times. Jamie didn't work the night that George was shot. She told detectives that she had a picnic with her husband and baby and then went straight to bed at 8pm and she actually wasn't supposed to be working that night either. But she did come in anyway. And when she did, she was acting really weird at the time. Jamie told detectives that it was because she had stolen money from the restaurant, which seemed to satisfy them because they never tried to interview her again. Even after May 2, 1987. And what Jamie did on this date is extremely disturbing. It was nine months after George's murder when the Vilas county sheriff's office received a report that Jamie's young sons had been kidnapped. She told officers that she was driving home from the grocery store with her boys when her car started having trouble. So she pulled over, and then someone in a van pulled up next to her, put a cloth over her face, causing her to pass out. When she came to, her kids were gone. Officers weren't able to find tire tracks, footprints, or any other evidence to corroborate this story. Not just the kidnap on the side of the road part. Like any part of her story. I mean, workers at the grocery store said that Jamie wasn't with her children while she was shopping. Now, the next day, Jamie's son's bodies were found near a logging road, and they were gagged, bound, and bludgeoned to death. And shortly thereafter, Jamie confessed to killing them both with a hammer. She claimed that it wasn't planned and that when she did it, it was as if she was watching herself in a bad movie. She was convicted of the murder six months later and sentenced to life in prison.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

So that was another unbelievable thing in here. Very, very manipulative. And so, yeah, so that was like, holy cow.

[Ashley Flowers]

So In June of 2006, Detective Rozga Anderson and the county sheriff went to interview Jamie in prison. She was very cooperative and told them she had no involvement in George's murder. And despite everything they knew she was capable of, they came away with the sense that she was telling the truth. Our reporter Nicole reached out to Jamie in prison for comment, but as of this recording, she has not responded.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

We just wanted to make sure we could possibly eliminate her. We're still going with the. Linda probably is the number one, you know, where it wasn't her technically doing it, but, you know, her possibly hiring somebody.

[Ashley Flowers]

That same year, Detective Rozga Anderson also tried to make contact with George's sons, Michael and George iii. She wasn't able to reach either of them directly, but she did get ahold of Michael's wife at the time, Kelly Jarris. Kelly said that Michael's memories from the night that his dad was shot are very limited. He recalled leaving Eagle river for Cicero, but not much else. But she also told Detective Rozga Anderson that she and Michael believed that Linda was, quote, the number one suspect and that they worried about what she might be capable of, especially when it came to their three young children. Neither Michael nor George III Wanted to participate in this episode. According to Lenore, they don't like to discuss the case. So back at the time, Detective Rosga Anderson moved on from people to evidence. Bylas county still had the sunglasses and the revolver. And today, Detective Rozga Anderson said sunglasses are an evidence tech's dream.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

You wear glasses. Whether sunglasses or reading glasses or whatever, glasses, you know, you've got the nose here behind the ears. You're just sloughing off cells and stuff. Every time you enter a room, you're probably shedding some of your DNA. And, you know, you sweat, whatever, and you push the glasses, the nose piece back up. So that's the areas that you would. You would love to look for DNA, but unfortunately, the way that it was packaged and processed, right, the DNA was compromised. If there was any DNA, which I'm sure that there was, especially on those sunglasses.

[Ashley Flowers]

Both of these items were bagged in plastic, which seemed to be standard protocol in the 80s, but today, that is a big no no. According to Rozga Anderson, who teaches an evidence class for police recruits, bagging items in plastic is detrimental to preservation because plastic bags trap moisture, degrading any biological matter and causing mildew and molding, which makes DNA testing nearly impossible. Though the physical evidence was compromised, Detective Rozga Anderson still submitted it to the lab.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

That was the first time the gun was submitted for DNA. So I'm waiting, patiently waiting, and I get a phone call from the crime lab that there was a hit. And I'm like, yeah, a male profile. I'm like, awesome. And I don't know how long later it ended up being. The lab analyst he called. He's like, it was me. I'm sorry. And they wear gloves and a mask. But you know what? That's just how sensitive DNA is, you know, and he could have coughed. He could have been talking over it. You know, we're told not to ever talk over evidence or whatever. So that was. It was. You know, you get such a high, it's like, yes. And then it's gone.

[Ashley Flowers]

That just left the detective with a few photograph of the grease thumbprint. She hoped that with new technology, the lab would be able to enhance it enough to run it through aphis, but no luck. The photograph of the print was sent to the crime Lab again in 2023 with the same result. Though Detective Roska Anderson is holding out hope that one day, with new technology, it will allow sufficient enhancement of the thumbprint and she'll be able to match it to someone. And she's hoping that Our listeners might help point to that. Right, Someone. It has been 38 years since George was murdered and Viless county hasn't gotten a tip in this case since 1993. Plus, time has run out on pursuing Linda because she passed away in 2023 at 80 years old.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Unfortunately, we haven't had a tip in so long. And so it would be nice with the podcast that if anybody hearing this, you know, likewise with the playing cards, you know, you're hoping to stir some memories up because with time, as you've heard many, many times from other officers, that, you know, I mean, people pass away, they lose their memories, and then on the officers part, you know, we get new cases and you can only dedicate so much time. And so, yeah, so hopefully this will stir up something new.

[Ashley Flowers]

With all the time that's passed, Lenore has really struggled to stay hopeful that she'll get closure about her brother's murder. And with both of her parents now passed, there's not many people she has left to talk with about it.

[Lenore Penny V]

It's still painful. It's a loss, a big loss that was unnecessary. I wish he was here, that he was, you know, he was a good man. He was very smart, hard working, hard working man. All I can say is it took a long time to get over it. And are you ever over it.

[Ashley Flowers]

If you have any information about the murder of George Jarris in Eagle river, Wisconsin on August 3, 1986, please come forward.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

And please don't think, oh, it's just something little. Because you know what? Sometimes those little things, or you think it might be minimal or trivial, it could be a huge it. It could be. It could be the break that we need.

[Ashley Flowers]

You can call the Viless County Sheriff's office at 715-479-4441 and ask for any officer or detective on duty. Or if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call the Viless County County Sheriff's anonymous tip line at 1-800-472-7290. And just a reminder, the Bylas County Sheriff's office is still looking for Ronald Giado. So if you are out there or know him, please have him reach out. The Deck is an audio Chuck production with theme music by Ryan Lewis. To learn more about the Deck and our advocacy work, visit thedeckpodcast.com so what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

Psoriatic arthritis? Symptoms can be unpredictable. I had joint pain and I couldn't.

[Amica Insurance]

Move like I used to.

[Lenore Penny V]

I needed relief.

[Charisse Rozga Anderson]

I got Cosentyx. It helped me move better.

[Quince]

Cosentyx Secukinumab is prescribed for people 2 years age and older with active psoriatic arthritis. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx. Before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections. Some were fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough had a vaccine or planned to, or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen. Serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at 1-844-cosentyx or cosentyx.com.

[Nanit]

Ask.

[Lenore Penny V]

Your rheumatologist about Cosentyx.

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