Widow accused of husband's 2006 murder pleads not guilty

Cindy Schulz-Juedes, 65, is pleading not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in the 2006 murder of her husband, Ken Juedes from Marathon County.

at their home more than 10 years ago. Investigators say Ken Juedes, 58, died of two shotgun blasts to the chest and was found on August 30, 2006. Ken’s wife, Cindy Schulz-Juedes, was long considered a person of interest; special prosecutor and assistant attorney general Richard Dufour cites strong financial motive and relationship issues as a major part of the case against Cindy. She was named as the only recipient in multiple life insurance policies totaling almost $1 million, one of which was nearing renewal at the time of his death. She was also the only beneficiary in a will found after his death, which has been the target of questions regarding its validity.

Schulz-Juedes claims she found her husband dead in their bedroom after he was shot at close range. She says she slept in a camper on their property that night, and found him the next day.

On Monday, defense attorney Earl Gray again argued for both a reduction of her bail and a change in her bond conditions, requesting that she be transferred to the Chippewa County jail and put on electronic monitoring, where'd she be closer to her home and family. Dufour argued that the court could not legally made decisions about where to hold defendants, as decisions about jail placements and electronic monitoring belong to the Marathon County Sheriff's Office.

When reached for comment, Sheriff Scott Parks said no request had been made to the MCSO to transfer Schulz-Juedes to Chippewa County.

"She's gonna stay there, [on] GPS," Gray argued in court. "If she leaves, if she violates that, slam dam--put her back in jail. She's not gonna go out damaging anything or hurting anybody."

"If you could find law and convince me otherwise, I would certainly take a look at it," Judge Michael Moran responded, after hearing from Dufour. "I simply don't think I have the authority to do it."

Gray has argued multiple times that Schulz-Juedes is not a flight risk, and that she has remained in place for thirteen years while the investigation into her husband's death was ongoing.

Dates for her trial have not yet been set. Judge Moran said he was hoping to quickly move the case to trial; Gray says he will need at least six to twelve months to prepare.

Schulz-Juedes was arrested back in October and charged with 1st degree homicide after a judge determined there was enough evidence for a trial. She remains in jail on a million dollar cash bond, and has maintained her innocence since 2006.