Joan Bue Butterbach disappeared on October 5, 1971; she was 45 years old. She was 5'-5" and was of a medium build with light brown hair and green eyes. She would list her occupation as Housewife. She had been married 25 years to John “Jack” Joseph Butterbach. They had 3 adopted children, two twin boys approximately 13 years of age and a little girl who was approximately 10 years of age. They lived a comfortable, middle class life.
Joan left her home in Waukesha, WI during the early morning hours of October 5, 1971. She was on her way to Bird Island, MN to visit friends and then a three-hour drive down to the Bue family farm in Chatfield, MN to visit relatives. The only known clothing she was wearing was her brown tweed coat, 3⁄4 length. Unknown dress or shoes. She was driving a 1969 green Mustang. She was never seen or heard from again.
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). Straight ahead (past the Menomonie exit), is the exit for the Twin Cities in Minnesota that veers to the left. What happened to make her veer off her path and turn right down the Menomonie exit is anyone’s guess.
The Mobil Station at the time did car repair work, so if there had been a fender bender, the mechanic could have taken care of it. There would have been no need to drive into Menomonie. Is it possible that Joan may have either decided to grab a bite to eat in Menomonie and/or someone impersonating a sheriff’s deputy could have lured her that way? Being such a small town, if Joan had been approached at the service station, the attendant would have sensed foul play and interceded. Unless, of course, it was an official sheriff’s deputy or... perhaps the Sheriff himself(?)
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?
(Note: Many of these children who swam this lake and played hooky to go fishing there, grew up to become sheriff deputies and one became the chief medical examiner of Dunn County.)
In April of 1977, the lake had to be drained for some repair work on the dam. As the waters receded, the car became visible and there was no more ignoring that it was down there.
On April 18, 1977, after the car was pulled from Tainter Lake, the plates were run through the teletype system. The report came back that it was in direct connection with a missing person case. Upon prying the trunk open, a body was discovered, later identified as Joan Bue Butterbach. Also confirmed, the vehicle was Joan’s 1969 Ford Mustang with Wisconsin plates M4586.
Sheriff Spagnoletti ordered the car towed to the fairgrounds where the crime lab began processing procedures. The body was removed and an autopsy was done. Dental records confirmed the body was that of Joan Butterbach.
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 backseat; 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. The only other damage to the car was the pry marks on the trunk caused by the deputies and damage to the right front passenger side quarter panel (this was in direct line of damage to a tree at the entrance to the boat landing).
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 anymore. 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. Never disposed of.
There were two “Red Letter Day’s” for Joan’s killer. First, the car purposely being left submerged in the lake for 6 years and then all the evidence destroyed. The evidence Included clothing, jewelry and some sort of binding that was used.
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.
The family was not provided a copy of the autopsy report nor a copy of the Mobil receipt with Joan’s signature.
When the car was discovered, the Waukesha Police Department (WPD) was dispatched to Menomonie and said they would be taking over the case. 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.
Spagnoletti said in an interview with Investigator Travis Mayer that he had learned through the Waukesha detectives that Joan had no connections to Menomonie, only the Twin Cities. Since Joan had already been driving a good 5 to 5-1/2 hours and had another 3-hour drive to Bird Island, did she decide to drive into Menomonie to grab a bite to eat at Jake’s Supper Club? Since her husband was a sales rep for Mobil Gas (and had stopped there many times in the past), could he have suggested this stop before heading to Bird Island? What happened before, during or after her stop in Menomonie? Who accosted her, murdered her and then discarded her body and car in Tainter Lake?
It has been almost 52 years since the disappearance and murder of Joan Bue Butterbach. Someone holds the key which will unlock this mystery. No one is above the law, especially those who are sworn to uphold and protect it. If anyone has information, please do the right thing and come forward. Call the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (715) 231-2907. Her family deserves answers and justice.
What do I think? I think Sheriff Spagnoletti did it.
