UPDATE: Jury finds Reinwand guilty of murder

After a five-day trial, a jury has found Joseph Reinwand, 56, guilty of first degree murder in the 1984 death of his wife, Pamela.

It took a jury about four hours of deliberation Friday to decide on a verdict, closing a decades-old case in Portage County.

Pamela Reinwand was 19-years-old when she died of a single gunshot wound May 13, 1984 at the couple's Plover home. Her death was ruled a suicide, but now, more than 30 years later, a jury ruled Joseph was actually the one who pulled the trigger.

Joseph was also charged and convicted with first-degree intentional homicide in the 2008 death of his and Pamela's granddaughter's father, Dale Meister. Meister was found shot to death in his Wisconsin Rapids mobile home on March 4, 2008.

Meister's death had been a cold case, however, Joseph was charged in 2013 and convicted at a jury trial in October 2014 in Wood County. Joseph was sentenced for life in prison.

Following this conviction, tips and new evidence led investigators to reopen Pamela's case in 2008. New advancements in technology also led to Pamela's body being exhumed in 2009.

During the jury trial this past week, Prosecutor Robert Kaiser argued that Joseph intentionally murdered Pamela based on her cause of death, later-developed forensic evidence, and Joseph's accounts and behaviors throughout the years since Pamela's death --- that included Joseph's conviction for murdering Meister, a person to whom he had admitted to killing Pamela.

"The truth is what the defendant told Dale Meister, that he had killed and could kill again, that he had killed and gotten away with it and he'll get away with it again, that he had shot his wife and made it look like a suicide and he could do it again,” Kaiser said in his closing statements.

On the other side, Joseph's attorney, Jeffrey Jazgar argued that the rulings from 1984 were just as true today as they were 32 years ago. He said according to the state, there were red flags in Joseph's accounts to the police in 1984, but that nothing was done to follow-up on them.

"The flags weren't there in 1984 and I'm having a hard time believing that that's not reasonable doubt...Because there was a decision in 1984 was that it was ruled a suicide, but police at that time knowing the statements or the supposed conflicting statements given by Joe at that time, were not enough of a red flag back then to further the investigation," Jazgar said in his closing statements. "The problem is that the length between his conduct with Mr. Meister and Pam Reinwand has not been established."

However, ultimately, Jazgar's arguments could not hold up.

Portage County District Attorney Louis Molepske told NewsChannel 7 the jury had a lot to consider in this case, but that they made the right decision.

"Three decades have lapsed since this verdict has come down, but the people of Portage County indefinitely in remembrance of Pamela, her family, justice has been served," Molepske said.

During the trial Joseph did not take the stand in his own defense.

Judge Thomas Flugaur revoked any form of bond, and scheduled a sentencing date for April 22.

Again, Reinwand is already spending life in prison for the murder of Meister.