Nearly four decades after a pregnant woman went missing in Christian County, a man has been indicted in her killing.
Ronna Bremer was last seen in December 1988 when she was 22 years old and seven months pregnant, according to News-Leader archives. Now, Joel Bremer, who was her husband, has been indicted by a grand jury for two counts of second-degree murder of both Ronna and her unborn child. According to a Christian County Sheriff's Office news release, Joel Bremer was the one who reported Ronna missing.
A skull mailed to the Greene County Sheriff's Office in 1991 was identified in 2002 as Ronna Bremer. According to the state's request for Joel Bremer's arrest warrant filed in court, the skull had been found on land adjacent to his brother-in-law's.
Ronna Bremer's disappearance was seen as suspicious and her murder was suspected from the start of the investigation, according to News-Leader archives. The Iowa native had moved to Ozark that summer with two young children. According to the release, throughout the years, the case was re-investigated and interviews conducted but they failed to result in any meaningful leads.
The case was also featured on "Cold Justice," a true crime show broadcast on Oxygen, that sought answers in partnership with the Christian County Sheriff's Office in 2024 by travelling to Iowa and Nebraska to gather more information. While in Iowa, according to the release, detectives obtained an arrest report from the Oskaloosa Police Department, where Joel Bremer had been arrested for domestic assault with his wife Ronna. Evidence obtained in 1989 was sent for examination and revealed a DNA profile. Ultimately, a report was filed with the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney.
The 60-year-old Joel Bremer, who now lives in Kansas City, was arrested Friday, July 31, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol arrest records. He was transferred and booked into Christian County Jail on Sunday, Aug. 2., where he remains on $200,000 bond. During an arraignment hearing on Monday, Aug. 3, Joel Bremer pleaded not guilty, according to filings on Casenet. A bond reduction hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6.
Joel Bremer is also a registered sex offender stemming from a case in 2000 in Webster County.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Christian County 1988 cold case results in indictment
