JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An attorney for the former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer accused of murdering a man he was supposed to be surveilling pleaded not guilty on his client's behalf to five new charges of murder and armed robbery.
Former detective William Baer was previously charged with two counts stemming from the 1999 stabbing death of convenience store owner Saad Kawaf. His his ex-wife Melissa Schafer, was also charged in the decades-old cold case.
Baer, 67, has been held in the Duval County Jail without bond since his arrest in June. Schafer, 50, was arrested in Missouri and was only recently transferred to Jacksonville.
Schafer is also being charged with murder and armed robbery with a deadly weapon. She has a court date scheduled for Aug. 13, which is subject to change.
The court did not set a date for a bond hearing, even though Baer's attorney filed a motion for bond, citing in part his client's long history with JSO.
RELATED: Warrant: Retired JSO homicide detective, ex-wife fatally stabbed convenience store owner over money
According to Baer’s arrest warrant, he ambushed Kawaf, 39, as he was preparing to leave his Deerwood home to make a bank deposit. Kawaf was stabbed to death and his wife was taken inside and tied up. She managed to bite her attacker during the scuffle. Investigators say DNA at the scene eventually led them to Baer and Schafer via genetic genealogy. Officials say the pair made off with about $30,000.
Baer's next pretrial conference is scheduled for Aug. 24.
The cold case was previously featured on the First Coast News series “Unsolved.”