The appeal of the murder conviction of the late Richard Pierce is slowing down, but not because he died last fall. Pierce’s appeal was filed prior to his death on October 24th at Dodge Correctional Institution. In early December,  Judge David Weber denied all arguments presented in the motion to appeal the decision, according to court records, also refusing post-conviction relief. The case still made its way to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, but appeals court records show that it is open, but currently on hold. According to WBAY, Pierce’s attorney suffered a stroke last month and cannot continue the case, forcing the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office to find a new attorney. In August 2022, Pierce was convicted of murdering his wife, Carol Jean Pierce, and disposing of her body in 1975. The murder dates back to his time serving in Sturgeon Bay as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. Her body was never found, and it was considered a cold case until the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sturgeon Bay Police Department worked together to solve it after 47 years.