Brother of Outlaws leader charged in Milwaukee found dead in burning house

Proof and Hearsay

Crime, courts and legal issues in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin

June 08, 2015

By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel

June 08, 2015 0

Weeks after a long-sought fugitive Outlaws leader appeared in Milwaukee federal court, his brother was found inside a burning house over the weekend his hands cuffed and his throat cut.

Gerald Yager, 68, was found in a Gary, Indiana house where fire broke out early Saturday morning, according to the Northwest Times. Gary officials call the death a homicide and the fire a likely arson.

Yager's younger brother, Randy Yager, 59, was arrested in Mexico last fall after more than a decade on the run from federal charges against him and several other members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. He was re-indicted by a Milwaukee federal grand jury in May, accused of participating in murders, arsons and bombings aimed at rival clubs in the 1990s, when prosecutors say he was a regional boss of the Outlaws.

Randy Yager made his first initial appearance in Milwaukee federal court on May 22. A judge is currently considering his request to postpone the August trial date in the case. Yager's attorney, Stephen Hurley of Madison, said in a motion that Yager can only review documents on a computer 20 minutes a day, and that there are more than 50,000 pages of discovery material.

The Lake County, Ind. Sheriff John Buncich told the Northwest Times that Gerald Yager was also an Outlaw, though not as heavily involved in the club as his younger brother.

Buncich said investigators were looking into a statement from a relative of Gerald Yager’s that the slain man had received notes containing death threats he believed were from his brother, according to the Associated Press.

About Bruce Vielmetti

Bruce Vielmetti writes about legal affairs.

Share Tweet Share Email Print

Latest Proof and Hearsay Posts

Proof & Hearsay was named to the 2010 ABA Journal Blawg 100, an annual lineup of the hottest titles in the legal blogosphere as chosen by the Journal's editors.

Wisconsin Law Links

Supreme Court Tracker

INTERACTIVE: This interactive provides a detailed look at the current term of the U.S. Supreme Court, including summaries of major cases, profiles of the justices, and legal alignments based on past decisions.