Investigation reveals robbers put little planning into bank hold-up

Luke Klink

A Barron County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the fatal ending of a high-speed chase with a suspected bank robber was still ongoing as of late Tuesday afternoon, according to Rusk County Sheriff David Kaminski.

He said the investigation into the law enforcement shooting of suspected bank robber Rudolf Frenzer, 50, of Ingram, could be wrapped up this week. He added the results would likely then be turned over to a district attorney from another county for review before it is released.

Three men who robbed the Exeland Branch of the Dairyland State Bank on Oct. 30 seem to have acted on the spur of the moment, according to a law enforcement interview with one of the suspects.

Based on an interview conducted by Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Daniel Ross and FBI Residence Agent Jon Hauser, bank teller Janet Brown thought the two young suspects who entered the bank were joking, but the subjects became very stern and used foul language.

At about 2:22 p.m., on the day before Halloween, two suspects entered the bank wearing Halloween masks and demanded the teller give them money. One of the suspects pointed a silver-colored pistol at the teller during the robbery. They fled with a large sum of money, including bills with recorded serial numbers.

The two suspects later got into a nearby car with Frenzer and fled. A Sawyer County Highway Department worker followed and provided tips by radio of the suspects’ location.

Several miles later in the Deer Lake area, Frenzer told his two passengers to “get the ---- out of the car” before driving away alone. Law enforcement pursued. Frenzer was later killed after a high-speed chase by law enforcement officers.

Steven Ray Willard, 19, of Phillips was arrested in the Deer Lake area. Robert H. McCallie, 20, of Kennan, was arrested several days later in Rhinelander.

Willard told investigators he was not the one with the gun, according to a criminal complaint against McCallie filed in Sawyer County Circuit Court. Willard also said he knew of Frenzer before from other subjects and heard that Frenzer was a methamphetamine dealer. Willard added he had not met Frenzer prior to 1 p.m. that day, or about 80 minutes before the robbery.

Willard said McCallie received a phone call from Frenzer at about 11 a.m., after which McCallie talked Willard into participating in the robbery.

Willard and McCallie went to Frenzer’s home. They drove to Ladysmith, got gas and cigarettes at Kwik Trip and Richard Nixon and Bernard Madoff Halloween masks and bags at The Dollar Store.

McCallie has been charged in Sawyer County Circuit Court with armed robbery, a class C felony. If found guilty, he may be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 40 years, or both.

Willard has not yet been officially charged. He is being held in custody on probable cause that he committed the crime, according to a probable cause statement.

McCallie and Willard are each being held in the Sawyer County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond.