Renewed attention has turned toward an Ava cold case after authorities in Wisconsin officially closed a 2006 homicide investigation three weeks ago — a case Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase says links back to the same man he believes murdered a Mansfield woman nearly two decades ago.
When Degase took office on January 1, 2009, he expected the challenges of a new administration — building a staff, reorganizing operations, and restoring stability. What he did not anticipate was that a cold case would consume his every waking moment, leading him down a trail stretching from Douglas County to Wisconsin, Iowa, Montana and possibly beyond.
That case began nearly two years earlier with the disappearance of Rene Williams, a 31-year-old mother of three from Mansfield. She was last seen on March 13, 2007, at the Eagles Lodge bar in Ava, where she worked.
As Degase reopened the case, he kept coming back to one person connected to his prime suspect.
“From the moment I started digging into it, I felt like she was my link,” Degase said — referring to Johanna Revak, Chris Revak’s wife, who he believed held the key to understanding what happened and where Williams’ remains might be found. “Everything pointed back to him.”
That “him” was Chris Revak — an EMT, a husband, and a man investigators would later suspect was capable of far more than one murder.
Early in the investigation, officers collected physical evidence tying Revak to Williams: DNA from the scene linked to Revak, and DNA from Revak’s pickup linked to Williams.
Despite strong indicators, the case lacked a critical element: Williams’ remains.
“You don’t have a body, you’re going to have a witness or a confession,” Degase said.
A Wife Living Under Threat
Degase believed the answers lay with Johanna. When he called her once to ask if they could talk, her tone changed immediately.
“Something was wrong,” he said.
Instead of pressing her while Revak was nearby, Degase reached out to Johanna’s mother and twin sister. Together, they coordinated a girls’ night away from the home. Once Johanna’s sister confirmed she was safely out, deputies surrounded the Revak residence to ensure he could not interfere.
Degase arrived and saw the panic rise in her expression.
“I asked her, ‘Did Chris kill that woman?’”
She said yes.
During a lengthy statement, Johanna described what happened on the night Williams disappeared. She said Revak brought Williams’ body back to their property and left it on a hill behind their home. When deputies first interviewed Revak in 2007, Williams was still there — hidden only a short distance away.
Later, Johanna said Revak forced her to help move the body to a farm in Polk County, where he buried Williams. After learning Degase was reopening the case in 2009, Revak allegedly returned to the burial site, exhumed the remains and destroyed or scattered them.
When asked why she hadn’t reported the crime sooner, Johanna told Degase:
“I saw a woman lying there dead. He told me he would kill me — kill my mom and kill my sister. When you see someone dead, you believe him.”
Degase placed deputies around Johanna and her family for protection. That sense of safety, he said, is what finally allowed her to speak.
The Arrest — and Silence
Guided by Johanna, officers searched the Polk County property with backhoes across more than 40 acres. No remains were located.
Deputies arrested Revak as the search intensified. Degase returned from the dig, covered in dirt, prepared to confront him — but Revak invoked his right to an attorney.
The next morning, on July 28, 2009, he was served with a warrant.
Within hours, Revak hanged himself in his jail cell.
“To me, that confirmed what I already knew,” Degase said.
A Wider Pattern Emerges
After Revak’s death, Degase’s suspicions only deepened. He began looking at places Revak had lived or visited. What he found was chilling.
Wisconsin Rapids — June 2006
Deidra Harm, 21, vanished after leaving the Finish Line Bar in Wisconsin Rapids. Her body was later recovered.
As Degase compared timelines, a troubling discovery emerged:
“On July 30, 2009, Douglas County, Missouri, Sheriff Chris Degase called Inv. Becker. Sheriff Degase stated that they had arrested Christopher Revak for a homicide, and he had hanged himself in the jail. Sheriff Degase said Chris is employed as an EMT with Taney County, Missouri. Chris’ work records indicate he was off from June 3, 2006, through June 16, 2006. Chris’ wife Johanna Revak stated they had taken Chris’ daughter to visit family in Wisconsin Rapids during that period,” a memo from Wood County District Attorney Jonathan E. Barnett to Becker stated.
A photo of Revak was later positively identified as the man seen with Harm at the bar that night.
After years of interagency review, that Wisconsin case was officially closed only weeks ago. Degase says he has no doubt Revak was responsible.
Mason City, Iowa — June 1995
Another case surfaced when Degase searched for disappearances near Revak’s known locations: Jodi Huisentruit, a KIMT anchor abducted outside her apartment before dawn.
Years later, authorities confirmed Revak had dated a woman who lived next door to Huisentruit at the very time she disappeared.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Degase said.
Other Possible Cases
Investigators have also reviewed:
• A murdered woman recovered beneath a rock ledge near Bradleyville in Taney County. The sheriff of that county has another suspect in that case, but Degase noted the victim bore a striking resemblance to Revak’s other known victims. Revak had been working as an EMT on a Taney County route at the time, raising the possibility that their paths could have crossed — though any connection remains unproven and purely speculative.
• A failed abduction attempt of a female bartender, stopped by a patron
• A 2000 Montana homicide where DNA found at the scene is being compared to Chris Revak
Authorities in Montana told Degase they revisited their case after seeing the Wisconsin Rapids story shared online — noting their suspect, captured on video in 2000, bore a striking resemblance to Chris Revak.
“He was driven by violent sexual urges,” Degase said. “People like that don’t stop.”
Nearly Another Victim
Revak maintained a long-term affair with a woman in Taney County. Text messages reviewed by investigators revealed fixation, fear and threats.
“I think Johanna was going to be his next victim,” Degase said. “We were fortunate we intervened when we did.”
Still No Rest
Williams’ remains have never been recovered. Degase believes Revak destroyed them when he realized Johanna had talked.
Williams’ family still reaches out to Degase annually for updates.
“I couldn’t put it down then, and I still can’t put it down,” Degase said. “They deserve answers.”
He is now focused on ensuring Revak’s DNA is shared nationwide. Currently, agencies must request it directly from Missouri.
“If we can get his DNA shared, we might finally connect the cases that don’t have answers yet,” he said. “Even one more family getting closure — that matters.”
If You Have Information
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Rene Williams or any case possibly involving Chris Revak is urged to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at 417-683-1020.
