It took almost 40 years for her to be arrested for murder in an unsolved case. Now she won’t be released until she’s at least 100.

An 81-year-old woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the “cold-blooded” murder of her rival almost four decades ago – and says she can finally “retire and not worry about it”.

According to court documents, Mary Jo Bailey of Polk County, Wisconsin, had been unknowingly entangled in a “love triangle” for years. While dating Bailey — who used to go by the last name Lunsmann — boyfriend Jack Owen also made advances on Yvonne Carol Menke, a 45-year-old mother of four.

While warming up her car before work in the frigid early hours of Dec. 12, 1985, Menke was shot and killed after suffering three gunshot wounds—one to the neck and two to the back of the skull. One of Menke’s daughters saw the shooter quickly fleeing the scene.

Nearly 40 years later, Bailey was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in Polk County Circuit Court on Tuesday. But the retiree was granted the possibility of parole in just over 19 years because of an archaic state law at the time of the murder.

“I think it’s important to say how brutal and how horrific this crime was. And cold-blooded,” said Judge Scott Nordstrand, who presided over the case.

“Apart from her lack of denial, Ms Bailey has made no admission of what she did, has taken no responsibility for her actions and has shown no remorse whatsoever,” he added.

The case remained unsolved until 2021, when Lt. Andrew Vitalis of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Mark Biller, a liaison deputy with the Polk County Investigations Division, began investigating the case as a criminal complaint confirming the existence of a love triangle.

Evidence at trial showed Bailey’s shoes closely matched tracks left in the snow. A note was found in Menke’s handbag with information about the perpetrator’s car, the court heard.

Additionally, Menke’s family said they received repeated phone calls from an anonymous woman asking what time Menke left for work in the morning.

“In addition to her lack of denial, Ms. Bailey has not acknowledged what she did, has not taken responsibility for her actions, and has shown no remorse whatsoever,” said Assistant District Attorney Holly Wood-Webster, according to the release. Osceola’s Sun.

After Bailey was convicted, Wood-Webster told the bailiff she “can retire now and not worry about this.”

Three of Menke’s children gave statements before Bailey’s sentencing, including Julie Connors, who was just 20 when her mother died.

“You waited in a dark stairwell to maliciously murder my mother. You condemned us to a life of pain, sadness and suffering,” she said.