The initial appearance has been scheduled for a man charged with murdering a Washington man earlier this summer. According to court records, 29-year-old Allan Michael Dean Schwidder’s preliminary hearing will be August 25th at 2 p.m. for the charge of murder in the first degree, a class A felony. Schwidder is accused of murdering 27-year-old Rollin Bontrager.

On July 22nd authorities recovered the body of Bontrager from a lake near Ruthven and an autopsy was performed. The report will be released when final testing is complete. Search warrants were executed in Emmetsburg. Three weeks later authorities arrested Schwidder and he was taken to the Palo Alto County Jail where he’s being held on $1 million bond.

The investigation continues and anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office at 712-852-3535.