ST. LOUIS (MO)
First Alert 4 [St Louis County, MO]
October 26, 2026
By Kalie Strain
A fourth victim has come forward and accused a former middle school teacher and track coach of sexual abuse, court records show.
James ‘Jim’ Wilder III, 60, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday, and that indictment came with an additional charge.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Reopened cold case against former teacher finds more victims of sexual abuse, prosecutors say
Wilder now faces four counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and one count of first-degree attempted statutory sodomy with a person less than 14 years old.
Wilder was a Lindbergh School District middle school teacher and track coach during the time of the charges, investigators say.
Wilder was first charged in September after investigators had reopened a case against him that had gone cold after his first accuser, Emilie Morris, died before being able to face him at trial.
Investigators were able to pursue the case after a change in Missouri law allowed statements Morris made as a child to be used as evidence. During the renewed investigation, detectives found more people who said Wilder had abused them.
Wilder is accused of sexually abusing Morris between August 1995 and September 1996.
A second victim says Wilder abused them between August 2005 and December 2006. This victim was under the age of 14 when the abuse happened, records say.
A third victim says Wilder abused them between April 2007 and November 2008. They were under the age of 17 at the time.
The fourth victim accuses Wilder of abusing them between March 2007 and June 2007. This victim was also under the age of 17 at the time.
Wilder is being held at the St. Louis County Jail on a $300,000 cash-only, no 10% bond. On Oct. 7, a St. Louis County judge denied his request for a bond reduction. Wilder’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, has filed a request for another bond reduction hearing.
“We are aware and look forward to defending Jim against these allegations,” Rosenblum said about the indictment. “The case remains very defensible.”
A spokesperson for the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office said they cannot comment on the facts of a pending case, but said, “Prosecutor Price Smith would like to convey her admiration for the strength demonstrated by the victims who have come forward and would encourage anyone else who believes they are a victim of Mr. Wilder’s to contact the St. Louis County Police Department.”
Anyone who believes they are a victim, or knows someone they believe is a victim of Wilder, is encouraged to call St. Louis County at 314-615-5400.