Former UW-Whitewater student Chad T. Richards is set to stand trial for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Kara Welsh. Welsh was a national champion gymnast at UW-W who was about to begin her senior year.
In a preliminary hearing the court determined it likely that Richards committed a felony and will face trial for it.
PRELIMINARY HEARING
A preliminary hearing was held Oct. 25. Richards, 23, appeared in custody at the Walworth County Jail. Whitewater PD Detective Anthony Heilberger testified in court on examination from Walworth County District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld. The court found probable cause that Richards likely committed a felony and determined that he will stand trial on those charges.
Richards faces charges of first degree intentional homicide, a Felony A, with a modifier of use of a dangerous weapon. Defendants convicted of first degree intentional homicide could result in having a sentence of life in prison. He is currently being held in the Walworth County Jail on a $1 million cash bond.
He will face his arraignment Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Walworth County Courthouse in Elkhorn.
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
The night of Aug. 30, Whitewater police responded to a call around 11:54 p.m. from Richards who stated that a woman was dying. Upon arrival officers found him on his phone, crying hysterically in the hallway and escorted him out.
When officers entered the apartment, they noticed the body of a female lying on the floor with several gunshot wounds to her neck, wrist, abdomen, thighs and lower back. She did not have a pulse and was not breathing. Officers report the door of the bedroom had multiple holes in it, consistent with a person punching or kicking it. There was also a black handgun on the floor of the living room near the bedroom door.
The apartment was identified as Richards’ place of residence and the female was identified as Kara Welsh.
While in custody in a Mirandized interview, Richards stated he and Welsh got into an argument, but he states he does not remember what it was about. Richards stated that he had gotten so mad, he punched the door. While they were arguing in the bedroom, Welsh grabbed Richards’ handgun from his nightstand. Richards stated that he wrestled the handgun away from Welsh and shot Welsh because he feared for his life. After shooting Welsh, Richards first called his father and then called 911.
Detective Lieutenant Jacob Hintz from the City of Whitewater Police Department reported finding 11 spent shell casings on the floor of the apartment. An autopsy reflected that Welsh suffered eight gunshot wounds with wounds in her neck, wrist, abdomen, thighs and lower back.
According to the criminal complaint, Hintz reported that based on his training, the injuries to Welsh and evidence at the scene were consistent with the shooter standing over her while she was in the fetal position on the floor.
