Man kills wife. Convicted of Equine abuse in 2006
http://www.whig.com/325520074425986.php Wietholder reaches Alford plea deal in wife's death Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Mail to a friend Printer Friendly Version By Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer LINNEUS, Mo. — Former Illinois horse farmer Lawrence "Bud" Wietholder entered an Alford plea this morning to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of his wife last year on their farm in Greentop. Wietholder agreed to the plea — in which he did not admit guilt but admits the state probably has enough evidence to convict him — in exchange for a cap of 10 years in prison. The state is recommending the 10-year sentence. Judge Gary Ravens will decide Feb. 11 if he will accept the plea bargain. Wietholder was originally charged with second-degree murder.Wietholder's trial originally was scheduled to begin today but was continued several weeks ago. His seven children attended the 40-minute hearing. Wietholder, 62, was charged with drowning his wife at the couple's rural Greentop farm in September 2006. Wietholder pleaded not guilty March 27 during an arraignment hearing in Lancaster, and the case was moved to Linn County on a change of venue request. Joanne Wietholder's body was found near a pond Sept. 29, 2006, and authorities say Lawrence Wietholder admitted to drowning his wife. The couple raised horses near Camp Point for many years until last year, when Wietholder was found guilty of felony animal abuse by an Adams County jury. Schuyler County Sheriff Don Bruner was the only witness during a March preliminary hearing. He -*test*-('")ified about responding to the Wietholder farm to do a well-being check on Joanne Wietholder. Bruner did not say who asked to make the check, saying only that a deputy called him and he responded. Bruner said he approached the Wietholder residence and met Wietholder at the door. "He had his head down, in his chest, looking at the ground," Bruner said. "He said, 'I found her in the pond.' " Bruner said Wietholder agreed to take officers to the pond, located behind a horse barn on the property. Bruner found the body near the pond covered with a blanket, and he identified Joanne Wietholder after pulling the blanket back. Bruner said Joanne Wietholder's clothing was "wet, dirty and muddy." Bruner said she had a bump on her forehead and a scratch mark on her throat. There were also drag marks from the pond leading to the body, Bruner said. After a search warrant was obtained, Bruner said several items were seized at the farm, including a sledgehammer, clothes, a telephone answering machine and a ledger written by Joanne Wietholder. The next day, one of Wietholder's children called Bruner and said they found Bud Wietholder's cap in the pond, Bruner said. Wietholder sold his farm and moved to Greentop in the summer of 2006. He had a long history of animal abuse charges, but was never convicted of felony animal abuse until last year. Wietholder was found guilty in March 2006 by an Adams County (Ill.) jury of felony animal abuse charges after a two-week jury trial. He was ordered to serve probation and deplete his herd to 30 horses. He was fined $15,550. He sold his massive operation in Camp Point and moved horses to three farms in Northeast Missouri. In July 2006, eight horses were removed from Wietholder's farm near Brashear, and authorities also said Wietholder threatened a neighbor. Bud Wietholder was charged with eight counts of felony animal abuse, while his wife was charged with eight misdemeanor counts.
http://www.whig.com/325520074425986.php Wietholder reaches Alford plea deal in wife's death Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Mail to a friend Printer Friendly Version By Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer LINNEUS, Mo. — Former Illinois horse farmer Lawrence "Bud" Wietholder entered an Alford plea this morning to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of his wife last year on their farm in Greentop. Wietholder agreed to the plea — in which he did not admit guilt but admits the state probably has enough evidence to convict him — in exchange for a cap of 10 years in prison. The state is recommending the 10-year sentence. Judge Gary Ravens will decide Feb. 11 if he will accept the plea bargain. Wietholder was originally charged with second-degree murder.Wietholder's trial originally was scheduled to begin today but was continued several weeks ago. His seven children attended the 40-minute hearing. Wietholder, 62, was charged with drowning his wife at the couple's rural Greentop farm in September 2006. Wietholder pleaded not guilty March 27 during an arraignment hearing in Lancaster, and the case was moved to Linn County on a change of venue request. Joanne Wietholder's body was found near a pond Sept. 29, 2006, and authorities say Lawrence Wietholder admitted to drowning his wife. The couple raised horses near Camp Point for many years until last year, when Wietholder was found guilty of felony animal abuse by an Adams County jury. Schuyler County Sheriff Don Bruner was the only witness during a March preliminary hearing. He -*test*-('")ified about responding to the Wietholder farm to do a well-being check on Joanne Wietholder. Bruner did not say who asked to make the check, saying only that a deputy called him and he responded. Bruner said he approached the Wietholder residence and met Wietholder at the door. "He had his head down, in his chest, looking at the ground," Bruner said. "He said, 'I found her in the pond.' " Bruner said Wietholder agreed to take officers to the pond, located behind a horse barn on the property. Bruner found the body near the pond covered with a blanket, and he identified Joanne Wietholder after pulling the blanket back. Bruner said Joanne Wietholder's clothing was "wet, dirty and muddy." Bruner said she had a bump on her forehead and a scratch mark on her throat. There were also drag marks from the pond leading to the body, Bruner said. After a search warrant was obtained, Bruner said several items were seized at the farm, including a sledgehammer, clothes, a telephone answering machine and a ledger written by Joanne Wietholder. The next day, one of Wietholder's children called Bruner and said they found Bud Wietholder's cap in the pond, Bruner said. Wietholder sold his farm and moved to Greentop in the summer of 2006. He had a long history of animal abuse charges, but was never convicted of felony animal abuse until last year. Wietholder was found guilty in March 2006 by an Adams County (Ill.) jury of felony animal abuse charges after a two-week jury trial. He was ordered to serve probation and deplete his herd to 30 horses. He was fined $15,550. He sold his massive operation in Camp Point and moved horses to three farms in Northeast Missouri. In July 2006, eight horses were removed from Wietholder's farm near Brashear, and authorities also said Wietholder threatened a neighbor. Bud Wietholder was charged with eight counts of felony animal abuse, while his wife was charged with eight misdemeanor counts.