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Arrests made in murder of Waukesha woman

July 14, 2009 By

Fond du Lac County authorities are filing charges against three people connected to the murder of a 28-year-old Waukesha woman.

Renee Redmer was reported missing by her mother in January. Fond du Lac police suspect her 36-year-old boyfriend Brandon Mueller of Fond du Lac of strangling her, burning and disposing of her body.

Police Major Kevin Lemke says Waukesha Police had them checking on rumors several months ago, but the first one didn't pan out. He says additional information came to light in the past two months, which lead to more interviews and additional physical evidence.

Mueller's 53-year-old mother Nancy Pinno is suspected of helping him move a cooler containing Redmer's body from her apartment to the property of 48-year-old Donald Worth. There it was burned in barrel and later disposed of on Lake Winnebago. Lemke says they believe the body was burned, and the ashes were then dumped through the ice.

Fragments of Redmer's bones were found in Worth's burn barrel.

Pinno and Worth were charged in Fond du Lac County Court Tuesday for allegedly aiding Mueller. They are being held on $250,000 and $150,000 respectively. Mueller is expected to be charged in the next few days. 

AUDIO: FDL Police Major Kevin Lemke (MP3 :17)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Beloit police chief retires

July 14, 2009 By

Beloit Police Chief Sam Lathrop is stepping down into retirement, as new details emerge about an alleged relationship with a subordinate officer.

City Manager Larry Arft says Lathrops' relationship with a Sergeant on the police force had a lot to do with the decision. The chief is currently going through a divorce.

Arft says there's no specific policy on relationships between a superior and subordinate, but the situation still did spark concerns about the command structure. Arft says he began having discussions with Lathrop about his relationship with a police department subordinate a couple of months ago.

Lathrop, reached by cell phone, says his relationship did not affect public safety in any way, and that he's leaving the department in extremely good hands. He also stated it's intensely personal and not open to discussion.

AUDIO: Beloit City Manager Larry Arft (MP3 :13)

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Bad babysitter in court

July 14, 2009 By

A Wausau-area babysitter accused of leaving children home alone is facing additional charges.

Rhonda Piehl is accused of leaving several young children alone at her Wausau-area home on two separate occasions in April as she ran errands.

She stood mute so a judge entered not guilty pleas on her behalf to 11 child neglect charges and two counts of being an unlicensed child care provider.

Piehl has said she made a bad decision but quote "sometimes you have to do what you have to do." She cannot care for children anymore and must not have any contact with the children or their parents.

Piehl told investigators she left to drop off a prescription at a nearby elementary school and go to the bank.

A pre-trial conference is set for August 25th.

AUDIO: Matt Lehman reports (MP3 :37)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

High Court rules in favor of paint companies

July 14, 2009 By

paint Wisconsin Supreme Court rules in favor of paint company in a lead paint case involving a Milwaukee child who got sick after eating some paint chips.

The Supreme Court's decision is very simple, according to an attorney for the Sherwin-Williams Company. Charles “Chuck” Moellenberg, Jr. explains, the high court ruled that white lead carbonate pigment is not defectively designed simply because it contains lead.

“It's no different than saying that champaign is not defectively made because it contains alcohol. Alcohol is an inherant part of champaign, just like lead is an inherent part of white-lead carbonate pigment.”

Moellenberg says if lead were taken out, it would be an entirely different product. Its very presence is a characteristic of the product itself. In addition, he says well-maintained, intact lead paint is not a health risk to children.

“So the product is safe when used as intended, and maintained. The problem arises when others fail to maintain the old lead paint that is still in some housing.”

There are other liability claims that could be brought against the paint companies. Moellenberg says claims such as failure to warn consumers of the risk, would be difficult to prove, considering the toxicity of lead has been known for a very long time, and there have been warning labels on paint cans since 1955. The court ruled 6-0 in a case that began in January of 2006.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:33 MP3)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Top Story

Three sentenced in crack deal case

July 14, 2009 By

A couple and their daughter been sentenced to federal prison terms for their role in a drug dealing network on tribal lands in northwest Wisconsin.

Jean Sonnenberg, 52, received more than nineteen years in prison, 49 year-old Bruce Sonnenberg received twenty four years in prison, and 24 year-old Amanda Sonnenberg received four years in prison. None of them will be eligible for parole.

The Sonnenberg's son, 19 year-old Christopher, was previously sentenced to five and a half years in prison, also without parole. Five additional defendants have pled guilty and await sentencing.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice says the members of the drug ring worked together to obtain and distribute crack cocaine on St. Croix Tribal lands between January 2001 and September 2008.

 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts
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