GUILTY IA - Dustin Wehde, 20, shot to death, Early, 13 Dec 2001

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But today, folks in Early are weighing a contradictory view and a slew of questions: Could she be a master manipulator who planned the killing and concocted an elaborate hoax that let her get away with murder? What exactly is written in the pink journal that police found, and does it show she was justified, or that she's guilty?

This is the story of a case that baffled investigators and stalled for years. Of an agent whose work resurrected the case and a rookie prosecutor who became obsessed with it. Of the quiet young man whose death ripped apart his family. Of townspeople who panicked after the shooting but soon suspected the official account did not add up.

Above all, it is the story of a woman who left a trail of deceit from Chicago to Nebraska and has a history of making sensational allegations that are never proven.

She insists she is telling the truth.

Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/ca...f00-11e0-89e5-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1boj0jjJe
 
This will be an interesting trial. And the woman sounds nuts.
 
WOW! From the way that article reads, she's another sociopath on the loose. I'd like to know what her oldest son says during trial.
 
I read about this yesterday and came looking for a thread, I was surprised there wasnt one. I'd like to know more about this case too. it struck my crime junkie nerve I guess.
 
FORT DODGE, Iowa (KTIV) -
The trial of a ten-year-old northwest Iowa murder in underway. Tracey Richter is accused of shooting Dustin Wehde to death inside her home, back in 2001. She claims it was self-defense. Prosecutors say it was murder.

At issue, a pink, spiral notebook found in victim Dustin Wehde's car after the murder, almost ten years ago. Prosecutors say the notebook claims Tracey Richter's ex-husband John Pittman paid Wehde to kill Richter, and their only child Bert.

"Pittman didn't know Dustin Wehde, and never met Dustin Wehde." Doug Hammerand, Prosecutor, said. "That's information only the defendant would know."

http://www.ktiv.com/story/15885546/self-defense-or-murder-day-1-of-richter-trial-concludes
 
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/up...cle_3ee41510-00ca-11e1-bb05-001cc4c03286.html

"You could pretty much tell where those shots were coming from: they were coming pretty much directly over the head area and down into the head," said Harvey, who attended Wehde's autopsy.

His testimony came Thursday afternoon as prosecutors continued building their case that Richter planned to kill Wehde, planted a notebook in his car implicating her ex-husband in a murder-for-hire-scheme and then falsely claimed she was the victim of a home invasion.
 
This is a crazy case. I couldn't follow it at first, but once I went back and started reading it came together.

A question though - why is the pink journal just coming out right now? Why wasn't this investigated 10 years ago?
 
The day after Tracy was found guilty, her father was found dead

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/sh...cle_f9ec89b8-0f21-11e1-bc00-001cc4c03286.html

He was discovered lying in a pool of blood on Nov. 8, one day after a jury found Tracey Richter guilty in the killing of Dustin Wehde on Dec. 13, 2001, in Early, Iowa.
"At this point, we can't even say if he was alive to hear the verdict," Launderville said. "The timing was very ironic. Who would have thought?"
 
BrownRice said:
This is a crazy case. I couldn't follow it at first, but once I went back and started reading it came together.

A question though - why is the pink journal just coming out right now? Why wasn't this investigated 10 years ago?
Click to expand...

Watched this case tonight on Dateline. I think, from what I remember, they kept it top secret evidence. Once they interviewed the first husband they determined he had nothing to do with it, but someone else who was involved with the crime might know about it (the notebook). Years later the new investigator (prosecutor?) was interviewing Tracey's friend Mary I think, and said they had some new evidence. And she goes something like oh the notebook? She said Tracey had told her that the cops were gonna be arresting the exhubby soon and there was evidence in a notebook. Why she didn't tell the cops this earlier in the case I can't remember. Anyways, very interesting case, and I wonder if there is anywhere online to read the whole journal? Or other case documents?
 
http://wislawjournal.com/2012/04/04...wa-murder-case-tried-to-bolster-her-defense/#



"IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A mother convicted of a high-profile Iowa murder wrote to a Wisconsin child sex offender in an attempt to find a witness to bolster her legal defense, but the letter was alarming because it included a photograph of children and personal information about her ex-husband, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

The prosecutor who convicted Tracey Richter said he was concerned enough that he alerted an attorney for the ex-husband, Michael Roberts, who is locked in a custody dispute over whether he can move with their two children to his native Australia. The letter included information that could be used to find Roberts, such as his Social Security number, date of birth and physical description."

more at link
 
rachelle said:
Watched this case tonight on Dateline. I think, from what I remember, they kept it top secret evidence. Once they interviewed the first husband they determined he had nothing to do with it, but someone else who was involved with the crime might know about it (the notebook). Years later the new investigator (prosecutor?) was interviewing Tracey's friend Mary I think, and said they had some new evidence. And she goes something like oh the notebook? She said Tracey had told her that the cops were gonna be arresting the exhubby soon and there was evidence in a notebook. Why she didn't tell the cops this earlier in the case I can't remember. Anyways, very interesting case, and I wonder if there is anywhere online to read the whole journal? Or other case documents?
Click to expand...

Thanks! I have it taped. When I read the Dateline info, I thought it must be this case. Can't wait to watch it.
 
peeples said:
An interesting case I just read about in early, Iowa.
Thought I'd share it here :)

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/ca...cle_0ae1f29e-ff00-11e0-89e5-001cc4c002e0.html
Click to expand...

60 mins ran the story , and it was shown here in Australia a few months ago. I was so bothered by the husbands stories, and demeanour, I decided to do a bit of sleuthing and found this website. Ripoff report Report: #1025392
Read it and share. We are this mothers only hope of having the truth told.

I read it and realised that we must sleuth this with the notion that the wife was setup. Have a read and a sleuth and you'll be surprised that the facts point to a psychotic husband who wanted to own his wife's share in his company, wanted to destroy her and owed 30,000 in child support. Don't be blind sighted by the media and conviction. Dig a bit deeper as I have and this case is disturbing and the children are being harmed by living through this and still with their father.
I believe that these children need us to see the truth , sleuth it, so their Mummy can get out of jail and mother them again.
I do not know these people, I just know that justice has not been done and a woman is in jail for life because of false witnesses and lies. The husband has a lot to answer for and so has the prosecutor Ben Smith. Shame on you both.
 
Who had the most to gain from killing Dustin?

Ben Smith’s argument for prosecuting Tracey for first degree murder rested on a couple of premises.

Tracey was in a battle over child support for her son Burt. John Pitman wanted to cut off the $1000 a month she was receiving.
To do this she wanted to frame John Pitman for attempted murder and to keep her plans secret she killed.
Yet, the facts remain that Michael Roberts made a secret deal with Mona Wehde, a real estate agent, to sell all of their marital properties without Tracey’s knowledge. He met secretly with her to discuss the deal just prior to the shooting of Dustin. Michael was planning a move away from the area, and he’d bring Tracey up to speed on it later. That’s what he told Mona.

With Tracey out of the way, he would become sole owner of Xellex and Mile2 a businesses which recently did $2 million dollars in new sales.
With Tracey out of the way Michael would own all of their property and could move the kids where he wanted to. With Tracey out of the way Michael would be the majority shareholder of Mile2, even after he provided Ray Friedman the equity he had previously promised him.
With Tracey out of the way he could marry another woman, which he did even before his divorce was final.
But Special Agent Vileta didn’t see any connections or any reason to suspect Michael Roberts because he’d made up his mind about Tracey’s guilt and he had no intention of backing down.
 
Aunty said:
60 mins ran the story , and it was shown here in Australia a few months ago. I was so bothered by the husbands stories, and demeanour, I decided to do a bit of sleuthing and found this website. Ripoff report Report: #1025392
Read it and share. We are this mothers only hope of having the truth told.

I read it and realised that we must sleuth this with the notion that the wife was setup. Have a read and a sleuth and you'll be surprised that the facts point to a psychotic husband who wanted to own his wife's share in his company, wanted to destroy her and owed 30,000 in child support. Don't be blind sighted by the media and conviction. Dig a bit deeper as I have and this case is disturbing and the children are being harmed by living through this and still with their father.
I believe that these children need us to see the truth , sleuth it, so their Mummy can get out of jail and mother them again.
I do not know these people, I just know that justice has not been done and a woman is in jail for life because of false witnesses and lies. The husband has a lot to answer for and so has the prosecutor Ben Smith. Shame on you both.
Click to expand...

Aunty, can you provide a link? Everything I've read makes me believe she is very shrewd - I believe the verdict was right. But it would be good to read whatever you think suggests otherwise.
 
Strangeworld said:
Aunty, can you provide a link? Everything I've read makes me believe she is very shrewd - I believe the verdict was right. But it would be good to read whatever you think suggests otherwise.
Click to expand...

Great to see you here Strangeworld.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/60-minutes-australia/media-outlets/internet-internet-405cd.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/ben-smi...misconduct/sac-city-sac-county-iowa-B1A77.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/60-minutes-australia/news-media/internet-internet-17737.htm

This is interesting stuff.
 
Sorry, Aunty. I'm going to have to disagree with your views on the case. IMO, she is guilty. She appears to me to be very vindictive, self-centred, and void of emotion and empathy when it comes to others, even her own children. I think alot of her tears were related to the fact that she got caught, and lost control of her big plans. She probably never, in her wildest dreams, thought she would be accused, let alone be found guilty. She appeared to thrive on the 'hero' status originally attributed to her before the case was reinvestigated. I would, IMO, believe she probably has a history of manipulating men for what she wants.

Even if her husband has been accused of questionable business behaviour, that is a BIG jump to then suggest a setup related to the murder.

Whilst he does seem to be a bit of a smooth operator in the 60 minutes interview ( http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8558195 ), I didn't get any sense that he was involved.

I believe she will remain in jail for life.

On a side note, that website ripoff report seems very dodgy to me. I have never seen it before, so don't know what it's reputation is, but very poor reporting at the very least.
 
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