Triple Murder in a small WI town

[mssheila]

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/loca...hp?ntid=114769

Rock County Sheriff Robert Spoden identified the victims late Friday as Danyetta Lentz, 38, her daughter, Nicole, 17, and son, Scott, 14. They had lived in the mobile home for more than a dozen years.

"This is a crime scene with three victims, a very complex scene," he said. He would not comment on the possible causes of the deaths and said officials were not formally seeking anyone specific for the crimes.

"Our officers and detectives along with the crime lab are doing a methodical search and process of that scene, and we anticipate that will last until well into the evening and possibly into (this morning)," Spoden said.

Autopsies are planned for this morning in Madison.

[Bobbisangel]

Sounds like a ex of some kind to me. I hope that LE find out who did this horrible thing. It is beyond my understanding why someone would want to wipe out an entire family. I wonder if anything was taken from the home? I hope we hear more as the investigation moves forward.

[mssheila]

A TV News report yesterday interviewed a woman in the trailer house right next door (30 feet away). She said she had been up all night and had heard absolutely NOTHING. That's strange, apparently these were rather brutal murders, but nothing is being said about how they died, exactly.

[mssheila]

Today's news:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/loca...114835&ntpid=3

Few clues and no suspects in killings
RON SEELY
JANESVILLE - Investigators Saturday said they have no suspects and few clues in the violent deaths of a mother and her two teenage children in a rundown trailer park on the edge of this Rock County city.

Lt. Bill Harper, the detective with the Rock County Sheriff's Department in charge of the investigation, said no suspects have been identified in the killings, which he said are being treated as a triple homicide*SNIP*

This is scary- a mother and her two teen children dead?

[LionRun]

It is mentioned that burglaries were reported (recently?) in the area. But, I don't see any info on whether or not there were any items missing or even disturbed in the home where the poor family was murdered. Has anyone heard anything to the contrary?

Lion

[mssheila]

Steve Huff is covering this:

http://truecrimeblog.blogspot.com/

[kahskye]

This is so sad to read. Maybe I missed it, but I'm amazed how some stories never seem important enough to make it to the headline news. My thoughts and prayers are with the family tonight and I pray the person responsible for this crime is caught.

[mssheila]

Originally Posted by kahskye

This is so sad to read. Maybe I missed it, but I'm amazed how some stories never seem important enough to make it to the headline news. My thoughts and prayers are with the family tonight and I pray the person responsible for this crime if caught.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/local/index.php?ntid=114867
Autopsies confirm 'homicidal violence'
MATTHEW DeFOUR
Weekend autopsies confirm a Janesville woman and her two teenage children died of "complex homicidal violence," the Rock County Sheriff's Department said Sunday.
*snip*
Investigators searched the mobile home and surrounding areas for a third day Sunday, but would not say if they were any closer to solving a mystery that has neighbors worried about their own safety.
*snip*

I am really sad about this one... It seems like- sometimes, when you're talking about a poor family from the "wrong" side of town, people seem to overlook it- or pay less attention.

Even local media isn't covering this very heavily. You'd think it'd be all over the news- but it's not... and they have NO SUSPECTS. Sad that some cases are more sensational or more "newsworthy", than others.. but true.

[mssheila]

I wanted to add something without editing the last post again. The article states the following:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/local...hp?ntid=114867

Weekend autopsies confirm a Janesville woman and her two teenage children died of "complex homicidal violence," the Rock County Sheriff's Department said Sunday.

What do you think that means? Complex Homicidal Violence. Maybe more than one method was used on each victim.. or maybe they were killed differently from eachother. What you do you guys think?

[kahskye]

Maybe I missed it, but here's pictures of Danyetta, Nichole and Scott. Nichole apparently had a Myspace account and had an on again, off again relationship w/ her bf. She also mentions her stepdad. I guess LE have been unsuccessful in trying to locate him, hmmmm!


http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/ori..._murderes.html

[curious1]

How horrible. A family wiped out for no reason at all. People these days are so selfish and only out for themselves they never think out the consequences of what they do. Hope they catch the perp soon to give the community some peace of mind.

[goddess]

Originally Posted by kahskye

Maybe I missed it, but here's pictures of Danyetta, Nichole and Scott. Nichole apparently had a Myspace account and had an on again, off again relationship w/ her bf. She also mentions her stepdad. I guess LE have been unsuccessful in trying to locate him, hmmmm!


http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/ori..._murderes.html

Aww, now I wish I hadnt looked. The son looks like my boy.

[mssheila]

According to the Court Tv link, the step father and mother are "estranged" and they have been unsuccessful in locating him.


That's strange, because obviously, if he's anywhere near the area, he's heard the news. Why wouldn't he go to police? Hmmm is right.

[mssheila]

UPDATES:

http://www.gazetteextra.com/index.asp

Detectives rule out ex-husband, boyfriend
Rock County Sheriff Bob Spoden said Wednesday the ex-husband of a Janesville woman who was murdered along with her two children had nothing to do with the killings, Rock County Sheriff Bob Spoden said Wednesday.

Detectives also have cleared the boyfriend of the woman's slain daughter, Spoden said.
*snip*

http://www.gazetteextra.com/lentz_dna011707.asp
DNA evidence possibly found at murder scene
Rock County investigators think they might have DNA evidence from the triple homicide discovered Friday morning just south of Janesville.

Sheriff Bob Spoden received assurances from the director of the State Crime Laboratory that an analyst has been re-assigned from another case to give the local investigation priority.

"We think these items should have DNA evidence," Spoden said this morning.
*SNIP*

[caillia]

There's been an arrest, but no charges filed yet. It was just reported on a newsbreak. I don't know the name but he was a neighbor in the trailer court.

[SewingDeb]

Originally Posted by caillia

There's been an arrest, but no charges filed yet. It was just reported on a newsbreak. I don't know the name but he was a neighbor in the trailer court.

Suspect arrested in triple homicide

A suspect is in custody in the case of the triple slaying of a local family. The Rock County Sheriff's Department identified James C. Koepp, 47, a neighbor of the slain Lentz family, as the suspect.

Koepp's address is listed as Lot 69 in the Janesville Terrace mobile home park, 3315 S. Highway 51. The victims—Danyetta, Nicole and Scott Lentz—lived at Lot 37.

Investigators believe Koepp is the sole perpetrator.

http://www.gazetteextra.com/lentz_arrest011707.asp

[Beyond Belief]

JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) -- Prosecutors on Friday charged a man suspected in a triple killing with fleeing police and endangering people in a wild chase, but did not charge him with the slayings.

Prosecutor David O'Leary said he was still waiting for evidence to be processed before charging James Koepp, 47, in the deaths of his neighbors Danyetta Lentz, 38, and her children, Nicole, 17, and Scott, 14.

"I intend to file charges when I have a case I can prove," O'Leary said.

O'Leary and Sheriff Bob Spoden had said Wednesday that charges against Koepp in the slayings could come Friday. Spoden said detectives questioned Koepp about the deaths and he became a "person of interest."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...TAM&SECTION=US

[mssheila]

http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/local...hp?ntid=115651

JANESVILLE - James C. Koepp, 47, introduced just three days ago as a suspect in a horrific triple murder at a trailer park just outside Janesville, was charged Friday in Rock County Circuit Court with drunken driving and fleeing police but not with murder.


Rock County District Attorney David O'Leary said he's still waiting for evidence in the killings to be processed before he issues charges in the deaths of Danyetta Lentz, 38, and her two children, Nicole, 17, and Scott, 14.

"I intend to file charges when I have a case I can prove," O'Leary said.
Meanwhile, knives and other instruments that turned up in search warrants filed Thursday are beginning to give clues into how the Lentzes died.
<snip>

[Autumn2004]

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geutmLDs...023171715.html

It sounds like he had an affair with the mom, maybe she threatened to tell his wife and he killed her and killed the kids so hopefully no evidence would be available that he was over there that night, with his past its no wonder he's violent. My question is why do women want to be with this kind of man?????

I imagine he might be out soon with not being charged for the murders yet, ugh nicole's boyfriend better watch out if he does. He only has bail set at $60,000, if his wife believes him he might be out soon. I hope dna evidence or something comes back soon where they can charge him.

[Taximom]

No charges yet.
http://wkow.madison.com/News/index.php?ID=13176
(w/video)

Wife divorces Koepp:
http://www.channel3000.com/news/13674093/detail.html

What a travesty.

[fran]

Originally Posted by Taximom

No charges yet.
http://wkow.madison.com/News/index.php?ID=13176
(w/video)

Wife divorces Koepp:
http://www.channel3000.com/news/13674093/detail.html

What a travesty.

Even after filing for divorce, his wife thinks he's innocent of the murders. I bet there are a few women out there that would disagree with her on that.

This article is old, but IMHO, it about says it all.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/10784050/detail.html


Accused In Rock County Killings Has Violent Past
Mother, Two Children Found Slain In Mobile Home


Koepp was convicted of four counts of second-degree sexual assault in the 1980s. A criminal complaint said that Koepp sexually assaulted two women at a drug and alcohol treatment center in Madison in March 1982.

He was released from prison in 1993 to begin serving probation, but he was sentenced to another six years in prison after his probation was revoked by the state Department of Corrections.

Koepp appealed but the court upheld the six-year term as appropriate, citing his "two violent sexual assaults, his continued alcohol problems, and his unsatisfactory progress toward rehabilitation."

He was released from prison again in 2001, WISC-TV


PS............eh, his wife said she'd been with him for seven years??????? He wasn't released from jail until 2001. Did she meet him while he was serving time for 'violent rape?' She thinks he's innocent?!?????????? ....fran

[Jaded]

That's what I was wondering - she was with him even though he was a registered sex offender with a violent past and yet, she still believes he's innocent. Are these women so insecure and self-loathing of themselves that they settle for a POS like that? I can't even imagine hooking up with a registered sex offender. Color me stupid, but by golly I have standards and sex offenders are the last individuals on earth that I would want a relationship with.