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THE AWARD WINNING OFFICIAL LEGAL NEWSPAPER OF JUNEAU COUNTY
VOL 15, NO. 6
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013
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Camp Douglas Village President under scrutiny BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD
John Tetting, Jr.
Tetting trial moved to November BY BETTY WAITS Joshua Alderman, 31, and Tabatha Nealy, 23, were both found deceased in March of 2007 in a car of gunshot wounds on a remote road in northern Juneau County. Accused shooter, David Turner has since been sentenced and was found to be the actual shooter. John Tetting, Jr. allegedly drove the car that met the pair for what was found out to be a drug exchange. Tetting was also sentenced for the crime of second degree reckless homicide in the case in 2011 after a plea agreement. He was sentenced to more than seven years for both the homicide and cocaine possession. Special prosecutors tried the case in Juneau County Court after Juneau County Detective Randy Georgeson investigated and traced the crime back to both Turner and Tetting. Earlier this year the conviction was vacated due to Tetting’s co-defendants statements, after his conviction. David Turner stated in an affidavit that Tetting had no knowledge of the killings before the fact and only drove the car. Earlier this month Juneau County Judge John Roemer heard motions in the case, prior to a trial, that caused the case to be postponed. Those motions will be heard and ruled on in October concerning allowing certain testimony and a video during the upcoming trial. The state stands by its charges and are ready to proceed with the trial. The trial has been scheduled for two weeks in November. Tetting also has had multiple charges in Monroe County reopened for various offenses including bail jumping, burglary, and cocaine related charges.
As this week's issue of The Messenger hits the newsstands, a discussion will be held at Wednesday evening's board meeting of the Village of Camp Douglas. That discussion is one in which Camp Douglas resident and former village trustee, Jim Boardman, has been advocating to happen for quite some time and revolves around the Village President, Earl Ells. Boardman claims Ells has a history of misappropriating funds and using his elected position to financially benefit his downtown establishment, Squirrel E'S Bar & Grill. Boardman, who once ran against Ells for Village President, claims one example of misappropriation of funds came when monies were taken from the police fund and designated to the VFW for fireworks. When Boardman questioned Ells about what he considered misappropriation of funds, the answer he said he received from the village president was, "I can do anything I want to do." While some may have considered the ongoing battle between the two men as just politics there now appears to be some teeth in Boardman's claims. Earlier this summer, the Juneau County Police Department investigated claims by Boardman that during Armed Forces Day Ells used his position on the Armed Forces Day Committee to focus activities in front of his establishment, and at one point brought the party into it due to rain. The Village of Camp Douglas had provided funds to the committee for the event. In documents provided to the Messenger, the Juneau County Sheriff's Department investigated the matter and turned over their findings to District Attorney Michael Solovey who contacted the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) looking for an informal opinion on whether or not Ells had violated the Code of Ethics for Local Public Officials. In a letter from Jonathan Becker on behalf of GAB he wrote: "based on the information provided, Mr. Ells' actions appear to have violated that statute." The statute Becker was referring to is section 19.59 (1) (a) stating that no local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself or herself or his or her immediate family, or for an organization with which he or she is associated.
Camp Douglas Village President Earl Ells at the Royal Bank ground breaking last year. According to Becker's letter 19.59 (1) (c) also provides that no local public official may take any official action substantially affecting a matter in which the official or organization with which the official is associated has a substantial financial interest or use his office to produce a substantial benefit for himself or an organization with which the official is associated. "The Armed Forces Day Committee, as I understand it, is not a committee created by the Village but, rather, a private organization essentially created and run by Mr. Ells. Thus it is an organization with which he is associated. Therefore participating in the Village Board's decision to grant money to the Committee violates the above provisions of 19.59", wrote Becker. He went on to write: "Because the Committee used the money given to it by the Village for a community event, one could take the position that even if there was a law violation, there was really no harm because the authority to ensure that the focus of the Armed Forces Day Celebration took place outside of his bar and, on one occasion, to move it into his bar when it rained. See Camp Douglas, Page 3
Hit and Run connected to attempted kidnapping The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a hit and run crash between two vehicles and an attempted kidnapping. There were no injuries as a result of the hit and run matter. The matter occurred on 09-09-13 around 6:00 a.m. on County Hwy O just north of Destiny Ave. in the Township of Lincoln. The suspect vehicle is a lighter colored Ford Taurus which fled the scene (this would be estimated as a 1996 to 1999 model range). The vehicle should have damage to the passenger’s side of the vehicle. There might be a dark colored paint transfer on the suspect vehicle from the vehicle it struck. The driver of the suspect vehicle, is described as a white male, possi-
bly age 18 to 25, with short spiky hair. The suspect was also described as wearing a white, zip up type, hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots. After the collision occurred the male suspect attempted to force the driver (adult female) of the other vehicle into his car (attempted kidnapping). The victim was able to escape the suspect and she summoned help from another vehicle that came by (she initially ran to a nearby house to get help but no one answered the door). The Tomah Police Department took a stolen vehicle report while Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was investigating this matter. The description of the Tomah Police Department stolen vehicle, is similar
to the description of the vehicle involved in this incident. The stolen vehicle that the Tomah Police Department had was recovered later in the afternoon, after this incident occurred (same date). The Sheriff’s Office believes that the stolen vehicle that Tomah PD recovered is probably the same vehicle involved in this incident. There was another incident that occurred on 09-09-13 at approximately 4:30 A.M. where a female said that a person in a vehicle described like the suspect vehicle, from this matter, had pulled in behind her (at an address she was at), wanting directions and then wanted her to show him where. That female was afraid of the male, told him no,
and walked into the residence she was at (on Flicker Rd, West of the City of Tomah). The male made a sexual comment to the female as she was walking away from the male and then he left. It is unknown if these matters are related, but vehicle description was similar. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is asking if anyone knows who the suspect is or any information about these matters, please contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department (608-269-2117) (and the Tomah Police Department 608-3747400). The matter is still under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (Detective Bureau).