Wisconsin man pleads no contest in wife's shooting death
A western Wisconsin man pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges filed against him in connection with his wife's 2024 shooting death, according to court records.
Jared Ler'che, 43, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide after his 34-year-old wife, Margaret Ler'che, was found dead in their home's basement on Jan. 22, 2024. A no-contest plea means Jared Ler'che does not admit guilt but accepts the conviction and penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22. Prosecutors are recommending he be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Officers found Margaret Ler'che after her father requested a welfare check for her after he spent the afternoon helping her pack her belongings at her Osceola, Wisconsin, home. Her dad said that Margaret Ler'che and her two children had been living with him in Iowa for the last three months. His daughter and son-in-law were having marital issues, and she was supposed to have arrived in Iowa that evening with her children.
Roughly 10 minutes after Margaret Ler'che's father contacted authorities, St. Paul dispatch called Polk County, Wisconsin, law enforcement, saying that Jared Ler'che had contacted a crisis line. He said he was driving around with his two children and having thoughts of suicide, the criminal complaint states.
A Polk County officer spoke with Jared Ler'che, who said he didn't know where Margaret Ler'che was. He said the officer could look at her social media messages "and figure out which one of her boyfriends she might have ran off with," documents say.
The officer then walked around the Ler'ches' home and looked through a window into the basement, where they saw a blanket on the floor.
Officers entered the home later in the evening to find Margaret Ler'che dead in the basement, under the blanket. There was a .22 rifle on the ground next to her, and she had been shot in the back of the head, according to the documents. There was also a charging cord wrapped around her neck, and she appeared to have been dragged.
Separately, officers met with Jared Ler'che at a Kwik Trip in Osceola. During his conversation with officers, he said he believed his wife was having an affair with several men, and was associated with human trafficking of children. He did not provide any details about Margaret Ler'che's location, according to the charges.
At one point, Jared Ler'che reached for something near his feet —a sawed-off shotgun — but an officer was able to arrest him. The officer noticed blood on his clothes, charges state.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
