The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Saturday identified Douglas K. Uhde, 56, as the man suspected of killing retired Judge John Roemer on Friday.
Roemer had sentenced Uhde to six years of prison on a burglary charge in 2005, court records show.
According to a release, law enforcement entered Roemer’s home around 10:17 a.m. Friday after “failed attempts” to negotiate with Uhde.
Roemer, 68, was dead. Uhde was found in the basement with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital and was in critical condition as of Saturday.
Law enforcement recovered a firearm at the scene.
Anyone with information about Uhde should contact the Wisconsin Department of Justice at (608) 266-1221.
John Roemer was second judge to sentence Douglas Uhde in burglary case
In 2002, Uhde was sentenced in Adams County Circuit Court to 10 years in prison and seven years extended supervision, in connection with an August 2001 armed burglary of a township of Quincy home.
Columbia County Circuit Court Judge James Miller also ordered Uhde to undergo psychiatric treatment, have no contact with his victims, and undergo DNA testing.
Uhde entered a no contest plea and was found guilty of burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
More:New Lisbon community grapples with the killing of Wisconsin Judge John Roemer
There was no shortage of evidence in the case. When officers searched Uhde’s car, they found evidence of the burglary, including a short-barreled shotgun and a small pry bar. Officers also were able to match the soles of Uhde’s tennis shoes with footprints left in the yard of the residence, the criminal complaint said.
But Uhde then won an appeal and was allowed to withdraw his plea after the 4th District Appellate Court ruled the judge in the case should have explained the state’s truth in sentencing rules during the plea hearing. The appellate court decision was later reversed by the state Supreme Court.
The case was reopened and went before Roemer, who in 2005 sentenced Uhde to six years of prison and nine years of extended supervision.
Uhde was released from prison in 2020
Uhde escaped from the Fox Lake Correctional Institution, a minimum-security prison, in 2006, according to online Wisconsin Department of Corrections records. According to authorities, he walked away from custody while painting the inside of a house on the Baraboo Circus World Museum grounds.
He was captured about three weeks later.
Uhde also filed federal and state civil suits over the case, arguing that his right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures was violated when he was arrested in August 2001. Those cases were dismissed.
In April 2020, Uhde was released from Stanley Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison.
Friend in Michigan surprised by allegations against Uhde
The news of Uhde’s alleged involvement came as a shock to a family in Michigan that he was close with for a number of years.
A member of that family, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Joshua, said Uhde had known the family for decades after growing up with Joshua’s father-in-law.
He said he was always aware of Uhde’s past legal troubles but never personally knew him to be a bad presence around his family. He said Uhde “would cherish anyone who was a friend,” and never missed a chance to celebrate a birthday or holiday.
“I’m still kind of expecting someone to say it wasn’t him,” he said.
Uhde stayed with the family in Michigan for a brief period after he was released from prison. Joshua said Uhde collected his belongings and moved south to reunite with family in either Tennessee or Kentucky and start over.
He mostly lost touch with Joshua’s family from there, save for the occasional phone call. Joshua said Uhde had never demonstrated an interest in violence against public officials and he never knew him to be part of a militia, as some news outlets have reported.
“The fact that I’m being told that he did this, it’s gut-wrenching,” Joshua said.
Source Article from https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/06/04/douglas-k-uhde-identified-wisconsin-judge-shooting-suspect-doj-town-of-new-lisbon/7515805001/
Comments