Guarding murder suspect could cost $100,000

By NICK NARIGON

Iowa County could get stuck with a hefty bill to guard a prisoner charged with first-degree murder who is currently a patient at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and could be a patient there for months.

Tonch Weldon, 37, rural Blairstown, is charged with the murder of Amy Gephart, 35, Marengo, which occurred Sunday, June 7. Weldon then allegedly attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the face with a shotgun.

While Gephart was declared dead at the scene, Weldon was airlifted to UIHC.

Iowa County Sheriff Robert Rotter said while he does not know the long-term prognosis for Weldon, Rotter said Weldon “is not suffering what would be considered life-threatening injuries.”

Weldon was charged with first-degree murder Monday, June 8, and his bond was set at $1 million. Because he is under arrest, his hospital room has become an extension of the Iowa County Jail, and Rotter said he must be kept under guard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the cost of Iowa County taxpayers.

The Iowa County Supervisors approved a motion Friday, June 12, allowing Rotter to hire as many temporary reserve deputies as needed to guard Weldon at the cost of $16 an hour.

Rotter said when discussing a timeframe for how long Weldon will remain under guard at the hospital, he said the discussion has involved months, not days or weeks.

He said he is meeting with hospital staff this week to better determine how long Weldon could remain in the hospital.

“I think it will be a considerable amount of time,” he said.

At a minimum cost of $16 an hour, Rotter said the bill to the county will be $384 a day and approximately $23,000 over the course of 60 days.

“That is for a cheap day. It gets worse from there,” Rotter said. “It’s expensive, but is a job we are charged with. We have no control over it. We have to do it anyway we can.”

Iowa County Supervisor Chair Ray Garringer speculated the cost to the county to guard Weldon 24 hours a day could reach as high as $100,000.

“I think we are talking $100,000 to provide security if it goes on as long as we think it will. This will have a hefty price tag to it, but we don’t have a choice,” Garringer said.

The saving grace for the county is the Iowa County Jail is currently running with nearly $100,000 in unanticipated revenue, Garringer said.

Rotter said he is recruiting 25 to 30 temporary reserve officers from all over eastern Iowa, including the Williamsburg Police Department, Marengo Police Department, North Liberty Police Department and Cedar County Sheriff’s Office. However, he said there will be times when a reserve officer is not available, and Iowa County may have to send over a full-time deputy to cover a shift. Rotter said shifts are eight hours long, plus an extra hour for drive time.

The reserve deputies must be certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and will be deputized as an Iowa County deputy, Rotter said. The reserve officer will receive a temporary appointment strictly for the use as guards at the hospital, he said.

Right now, Rotter said he has not had trouble finding reserve officers to fill shifts, but he anticipates that to change.

“Sitting in a hospital room is no fun for anybody. Taking an officer out of a patrol car and putting them in a chair is a challenge,” Rotter said. “Some days we are ahead, some days we are flying by the seat of our pants to fill a shift.”

Rotter said some people have asked why file charges against Weldon when he is confined to a hospital bed. In response, Rotter said first and foremost, you don’t want a prisoner to escape, you don’t want the prisoner to harm himself and you don’t want anyone else to be able to harm the prisoner.

“We had to have some reason to restrain him. The only reason we had at our disposal was filing the charge we were going to file no matter what,” Rotter said.

Visitation for Weldon has been limited his mother and father, Rotter said.

So far Weldon’s medical bills are covered by his private insurance, Rotter said. He said he is hoping the county will not have to take on Weldon’s medical bills, but said it is a concern.

“Let’s say we are worried about it,” Rotter said.

Other than being charged with first-degree murder and having a bond set, Weldon’s court proceedings have not moved any further, Rotter said. There has been no initial court appearance, and it probably won’t happen until Weldon is able to travel, he said. The trial proceedings will take place in Iowa County, Rotter said.

“Right now the court has placed the proceedings on hold,” he said. “A case of this nature takes a long time anyway, the fact that we can’t get started means it will take even longer.”

Once Weldon is able to be relocated, Rotter said they are considering options such as sending him to a state hospital, to Oakdale Correctional Facility or bringing Weldon to Iowa County Jail.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Rotter said the investigation into the June 7 altercation at 1040 L Ave., rural Blairstown, continues.

He said the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has three teams working on the case, as well as the entire Iowa County Sheriff’s Office.

Interviews continue to take place and a lot of questions still have to be answered, Rotter said.

He said there has been a lot of speculation regarding a possible motive, but the sheriff’s office is still trying to pinpoint a reason for the alleged altercation between Weldon and Gephart.

The autopsy on Gephart was completed by DCI, which Rotter said revealed Gephart died from a single shotgun blast to the chest.

Rotter said he is not 100 percent confident about the total number of people present at the time of the shooting.

“It was one of those residences, they had a lot of friends, and a lot of people came and went on any given day,” Rotter said. “Who was there when the altercation took place, we are still trying to pin down.”

The incident has affected a lot of people in the community, Rotter said. Gephart, who graduated from Northern University High School, Cedar Falls, in 1992, was not a native of the area, but was well known.

“She had a lot of friends here in the area. It is tragic what happened. So many more people affected than just the immediate family,” Rotter said. “The immediate family members are going through hell, it just goes so far beyond that.”

Funeral services were held for Gephart Friday, June 12, in Cedar Falls. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Hartman Reserve Nature Center. Online condolences may be left at www.richardsonfuneralservice.com.

UPDATED June 17, 2009 10:05 AM