Bail set at $1 million cash for Hudson man charged with homicide
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
HUDSON — Bail has been set at $1 million cash for a 54-year-old Hudson man charged with first degree intentional homicide in connection with the death of his wife at their home on Namekagon Street in Hudson March 5.
Chad Aaron Haworth made an initial appearance in St. Croix County Circuit Court March 6 before Judge Michael R. Waterman.
Haworth is charged with one felony count of first degree intentional homicide, one felony count of mayhem and one felony count of aggravated battery intending great bodily harm.
All three counts carry the modifier of the use of a dangerous weapon, while the third count, aggravated battery, also carries the modifier of domestic abuse inflicting physical pain or injury.
Judge Waterman set bail at $1 million cash. The judge set a variety of conditions for bail, including ordering Haworth to maintain absolute sobriety, to comply with the GPS monitoring restrictions of St. Croix County, and not to possess dangerous weapons, firearms and knives.
Judge Waterman also ordered a competency examination by the Department of Health Services. As of press time, no additional court hearings had been scheduled.
Upon conviction, first degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Welfare check
At a little after 3 p.m. March 5, the Hudson Police Department dispatched a police officer to a residence on Namekagon Street to do a welfare check, according to the criminal complaint.
Dispatch told the officer that Haworth had told the dispatcher that his 26-year-old son would be all alone now, that Haworth was crying and was worried about his cats getting out of the house, and that Haworth said “the cops will shoot him because that’s how it ends.”
The dispatcher also said Haworth was getting defensive, was yelling, and that he had said he “has no way out,” according to the criminal complaint.
The officer who was dispatched had talked with Haworth earlier in the day, in the morning, and Haworth said he was concerned his wife was cheating on him and was possibly poisoning him with their cats’ thyroid medication.
Haworth told the officer he had “numerous recordings” of his wife, that he was going to a doctor to be tested and that he would e-mail the recordings to the police officer.
“At no time during our original conversation did he make any statements causing concern for his well-being or for his wife’s [well-being],” the complaint states.
Firearm
On his way to the residence, the police officer requested a county behavioral health specialist to stage in the area and was informed by dispatch that Haworth may be in possession of a firearm, according to the criminal complaint.
The officer parked a few residences down from the Haworth residence and was able to reach Haworth using the police squad’s telephone.
Haworth told the officer he was unable to log into his iCloud account, that his web access was open, that “[victim] is no longer with us,” and that she [presumably the victim] had sat there and “laughed at him,” the complaint states.
In addition, Haworth told the officer “I’ve never laid a hand on her in my entire life. Never. I was literally left with no other alternative” and told the officer that he was “all by himself here in this world.”
When the officer asked Haworth what he had meant by “[victim] is no longer with us,” Haworth had replied, ‘She’s no longer with us. She’s deceased. She’s in the house,” according to the criminal complaint.
Haworth became more upset, began crying, and said the victim had “alienated him from his family,” and “had gone behind his back.”
Haworth told the officer when he saw “what happened to his phone,” and saw that his “iPad had been erased,” he had “snapped,” the complaint states.
Haworth told the officer there was nothing he could give the officer as evidence, and the officer believed that Haworth was referring to the recordings Haworth had said earlier in the day that he would send to the officer.
In addition, Haworth said “his son doesn’t believe him,” that “he is not delusional,” and that he had given dispatch the code to get access to his iPad, according to the criminal complaint.
When the officer asked if Haworth had any weapons on him, Haworth had replied, “yes.”
When Haworth said “he is not delusional,” it was not clear from the criminal complaint whether Haworth meant he was not delusional or whether he meant that his son was not delusional.
Breathing?
When the officer asked if the victim was breathing, Haworth said, “I was screaming at her. Why. Why’d you do this to me? Why? … She thought I was just joking or something, ya know … but a guy who had never touched her her entire life and then she realized that I wasn’t joking,” according to the criminal complaint.
When the officer asked again if there was any possibility that the victim was still breathing, Haworth replied, “No, there isn’t. You know how long ago this was now. This has got to be a half hour. No. No. No. No. There is zero possibility. She is deceased,” the complaint states.
Haworth told the officer he had used an “incredibly sharp” “precision sharp” knife that was “one of the finest cutting instruments known to mankind.”
Standoff
The police officer asked Haworth numerous times to step out of the house so that the officer could speak to Haworth and so that other officers could check on the victim, according to the criminal complaint.
Haworth refused to come out of the house, and he told the officer that he was contemplating taking his own life. He also said it “wouldn’t matter” if the officer took Haworth’s life.
Haworth told the officer, “I wasn’t supposed to do what I did. I know that. I know that. She wouldn’t open the door. I had to kick the door down. When I kicked the door down, she was laughing at me. I called you guys to let you know,” according to the criminal complaint.
When the officer asked Haworth again to step out of the residence, Haworth became frustrated and asked to speak with someone else. The officer handed the phone to a detective who had arrived on the scene.
When the officer told Haworth someone else would be speaking with him, he had replied, “You getting ready to storm in here. Well just to let ya know, hey, hey, hey, hey, (at this time a loud ‘click’ noise cold be heard) it’s loaded,” the complaint states.
Later on, the officer reviewed the body camera video, and based on his training and experience as a law enforcement officer, wrote in his report, “I believe the ‘click’ noise was the manipulation of a firearm action,” according to the criminal complaint.
More officers
The St. Croix County Emergency Response Unit had been activated and more law enforcement officers arrived at the Namekagon Street residence, according to the criminal complaint.
The officers formed an “entry team” and were planning to break into the front door.
Haworth informed the officers he had a weapon and that he would begin shooting at them through the door, so the officers retreated.
Various law enforcement officers at the scene were concerned that the victim was still alive inside the residence and would need medical assistance.
Officers attempted to call the victim’s cell phone, but there was no answer.
A “ping” was set up for both cell phones, and both cell phone “pings” indicated the cell phones were in a stationary location and in close proximity to the residence.
Officers set up a perimeter around the residence and did not observe anyone leaving by the backdoor.
Officers continued phone contact with Haworth, according to the criminal complaint.
Negotiators
Negotiators arrived and attempted to get Haworth to leave the residence, but he would not comply, according to the criminal complaint.
The Emergency Response Unit deployed “chemical munitions” into the residence, and at one point, a law enforcement drone had observed what appeared to be a body in the home.
“The ERU team utilized PA announcements, less lethal chemical munitions and flash bangs while the negotiators maintained contact via phone with Chad. Eventually Chad came outside and surrendered,” according to the criminal complaint.
The ERU team then conducted a search of the residence and located the deceased victim in an upper level bedroom, the complaint states.
The criminal complaint notes that negotiators and the ERU team spent several hours trying to get Haworth to leave the residence, and that when he finally did leave, he was taken into custody without incident.
Haworth was taken into custody about 6:20 p.m. The first officer had arrived on the call for a welfare check at a little after 3 p.m.
After Haworth was in custody, one of the officers went to the bedroom and observed the victim “laying on a bed with a large laceration to her neck area,” according to the criminal complaint.
