By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — A 25-year-old woman who pleaded “no contest” and was found guilty of first degree reckless homicide in connection with a murder in the Town of Dunn last November has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Ashley A. Gunder appeared with her attorney, Bernardo Cueto, before Judge Christina Mayer in Dunn County Circuit Court December 17 for a sentencing hearing.
Judge Mayer accepted Gunder’s plea of “no contest” at a court hearing in August and found the defendant guilty on the charge of first degree reckless homicide and dismissed three felony counts of bail jumping, although the three dismissed counts were ordered read into the record for sentencing.
Gunder initially was charged with first degree intentional homicide along with Chad D. Turgeson, age 37 and Ryan L. Steinhoff, age 38, in connection with the death of Bruce E. McGuigan, age 37, of Hayward, at N2564 440th Street in the Town of Dunn November 17, 2020.
At the December 17 hearing, Judge Mayer sentenced Gunder to 25 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision, according to online court records.
Dunn County District Attorney Andrea Nodolf had recommended 25 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision.
Cueto, Gunder’s attorney, argued that Gunder should be sentenced to five years of initial confinement and 5 years of extended supervision.
Judge Mayer also ordered Gunder to have no contact with Joyce McGuigan, the victim’s mother, and ordered her to have no contact with Ryan Steinhoff and Chad Turgeson.
First degree intentional homicide is a Class A felony that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
First degree reckless homicide is a Class B felony that carries a penalty of up to 60 years in prison.
In addition to the no contact provisions, Judge Mayer ordered Gunder to not possess or consume any illegal substances not prescribed by a physician, not be in the presence of drug paraphernalia, not to possess or consume alcohol and not to enter any establishment where the primary purpose is the sale of alcohol.
Gunder also was ordered to pay restitution of $4,875.53 and court costs of $538.
The defendant received 395 days of credit for time served.
Judge James Peterson set bail at $500,000 cash for each of three defendants during an initial court appearance November 25, 2020.
Badly injured
According to the criminal complaint, Dunn County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call on that November day from George Welch, who was at Brian Lindo’s residence on 370th avenue in the Town of Dunn.
When deputies talked to Welch at Lindo’s residence, Welch said there was someone badly injured at his trailer on 440th street in the Town of Dunn.
The two deputies went to Welch’s trailer and used a public address system to ask anyone inside the residence to exit.
A woman, later identified as Ashley Gunder and a dog emerged from Welch’s residence.
In the second bedroom, deputies discovered a man covered in blood with visible lacerations to his head who was not moving and who was cold to the touch.
Green-handled knife
Gunder spoke with law enforcement on multiple occasions during the course of the investigation and on November 20, 2020, asked to speak with a female officer, according to the criminal complaint.
Gunder spoke with Investigator Rebecca Merryfield of the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department and said she had broken into Welch’s trailer through a window and had let the others inside the trailer through the front door. Ryan and Chad were “schooling” the victim, although Gunder said she did not know Steinhoff’s name at the time, according to Sergeant Travis Mayer, who testified during Steinhoff’s preliminary hearing on December 3, 2020.
Gunder had been asked for a knife that could be disposed of and that she had found a green handled knife, the sergeant said.
According to the criminal complaint, multiple items were recovered at Welch’s residence that are believed to be the weapons used, including a hammer, knives and a wooden table leg.
Steinhoff admitted to punching the victim and kicking him in the head along with hitting him with the table leg, Sergeant Mayer said.
Gunder said she and Steinhoff had gone to Hayward on November 15 to get the victim, had met Turgeson and had gone to Welch’s, he said.
Steinhoff, who was interviewed several times during the investigation, initially denied being involved but then eventually said he and Turgeson had gone into the bedroom with victim and had gotten into an argument. Steinhoff said he had struck and kicked the victim, according to the complaint.
Gunder’s job was to clean up, and she said she moved items off the victim, including a window, broken glass and a yellow cat litter box, the sergeant testified.
According to the criminal complaint, Gunder told investigators the dog had belonged to the victim and would have a tag containing the victim’s address.
The criminal complaint also states Gunder said this was not the first time she had been through something like this but that she has never had to deal with the body.
A motion hearing in the Steinhoff case is scheduled for March 22 before Judge Mayer, and a final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for May 27.
A three-week trial for Steinhoff is scheduled in June.
A motion hearing in the Turgeson case is scheduled for April 27 before Judge James Peterson, and a final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 8.
A two-week trial for Turgeson is scheduled in July.
