Dunn County jury finds Eau Claire man not guilty in Town of Dunn homicide
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Following six days of testimony and one day of deliberation, a Dunn County jury has found a 39-year-old Eau Claire man not guilty in connection with a Town of Dunn homicide in November of 2020.
Chad D. Turgeson was found not guilty July 26, and Judge James Peterson dismissed the count of first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime related to the death of Bruce E. McGuigan, age 37, of Hayward, at N2564 440th Street in the Town of Dunn November 17, 2020.
The charge of first degree intentional homicide also carried the modifiers of use of a dangerous weapon and the modifier of being a repeat offender.
After listening to six days of testimony, the jury began deliberating at around 4 p.m. Monday, July 25, and deliberated until 9 p.m. that evening, according to online court records.
The jury began deliberating again the next morning at 8:30 a.m. and returned with a verdict of “not guilty” a little after 4 p.m.
Turgeson also was charged with one count of retail theft, and the jury found him guilty on the misdemeanor.
Turgeson had seven or eight months of credit for time served, and Judge Peterson sentenced him to six months with six months of time served for the retail theft.
Judge Peterson also ordered Turgeson to pay $463 in court costs to be paid within 60 days.
Steinhoff & Gunder
Ryan L. Steinhoff, age 39, and Ashley A. Gunder, age 25, also were charged with first degree intentional homicide, as a party to a crime, in connection with the death of McGuigan.
The original case against Steinhoff before Judge Christina Mayer was dismissed in March and was refiled and assigned to Judge James Peterson.
At an arraignment hearing March 14, 2022, Judge Peterson accepted a plea on all counts from Steinhoff of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
A three-week trial for Steinhoff is scheduled in Dunn County late this fall.
Gunder pleaded “no contest” and was found guilty of first degree reckless homicide and sentenced by Judge Mayer in December of 2021 to 25 years of initial confinement in prison and 10 years of extended supervision.
Claim
Steinhoff also filed a “notice of injury and claim” against Dunn County for $2 million in June of 2021, alleging that the sheriff’s department inappropriately used his mental health records and intercepted confidential attorney-client communications.
The Dunn County Board denied the claim at the regular meeting July 28, 2021.
According to the background information included with the resolution denying the claim, “No action on this claim may be brought against Dunn County after six months from the date of service of notice of the disallowance, pursuant to Wis. Stat. 893.80.”
Americinn
Steinhoff and Turgeson left the residence of George Welch in the Town of Dunn where the murder occurred with a woman named Courtney Rice, according to the criminal complaint.
When deputies were looking for the vehicle, which was registered to Rice’s father, they found the vehicle parked at the Americinn in Menomonie later that evening.
During a preliminary hearing in December of 2020 for Chad Turgeson, Sergeant Travis Mayer with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department testified Steinhoff and Turgeson had been staying at the Americinn in Menomonie and had gone to Kwik Trip and were eating items they had not purchased and that they had taken items from the convenience store.
According to the criminal complaint, George Welch told investigators that while he had been in town, four people had broken into his house. Welch said he knew two of the people. One was “Chad” — later identified as Chad Turgeson — and “Little Red,” identified as Ashley Gunder. Welch said he did not know another individual, who seemed to be in charge, and that he also did not know the victim.
Welch said he was told not to go to the bedroom because someone was being “schooled” and that he had heard noises coming from the bedroom.
According to a news release from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, deputies started a homicide investigation at around 3:42 p.m. November 17, 2020, after responding to N2564 440th Street to check on the welfare of someone at the residence and discovered a deceased adult, white male.
Gunder was taken into custody at the residence, and Steinhoff and Turgeson were arrested in Menomonie later that evening at around 11:30 p.m.
