Kara Welsh, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and champion gymnastics student, was found in the fetal position on the floor, having been hit by some of the eight bullets that killed her on Aug. 30, police said. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Authorities said a 21-year-old woman found her boyfriend, Chad Richards, 23, lying in a pool of blood inside his apartment just before midnight.
The medical examiner determined she suffered eight gunshot wounds to the neck, torso and other parts of her body.
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Kara Welsh was murdered on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in an apartment near campus. (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater via The Associated Press)
Richards, a former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestler, is charged with first-degree intentional murder in Welsh's death.
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According to Fox News Digital, Richards told investigators he acted in self-defense after he and Welsh got into an argument and struggled over a gun Welsh had taken from a nightstand. Richards said he grabbed the gun and shot Welsh because he “feared for his life” and called 911.
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The Whitewater Police Department has identified the suspect in the murder of Kara Welsh as Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois. (Whitewater Police Department)
Welsh attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she was a member of the gymnastics team and majored in business administration in the school's College of Business and Economics.
As she prepared for her senior year of college, in 2023, she won the individual vault national title at the NCAA Division III Championships.
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“Karla was a daughter, a sister, a dear friend and a teammate,” her family wrote on the fundraising page, adding, “Karla had the unique gift of bringing joy to everyone she met and always put a smile on people's faces with her sense of humor, unwavering support and kind nature.”
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A memorial to Kara Welsh has been erected in her hometown of Plainfield, Illinois. (WFLD)
Richards was a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons as a freshman and sophomore. School playground.
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He faces additional charges of endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and disturbing the peace and is being held in the Walworth County Jail on $1 million bail.
