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Marengo man accused of murder will plead not guilty
Gazette Staff/SourceMedia
Jul. 9, 2009 4:06 pm
Tonch Weldon, 37, charged with first-degree murder, will plead not guilty today in writing. His arraignment set for this morning in Iowa County District Court was canceled.
Peter Persaud, Weldon's attorney, said it will be filed later today.
Weldon is accused of shooting and killing Amy Gephart, 35, with a 20-gauge shotgun before turning the gun on himself in his home three miles north of Marengo on June 7. Gephart was living with Weldon, his wife and two children at the time.
Gephart died at the scene and Weldon was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He is now in custody at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale.
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