Tonch Weldon murder trial resumes on Tuesday

The defense in the first-degree murder trial of Tonch Weldon, 39, of Blairstown, continues its case at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Iowa County District Court.

Reporter Trish Mehaffey resumes her live blog from the courtroom. Readers/viewers can follow along, ask questions and provide comments.

The prosecution claims Weldon shot and killed Amy Gephart, 35, his wife's girlfriend because she threatened to leave him. Weldon is accused of shooting Gephart once in the chest with a 20-gauge shotgun before he turned the gun on himself June 7, 2009 in his home.

Last week, Tonch Weldon's wife Amanda Weldon testified she and Tonch had an open marriage and Gephart lived with them and was their sexual partner until she fell in love with Gephart and they wanted to leave him. Amanda said after she and her husband argued that day he shot Gephart in front of her and then tried to shoot himself more than once.

Weldon's son Logan, 12 at the time of the shooting, testified in a deposition that was read in court that he looked through the house window and saw Gephart, who “looked dead” on the couch, and then he saw his father shoot himself in the face.

The defense claims Tonch Weldon was intoxicated that day, under stress, sleep deprived and the shooting wasn't premeditated. Defense witnesses on Friday said Tonch Weldon was a loving and caring man.

The trial is expected to wrap up Wednesday.

Tonch Weldon trial-July 19