Suspect in college gymnast’s murder appears in court. What else we know.
Chad T. Richards, the alleged suspect in the murder of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and national champion gymnast Kara Welsh, appeared in court on Tuesday and was informed that his bond would remain at $1 million.
Earlier on Tuesday, in a Facebook post, Whitewater (Wisconsin) Police identified Richards as the suspect in the killing. The post indicates that police have forwarded charges of first-degree Intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed to the District Attorney’s office.
Richards, 23, is a former wrestler and fellow student at UW-Whitewater.
Here’s everything you need to know about the case:
Who was Kara Welsh?
Welsh, 21, was a Plainfield, Illinois, native and a member of the Warhawks gymnastics team, the University said Saturday in a statement. At the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Division III National Championships in March 2023, Welsh won an individual national title in vault. A two-time All American, Welsh was one of the most decorated gymnasts in school history.
Welsh, who competed in vault and floor exercise, was set to enter her senior year at UW-Whitewater.
According to an Instagram post from December 2023, Welsh was pursuing a bachelor’s of business administration, with a sports management emphasis.
‘To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible,’ UW-Whitewater gymnastics coach Jen Regan said Friday in a statement published on the athletic department’s official website. ‘A powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days, Kara truly lifted each and every one of us up in her time as a Warhawk gymnast. There are no words to describe the void we all feel in our hearts, but Kara’s legacy will live on through Warhawk gymnastics forever.’
What happened during the incident?
Welsh was shot and killed late Friday night, after Whitewater police responded to a call about a disturbance at an off-campus apartment building. According to police, Welsh sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was found when officers arrived.
Police also said that a 23-year-old man who was known to Welsh, though not initially identified, was present at the apartment when officers arrived. Police said their investigation determined that the two had been in an altercation prior to the shooting and that the man had been arrested.
On Tuesday afternoon, police identified Chad T. Richards, 23, as the alleged suspect in the killing.
Richards was a member of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 wresting teams, his freshman and sophomore years, according to the UW-Whitewater’s wrestling roster. He appears to still be enrolled at the school.