Former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestler Chad Richards has been charged in connection with girlfriend Kara Welsh’s shooting death. Welsh was discovered dead in Richards’ Wisconsin residence on August 30, shortly before midnight.
On Friday, Richards, 23, appeared in Walworth County Court for the first time by video. In addition to being charged with first-degree intentional killing, he is also being charged with disorderly behavior and endangering safety by using a dangerous weapon.
Just before midnight on August 30, Whitewater Police arrived at Richards’ apartment and found the death of 21-year-old Kara Welsh. At first, the police stated that the victim had been shot, and that the two had gotten into a fight before to the deadly shooting.
On Friday, however, a criminal complaint made public indicated that Welsh had been shot several times.
Richards reported that Welsh had taken his revolver from a nightstand while the two were fighting, and he made the 911 call. The complaint went on to state that Richards “feared for his life” and that’s why he wrestled the gun away before shooting Welsh.
A medical examiner discovered that Welsh had eight gunshot wounds to his neck, torso, and other regions, and that eleven expended shells had been discovered inside the apartment, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Richards informed detectives that Welsh was his girlfriend as he was being held on a $1 million bond. Richards wrestled for the UW-Whitewater wrestling team for two seasons, 2020–2022, according to online records.
Welsh participated in the gymnastics team at UW-Whitewater in addition.
Coach Jen Regan remarked of the national champion and two-time All-American, “To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible. 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.”
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Welsh, who was a management major in the College of Business and Economics at the university, was from Plainfield, Illinois. She took home a national individual title in the vault in the NCAA Division III championships the previous year.
Richards has a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 26 in the courtroom.
