Wisconsin Man Pleads No Contest In Wife's Shooting Death

CBS Minnesota

July 29, 2026

A western Wisconsin man pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges filed against him in connection with his wife's 2024 shooting death, according to court records.

Jared Ler'che, 43, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide after his 34-year-old wife, Margaret Ler'che, was found dead in their home's basement on Jan. 22, 2024. A no-contest plea means Jared Ler'che does not admit guilt but accepts the conviction and penalty. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22. Prosecutors are recommending he be sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Officers found Margaret Ler'che after her father requested a welfare check for her after he spent the afternoon helping her pack her belongings at her Osceola, Wisconsin, home. Her dad said that Margaret Ler'che and her two children had been living with him in Iowa for the last three months. His daughter and son-in-law were having marital issues, and she was supposed to have arrived in Iowa that evening with her children.

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