Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Rick to be arraigned Aug. 18 in Bear Trap murder-arson case

HURLEY - An Aug. 18 arraignment has been scheduled for a Saxon, Wis., man who faces murder and arson charges.

Donald Rick, 44, appeared in Iron County Court Thursday afternoon before Judge Patrick Madden and waived his right to a preliminary examination.

Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour, who is prosecuting the case, said he would have liked to proceed with the arraignment on Thursday, but defense attorney Courtney Latzig said she would prefer a later date, suggesting Aug. 18.

Madden then set the arraignment at 1 p.m. on that date, when Rick will likely enter a plea.

Rick signed a three-page waiver of the preliminary exam, telling the judge he understood the contents of the document.

Rick is charged in the March 12 fire that destroyed the Bear Trap Inn in Saxon, resulting in the death of Lisa Waldros.

He allegedly told investigators that he stabbed Waldros in burglarizing the tavern, then burned the building in an attempt to make it look like she had died in a fire.

He also faces charges of mutilation of a corpse, armed burglary, armed robbery and possession of a firearm, all as a repeat offender.

The body of Waldros, 52, of Kimball, was found in the burned-out bathroom area of the structure two days after the fire.

Madden said Thursday that Rick may be appearing in court on Aug. 18 via a videoconference set-up because he may be incarcerated elsewhere from the Iron County Jail.

Madden told Dufour he, too, could appear by videoconference, but Dufour said he'd rather be in the courtroom in person, saying he'd like to continue to meet personally with the Waldros family.

A $1 million cash bond was continued by Madden.