Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Hurley — Not guilty pleas were entered Wednesday afternoon in Iron County Court for five men who are charged with murdering a Lac du Flambeau, Wis., tribal member in Mercer on Dec. 22.
They are charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide and being a party to hiding a corpse in the shooting death of Wayne M. Valliere Jr.
James Lussier, 19, of Woodruff; Joseph D. Lussier, 26, of Lac du Flambeau; Richard F.A. Allen, 27, of Lac du Flambeau, and Evan T. Oungst, 27, of Arbor Vitae, all entered not guilty pleas before Judge Patrick Madden.
Curtis Wolfe, 26, of Lac du Flambeau, stood mute and Madden entered a not guilty plea for him.
While all five defendants were previously being held on $1 million bail, Madden reduced the amount for Oungst to a $25,000 cash bond Wednesday, under a house arrest provision.
Oungst’s attorney, Thomas Wilmouth, said Oungst is a lifelong resident of the Vilas County area who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. His parents are a retired corrections officer and a hospital administrator.
Wilmouth said Oungst has fully cooperated with the state, leading them to Valliere’s body and compiling a 22-page timeline of events related to the homicide.
Wilmouth said Oungst didn’t fire a shot or participate in the assault on that Dec. 22 day. “He didn’t lay a hand on the body,” Wilmouth said.
Assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour argued the $1 million cash bond should continue and challenged Wilmouth’s statement that Oungst didn’t lay a hand on Valliere.
Wilmouth said Oungst has mental health problems that need to be addressed and also drug and alcohol issues.
Wilmouth said Oungst will continue to cooperate in the investigation and won’t flee.
Madden said the bond conditions, as suggested by Wilmouth, will be “stringent.”
The judge added, “Twenty-five thousand is a lot of money.”
Madden agreed to electronic monitoring for Oungst and set 10 days for motions once discovery information is received.
Valliere was beaten and shot to death after he was reported missing to Lac du Flambeau police on Christmas Day. His body was found on New Year’s day in a remote area.
Allen and Joseph Lussier will be tried together after filing motions for speedy trials. The other cases will likely proceed slower.
Dufour informed the court and attorneys connected with all five defendants that a discovery disc containing 1,559 pages would be filed in the case later Wednesday or today.
