DODGEVILLE — Two men were arrested in connection with the death of a woman in July 2021.
Aric Way, 51, Glendale, and Philip G. Schmidt-Way, 28, Loveland, Colo., are being charged with party to first-degree intentional homicide, according to the state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
Bail was set at $250,000 for Way at his initial Iowa County Circuit Court appearance Tuesday morning with the requirements he have no contact with Schmidt-Way or a Town of Dodgeville address. Way’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m.
An arrest warrant was issued for Schmidt-Way Thursday. Both face life in prison if convicted.
The case will be heard by Grant County Circuit Judge Robert VanDeHey, according to court records.
The victim. Way’s mother and Schmidt-Way’s grandmother, was found dead in her Dodgeville home July 19, 2021.
The news release did not identify the victim, but online probate records list Diana K. Way, 74, who lived at the same address, 3488 Hunter Hollow Road in the Town of Dodgeville, as having died on that date. Schmidt-Way is listed as the heir and Aric Way is listed as an “interested person” on the probate record.
Carbon monoxide poisoning was a contributing cause of death, according to the DOJ news release. The criminal complaint said there were no obvious sources to explain elevated levels of carbon monoxide in her home.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim had recently agreed to sell the family farm, which Schmidt-Way was set to inherit upon the victim’s death, to family friends.
A search warrant obtained Facebook messages Way sent to a friend in which Way said he was going to get “legal guardianship of [Way’s] mother before she sells the family farm for a handful of beans.”
Way filed a petition for permanent guardianship due to incompetency June 2, 2021, according to the criminal complaint. The petition was denied June 16, 2021.
After that, the victim changed her will, which originally had Aric Way inheriting a life estate in the farmstead upon her death, with the remaining interest going to Schmidt-Way. According to the criminal complaint, the new will removed Way as her personal representative while “intentionally not leaving any gift or distribution to Way,” leaving Schmidt-Way as her sole heir.
The victim was found unresponsive in her bedroom by a man who had arranged to purchase books from her. A Dodgeville EMS crew responded but during trying to care for her one of the EMT’s carbon monoxide detector went off, according to the criminal complaint.
The DOJ news release said Way purchased products known to react together to create carbon monoxide. Way’s Google search history revealed searches for a beekeeping supply store to get formic acid and for drain cleaner with a high percentage of sulfuric acid. Owners of a beekeeping supply business told authorities that a new customer purchased a large supply of formic acid, according to the criminal complaint.
A pickup truck registered to Schmidt-Way was seen on a trail camera at the victim’s home entering the property at 2:57 a.m. and leaving at 5:24 a.m. the night of her death, according to the criminal complaint. The same truck dropped off Way at the Sheriff’s Office the day after the victim’s death.
The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office and DCI investigated the case with assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, Dodgeville EMS, Dodgeville Fire, the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, Larimer County, Colo., Sheriff’s Office, UW Hospital, Glendale Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Wisconsin State Patrol and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Victim services are provided by the Iowa County District Attorney’s Office.
“This was a challenging case to work and took a really concentrated effort from all of the agencies involved to move it forward,” said Iowa County Sheriff Steve Michek.