DODGEVILLE — A woman accused of killing her husband stood mute to the charge in Iowa County Circuit Court.
Kelli H. Nechkash, 67, Black Earth, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the death of Todd Nechkash, 62, who was found dead at his home in Ridgeway Feb. 12.
Nechkash was bound over for trial March 17. A not-guilty plea was entered on Nechkash’s behalf April 6. Bond was set at $1 million in a bail/bond hearing Feb. 16.
A status conference is scheduled for June 30. Kelli Nechkash faces life in prison if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint reported by WMTV in Madison, law enforcement made a welfare check at Todd Nechkash’s home but were unable to get anyone to answer. Inside they found his body with multiple stab wounds covered in a blanket.
An autopsy revealed that he suffered more than one dozen stab wounds, according to the criminal complaint.
Kelli Nechkash was arrested on a state Department of Corrections Parole Supervision hold after a crash on Sunny Ridge Road near Spring Road in the Town of Waldwick Feb. 11 around 11:10 p.m. Todd Nechkash’s prescription medication and phone were found inside Kelli Nechkash’s car, according to WMTV, along with a large kitchen knife and blood-stained clothing.
Kelli Nechkash was booked on sixth-offense drunk driving, possession of an illegally obtained prescription, and possession of a controlled substance, according to an Iowa County Sheriff’s Office news release. She was also ticketed with failure to keep a vehicle under control.
So far the only traffic-related charge in the court system is a citation for failure to keep a vehicle under control, according to court records.
During a search warrant in the Iowa County Jail, WMTV reported, Kelli Nechkash said “I didn’t mean to murder him,” “I did not want to kill him” and “I did not mean to do that.”
The Sheriff’s Office said the Nechkashes were married but live in separate residences. Sheriff Michael Peterson said the Nechkashes were previously divorced but remarried
Kelli Nechkash was sentenced to four years prison and five years extended supervision after she pleaded no contest in 2013 to attempted first-degree recklessly endangering safety — domestic abuse and attempted arson of a building without the owner’s consent.
Kelli Nechkash was accused of stabbing Todd Nechkash and setting his house on fire in Ridgeway in December 2011, according to WISC-TV.
Her terms of extended supervision included no contact with Todd Nechkash, his parents and his three sisters and one brother, according to court records.
Nechkash was jailed for five months and had her driver’s license revoked for three years after she pleaded no contest to fourth-offense operating while intoxicated with a minor child in her vehicle in 2009, according to court records.
Nechkash was placed on five years probation including 275 days in jail and three years’ driver license revocation after she pleaded guilty to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and no contest to fourth-offense operating while intoxicated in 2002. A charge of criminal damage to property was dismissed but read in for sentencing, according to court records.