DODGEVILLE — A woman accused of killing her husband made her initial Lafayette County Circuit Court appearance Thursday. 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. A motion hearing will be held Friday at 3 p.m. A status conference will be held March 17.
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 Circuit Court news release. She was also ticketed with failure to keep a vehicle under control. 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.”
Bond was set at $1 million in a bail/bond hearing Feb. 16. Kelli Nechkash faces life in term without the possibly of extended supervision if convicted.
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.
Anyone who observed anything suspicious late afternoon or evening Feb. 11 near Collins Street in Ridgeway is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office, 608-319-6703, or submit a tip through the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office app.
Ridgeway residents or business owners who have cameras are being asked to register their cameras under the Crime Prevention tab on the Sheriff’s Office app.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating with the Ridgeway Marshal’s office, Dodgeville and Mineral Point police, the state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, State Crime Laboratory, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Iowa County District Attorney’s office, Coroner’s Office and Emergency Management.
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.