MONROE — Green County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Vale denied a request Feb. 5 from the defense of Logan Kruckenberg-Anderson that the case be closed to the public.

Kruckenberg-Anderson, 16, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse after admitting to fatally shooting his newborn daughter and leaving her body inside of an Albany tree in early January.

Vale denied the request on the idea that court proceedings should be open to the public. Kruckenberg-Anderson’s attorneys asked the court for a reverse waiver to send the case to juvenile court, but that was denied.

Kruckenberg-Anderson then returned to court Feb. 12 and not guilty pleas to the charges were submitted on his behalf after waving a preliminary hearing.

One of Kruckenberg-Anderson’s public lawyers, Ashley Morse, an assistant state public defender, raised concerns about his mental health. Morse intends to get a psychiatric evaluation completed prior to the reverse waiver hearting, which has not yet been set. He is currently housed in the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where he appeared in court by video. When released from Winnebago, his attorneys asked if he could reside at a juvenile detention facility like in Rock County, instead of adult jail in Green County. 

Kruckenberg-Anderson is due back in court March 4 for a status conference.