DARLINGTON - The Argyle father accused of setting his house on fire to kill his family for their life insurance money now faces an additional homicide charge for the unborn baby his wife was carrying at the time of the fatal blaze.
State prosecutors filed the additional charge Wednesday, Nov. 14 against Armin Wand III, 32, and also against his brother implicated in the arson, Jeremy Wand, 18.
This brings the total number of homicide charges against the older brother to seven. He faces one each for his boys who died in the Sept. 7 fire - Allen Wand, 7, Jeffery, 5, and Joseph "Jo Jo" Wand, 3 - and one for the unborn baby Sharon Wand lost after suffering third-degree burns over most of her body and lungs. She was four months pregnant at the time of the fire.
The three remaining homicide charges are for attempts on the life of his wife and twice on the life of their youngest child, Jessica Wand, 2. He reportedly tried to put the girl back in the burning house after his wife saved her. Both mother and daughter survived the fire.
Jeremy Wand, a senior at Argyle High School, faces the same charges - minus the charge for his older brother's reported second attempt on Jessica Wand's life.
Both brothers also face a felony charge of arson.
On Wednesday morning before Lafayette County Judge William Johnston, they waived their right to a preliminary hearing.
The cases were reassigned the same day to Green County Judge Thomas Vale, after their lawyers made a motion for a new judge. The next court date for the Wands is Dec. 5 in Darlington at the Lafayette County Courthouse.
Vale will be scheduling hearings this day on any motions filed by the state prosecutors or the public defenders representing the Wands, according to his judicial assistant Jennifer Prien.
Vale has before him a request from the defense attorneys that the cases be moved to a venue outside the Madison media market and away from the "intense" scrutiny they say is tainting the local pool of potential jurors.
State prosecutors filed the additional charge Wednesday, Nov. 14 against Armin Wand III, 32, and also against his brother implicated in the arson, Jeremy Wand, 18.
This brings the total number of homicide charges against the older brother to seven. He faces one each for his boys who died in the Sept. 7 fire - Allen Wand, 7, Jeffery, 5, and Joseph "Jo Jo" Wand, 3 - and one for the unborn baby Sharon Wand lost after suffering third-degree burns over most of her body and lungs. She was four months pregnant at the time of the fire.
The three remaining homicide charges are for attempts on the life of his wife and twice on the life of their youngest child, Jessica Wand, 2. He reportedly tried to put the girl back in the burning house after his wife saved her. Both mother and daughter survived the fire.
Jeremy Wand, a senior at Argyle High School, faces the same charges - minus the charge for his older brother's reported second attempt on Jessica Wand's life.
Both brothers also face a felony charge of arson.
On Wednesday morning before Lafayette County Judge William Johnston, they waived their right to a preliminary hearing.
The cases were reassigned the same day to Green County Judge Thomas Vale, after their lawyers made a motion for a new judge. The next court date for the Wands is Dec. 5 in Darlington at the Lafayette County Courthouse.
Vale will be scheduling hearings this day on any motions filed by the state prosecutors or the public defenders representing the Wands, according to his judicial assistant Jennifer Prien.
Vale has before him a request from the defense attorneys that the cases be moved to a venue outside the Madison media market and away from the "intense" scrutiny they say is tainting the local pool of potential jurors.