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Published April 04, 2012, 11:11 AM

Mom in Iowa murder case wrote to Wisconsin sex offender

A prosecutor says a mother convicted of a high-profile Iowa murder wrote a letter detailing the crime scene to a Wisconsin sex offender in an attempt to solicit testimony to back up her self-defense claims.

By: Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press, Superior Telegram

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor says a mother convicted of a high-profile Iowa murder wrote a letter detailing the crime scene to a Wisconsin sex offender in an attempt to solicit testimony to back up her self-defense claims.

Tracey Richter has claimed her 2001 shooting of Dustin Wehde was self-defense during a home invasion. But jurors in November sided with prosecutors, who argued that Richter killed Wehde in a plot to implicate her first husband in a murder-for-hire scheme.

Jailers copied one letter Richter wrote to Wisconsin inmate James Landa that showed diagrams of the home where the shooting happened and a car where evidence was found. The letter included information about the victim and others Richter claims was involved.

Prosecutor Ben Smith said Richter was seeking testimony to win a new trial.

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