Jury will start fifth day of deliberations Tuesday in Weldon murder trial

MARENGO – Jurors in the first-degree murder trial of Tonch Weldon, 39, of Blairstown, recessed early Monday, saying they wanted to reflect on a few things and resume deliberations 9 a.m. Tuesday in Iowa County District Court.

The judge received the note about the early recess just before 3 p.m. Tuesday will be the fifth day of deliberations after a week-long trial. The jury began deliberations last Wednesday.

Reporter Trish Mehaffey will provide live coverage from the courtroom when the verdict comes in.

Assistant Attorney General Denise Timmins said in her closing Weldon aimed and shot Amy Gephart, 35, directly in the heart, and asked them to convict him of first-degree murder. She said the shooting was deliberate and premeditated. Weldon, an avid and experienced hunter, shot Gephart once in the chest with a 20-gauge shotgun before turning the gun on himself June 7, 2009 in his home.

During the trial, Tonch Weldon's wife Amanda Weldon testified she and her husband had an open marriage and Gephart lived with them and was their sexual partner until she fell in love with Gephart. They had decided to leave Weldon and after arguing that day, Amanda said Tonch shot Gephart in front of her and then tried to shoot himself more than once.

Dennis Cohen, Weldon's attorney, in his closing said it was a “crime of passion.”

Weldon was intoxicated that day, under stress, sleep deprived and the shooting wasn't premeditated. The state didn't prove first-degree murder. He asked the jury to consider a lesser charge – voluntary manslaughter, which carries 10 years in prison, instead of life for first-degree murder.