(Columbia County) A Columbia County jury found a Pardeeville man guilty of First-Degree Intentional Homicide following a week-long trial. It took the jury around 12-hours to return the guilty verdict against Larry Manthe who was charged in the shooting death of 76-year-old Alice Langer of the town of Wyocena.
Columbia County sheriff’s deputies were sent to a property in Wyocena in October of 2022 to check on Langer’s welfare. Family members had not been able to contact her for over 15 hours. She was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Detectives learned during their investigation that Manthe and Langer were living together and were in a long-term relationship at the time of her death. They also found out that Langer intended to end the relationship and move out of the house.
Columbia County Sheriff Roger Brandner says there was a lot of investigative work done by their entire detective division led by Brian Johnson and Tim Schultz. He says their hard work and determination were what drove the efforts of his staff to find the truth.
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered. The 80-year-old Manthe is being held in the Columbia County Jail.
