Hit Man Killing in Oconomowoc

Two men accused of hiring a hit-man to kill an Oconomowoc woman will have their fates decided by a hometown jury. Circuit Judge James Kieffer rejected a defense request yesterday to either move the trials of Darren Wold and Jack Johnson – or bring in a jury from outside of Waukesha County to hear the cases. Kieffer says it won’t be necessary because news coverage about the case has not been inflammatory, and local residents should be able to give a fair verdict. Wold and Johnson are both scheduled to go on trial October 17th in Waukesha on charges of being parties to homicide. They’re accused of hiring 28-year-old Justin Welch to stab 39-year-old Kimberly Smith to death in October of 2009. Authorities said Wold was in a bitter custody battle with Smith at the time over their four-year-old son. And Wold allegedly paid Johnson 900-dollars to have Welch come in and murder Smith. Welch has pleaded guilty in the slaying.