A retired Wisconsin judge, who was accused of causing a hit list of prominent politicians and others, died on Tuesday after sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
Douglas K. Uhde, 56, was named as the suspect in Friday morning's fatal shooting of John Roemer, 68, a former Juneau County Circuit Court judge. Uhde was found the same day of the shooting with apparent self-inflicted wounds and transported to a hospital.
He was declared legally dead on Saturday and pulled off of life support Tuesday, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Roemer was found dead in his home in the Township of New Lisbon. A senior law enforcement official said Roemer had been bound with zip ties.
Deputies were called to Roemer's home around 6: 30 a.m. on a report that an armed person had been present and two shots had been fired.
The authorities tried to negotiate with Uhde, who was still in the home, but their attempts were unsuccessful, the department said. A response team entered around 10: 17 a.m. and found Roemer's body. A gun was recovered from the scene, officials said. Uhde was found critically wounded in the home's basement.
In 2005, Roemer sentenced Uhde to six years in prison on a charge of armed burglary with a dangerous weapon, according to Wisconsin Circuit Court records.
Attorney General Josh Kaul said at a news conference that Uhde appears to have had other targets, but he didn't want to identify them.
He said that it appears to be related to the judicial system. We are not aware of any evidence indicating that there is an active danger to other individuals. Those who were other targets have been notified of that. Two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the incident said the apparent hit list included U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Wisconsin Gov. The law enforcement officials said that the list was found as Uhde was transported to the hospital.