Jeremiah Wolfe, Lawrencia Merrick and Natasha Wolfe sentenced for Second Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Second Degree Murder

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Jeremiah Wolfe, 20, Lawrencia Merrick, 22, and Natasha Wolfe, 39, were sentenced Friday, August 24, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska, by United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., for the killing of William I. Redhorn, 39, in Winnebago, Nebraska in April of 2017. Jeremiah Wolfe and Merrick were both sentenced to fifteen years for second degree murder and Natasha Wolfe, Jeremiah’s mother, was sentenced to 14 years for conspiracy to commit second degree murder.  There is no parole in the federal system. All three were given 5 years of supervised release to begin upon completion of their prison terms.

On April 23, 2017, Jeremiah Wolfe, Lawrencia Merrick, Natasha Wolfe and a juvenile were sitting inside a Chevy Tahoe parked in the lot of the Ho Chunk Incorporated building on the Winnebago Indian Reservation. They were using their phones while connected to the building’s free wireless internet. At nearly 5:00 a.m., William Redhorn was outside the building, looking for cigarettes. After verbally engaging Mr. Redhorn, all of the occupants inside the Chevy Tahoe got out of the car, approached Mr. Redhorn, and assaulted him. Mr. Redhorn turned to run away from the group, but was caught by Jeremiah Wolfe. Merrick caught up to Jeremiah Wolfe and the two proceeded to repeatedly hit and punch Mr. Redhorn. Jeremiah Wolfe put Mr. Redhorn’s neck into an arm-bar hold while Merrick continuously hit Mr. Redhorn. Natasha Wolfe struck Mr. Redhorn in the head three times with a flashlight. Mr. Redhorn lost consciousness and Jeremiah Wolfe let him go. Merrick then kicked Mr. Redhorn who fell face down after the assault, and never got back up.  Jeremiah Wolfe and Merrick had no prior contact with Mr. Redhorn and did not know who he was. Only Natasha Wolfe knew who Mr. Redhorn was, but did not have a relationship of any kind with him. Mr. Redhorn’s body was discovered several hours later when a local resident on his way to church drove by the scene.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winnebago Police Department.