FEAR, FRUSTRATION SURFACE AT TOWN HALL MEETING
Thursday, July 1st, 2010 -- 12:54 PM
A meeting at the York Town Hall last night did little to settle residents? nerves about the impending release of a convicted murderer and level 3 sex offender.By now, you know the story of Gary Thiede. He murdered a 16-year-old boy in Hatfield back in 1988. He was also convicted of sexual assault and child enticement.
He was released from prison in 2005, but broke conditions of his probation in Dane County. Now he?s out of prison again, and according to state law, he has locate somewhere in Clark County, the county of his last conviction.
Thiede was released from prison in December. He remains in the Clark County Jail because the state hasn't found a home for him yet. A landlord in the Town of York had agreed to rent to Mr. Thiede in May, but backed out of the agreement at the last minute. Many in the audience believed this meeting was held because those landlords may be reconsidering, although Probation and Parole officials said they still had no residence for him.
And while officials offered no new information on when Thiede would be released, or where he would live, they gave a lengthy presentation on preventing sexual assaults.
Many of the over 100 in attendance were put off by it.
"You haven't told us anything except B.S. about protecting our kids. We know how to protect our kids," yelled one area resident. "You guys are giving us a damn shark in a fish tank."
"Are you going to give me the right to bear arms and keep a rifle loaded in my house. You're telling me I can blow his (expletive) away?"
As tempers flared, Clark County Sheriff Louis Rosandich tried to calm residents. In essence, he said Probation and Parole and the Sheriff?s Department were the messengers. Thiede served his court-ordered sentence, and now he must be released.
"Whether we like it or not, this is the society we live in. None of us in this room like it. I wouldn't want this guy living in my neighborhood, but guess what?" Rosandich said, turning to colorful language to make his point, "this is one giant crap sandwich and we all have to take a bite of it whether we like it or not."
Jodi Voegeli with the Department of Corrections said this situation was somewhat unprecedented. She wasn?t sure what would happen if they couldn?t find anyone to rent to Thiede, and many in the audience said they would prefer he just stay in jail, especially seeing the state would be paying for his rent anyway.
The meeting was tense, but not without some light moments. Area resident Clarence Hoesely said, seeing most of the Town of York were present, they should just hold a vote on whether Thiede should move in the neighborhood.
"I think I know what the result would be," Voegeli said with a smile.
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