Who is Larry Manthe? Elderly man, 79, shoots girlfriend in the head, calls it suicide after she tries to end relationship
COLUMBIA COUNTY, WISCONSIN: A Wisconsin man has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon in the course of domestic abuse.
Larry Manthe, who killed his girlfriend Alice Langer, is believed to have staged the murder as a suicide after she wanted to break up with him.
The 79-year-old allegedly shot Langer in the left side of her head and made it look like a shower death. As per the cops, he placed a firearm in her lap at home.
How did police find Alice Langer's body?
Alice Langer was found dead on October 6, 2022, at a Wycena home, as per Columbia County authorities.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office WI wrote on their social media page, “[The authority] was contacted by family members of a woman advising they had not been able to get in touch with her for over 15 hours.”
“This length of time concerned the family members, and they requested a welfare check. Deputies responded to the woman’s residence in the Town of Wyocena,” the post read.
“The woman was located deceased inside the residence from a gunshot wound to the head. During the investigation, detectives determined that the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death were suspicious based on evidence recovered," the sheriff's office further said.
Larry Manthe had around '24-25' firearms at his residence, claims witness
A witness in the case claimed that Manthe had “24 or 25 firearms at the residence, including hunting rifles, shotguns, and pistols,” allegedly reeked of “intoxicants” and had “bloodshot and slightly glossy” eyes during the initial investigation on October 6, 2022.
The officers shared the arrest date of Manthe. “Detectives continued to investigate Alice Langer’s death, and on September 15, 2023, arrested Larry Manthe, age 79, of the Town of Wyocena,” the statement continued.
“Larry and Alice were living together and in a long-term relationship at the time of Alice’s death. It was also learned that Alice intended to end the relationship and move out of the home. Larry Manthe was transported to the Columbia County Jail.”
Nadiya Kirkmeyer, a neighbor, said she had known Langer for years, "She was a great lady. Very caring and loving. It's just us four neighbors here," she said.
"We had no idea anything was going on so this was just out of the blue like nobody saw it coming," she added.
The court records obtained by Law&Crime show that Manthe appeared in court on Monday, September 18, from jail in a video appearance.
Defense lawyer Corey Chirafisi is one of the attorneys in the case, who famously defended Kyle Rittenhouse against homicide charges.