UPDATED Tuesday, August 14, 2012 --- 11:40 a.m.
From the Grant County Sheriff's Department:
Robert VanNatta (45) Platteville, WI, appeared in court yesterday on additional charges of:
1. Solicitation of Resist Obstruct Officer with intent / mislead
2. Conspiracy to Commit Resist Obstruct Officer with intent / mislead
Robert VanNatta is currently being held at the Grant County Jail with a bond amount of $125,000 from previous charges of:
1. Possess Explosive for Unlawful Purpose
2. Kidnapping / Seize or Confine w/o Consent
3. False Imprisonment
4. Bail Jumping – 3 Counts
5. Sex with Child Age 16 or Older – Several Counts
6. Child Enticement – Expose Sex Organ – Several Counts
7. Expose Genitals to a Child – Several Counts
8. Expose Child to Harmful Material
The Grant County Sheriff’s Department received information in which VanNatta solicited other inmates to kill his wife and/or plant drugs in her vehicle.
Further investigation revealed VanNatta made several calls from the jail to his sister, Sally VanNatta-Ladd, in connection to paying someone money to plant drugs in his wife’s vehicle.
Sally VanNatta-Ladd later made a meet with a person to exchange the money.
VanNatta is currently being held at the Grant County Jail with a bond amount of $125,000 dollars, plus $10,000 cash bond on the most recent charges.
VanNatta is scheduled to appear in court again on August 17, 2012 at 1:30pm.
Sally VanNatta (52) Dodgeville, WI, also appeared in court yesterday on a charge of:
1. Resist / Obstruct Officer with Intent / Mislead.
Sally was released on a $1000 signature bond. Sally is scheduled to appear in court on August 20, 2012 at 11:30am.
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Posted Friday, July 20, 2012 --- 11:20 a.m.
From the Grant County Sheriff's Department:
Title of Incident:
Solicitation of First Degree Intentional Homicide
Location:
Grant County Jail
Suspect Charged:
Robert J. VanNatta
44-year-old
Grant County Jail
Details:
On July 18th a criminal complaint was signed alleging the following conduct by Mr. Robert VanNatta, an inmate in the Grant County Jail, who is awaiting trial.
On July 5th, 2012 a member of the Grant County Jail staff was notified by an inmate that Robert VanNatta was soliciting other inmates to conspire to commit a crime against Mr. VanNatta’s wife.
The inmate told an investigator that Mr. VanNatta informed him that he paid a person $3,000.00 to “take care” of his wife so she would not testify in court against him.
He added that Mr. VanNatta informed him that the person “screwed him” and didn’t follow through with it.
The inmate said that Robert VanNatta then asked him if he knew of anyone who could “take care” of his wife. The inmate also said that Mr. VanNatta wanted to know what it would cost him or if he knew anyone that could help.
The Grant County Investigator interviewed three additional inmates who shared similar information of conversations they had with Mr. VanNatta.
Another inmate informed the deputy that Mr. VanNatta offered him a truck, a 4-wheeler and a lawn mower if he would kill his wife.
Later on July 5th a Grant County Sheriff’s Detective informed Mrs. VanNatta of the solicitation attempts against her life.
Robert VanNatta remains in the Grant County Jail on these and other charges.
This crime is a Class F Felony punishable by a fine of not more than $25,000.00, or imprisonment of not more than 12 years and 6 months, or both.
