UPDATE: Bond set, new judge assigned in Trempealeau County homicide case

TREMPEALEAU COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) - Bond was set and a new judge was assigned today in the case of the man accused of killing Kyle Dahl last month.

Court documents show that a $1,500,000 cash bond was set for Todd Gieck, who is accused of killing Kyle Dahl on May 15.

Court documents also show that on June 24, Judge Thomas Clark was assigned to the case after Judge Rian Radtke recused himself last Friday.

Gieck’s initial appearance is set for July 15.

TREMPEALEAU COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) - The judge in a Trempealeau County homicide case recused himself today.

Court documents show that on June 21, Judge Rian Radtke recused himself in the trial of Todd Gieck “due to victim being an employee of the county that works close with the court system.”

Gieck faces a charge of first-degree reckless homicide, as well as other charges, in relation to the shooting death of Kyle Dahl on May 15.

The court found probable cause to hold Gieck while a new judge is assigned and a bond hearing set.

TREMPEALEAU COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) - Charges were filed today in relation to a homicide that took place on May 15 in the town of Ettrick, Wis.

Court documents show that 61-year-old Todd Gieck of rural Melrose, Wis., was charged with first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon as a repeat offender, discharging a firearm from a vehicle toward a building/vehicle as a repeat offender and possessing a firearm while convicted of an out-of-state felony as a repeat offender.

The incident happened on May 15 around 8:30 p.m. near Highway 53 and County Road TT in Ettrick.

A news release from the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office on June 4 named 36-year-old Kyle Dahl of Ettrick, Wis., as the victim.

According to the criminal complaint, on Wednesday, May 15, a deputy from the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to a report of a single-vehicle crash with injuries on US Highway 53 near County Road TT in the Town of Gale.

Once on the scene, the deputy found a sedan in the southbound ditch of Highway 53 facing northbound. The initial investigation determined that the victim was driving his car northbound on Highway 53 when it crossed the centerline and entered the southbound ditch. It then continued for about 45 yards before striking a field road and culvert embankment.

The deputy found the victim with significant head trauma and bleeding, with an object or debris embedded near his right eye. This was later determined to be a gunshot wound. Even though several people had gathered at the scene, none of them saw what happened.

The victim was flown to the hospital for emergency care where he died.

An autopsy later determined the cause of death to be the gunshot wound and ruled it a homicide.

During the resulting investigation, deputies received information from a citizen who saw the victim’s vehicle followed closely by a red car not far from the crash scene.

Surveillance footage from a business and a home, as well as positive identification from a person living in the home known to Gieck, led to a warranted search of Gieck’s home. Firearms and ammunition were found.

A known associate of Gieck’s was interviewed and said that Gieck told him about “blowing out somebody’s back window” because someone had pissed him off. Gieck had left two firearms at the associate’s home, telling him he needed him to hang onto the guns for a little while.

With the assistance of a K-9, a shell casing was found near the scene that matched the caliber of one of the guns Gieck left with his associate.

Authorities later spoke with someone who said they were in the car with Gieck when the incident occurred and who detailed the movements of their car that evening.

He said that when the victim drove past, he heard the rack of the gun and Gieck said something like, “Watch this.” The man said he then heard the gun go off and glass shatter. Gieck then drove them in the other direction.

The criminal complaint said that on March 24, 2016, Gieck was convicted of a felony assault by a prisoner. He was released from prison on November 24, 2020.