Judge: Child support will go to murder victim restitution

A judge says a $2,000 child support payment sent to a woman serving life in prison for murder will be used to pay restitution to her victim's family instead.District Judge Kurt Wilke ruled last week that Tracey Richter doesn't need support from her ex-husband, Michael Roberts.He says Richter no longer has any dependents and doesn't need the funds to support herself.Richter is serving a life sentence at the Mitchellville prison in the 2001 murder of 20-year-old Dustin Wehde in Early, Iowa.Earlier this year, Roberts started paying back child support that he owed from their messy divorce and custody battle.After Roberts made payments totaling $2,000, Sac County Attorney Ben Smith moved to garnish the funds to pay toward the $150,000 restitution that Richter owes Wehde's family.

A judge says a $2,000 child support payment sent to a woman serving life in prison for murder will be used to pay restitution to her victim's family instead.

District Judge Kurt Wilke ruled last week that Tracey Richter doesn't need support from her ex-husband, Michael Roberts.


He says Richter no longer has any dependents and doesn't need the funds to support herself.

Richter is serving a life sentence at the Mitchellville prison in the 2001 murder of 20-year-old Dustin Wehde in Early, Iowa.

Earlier this year, Roberts started paying back child support that he owed from their messy divorce and custody battle.

After Roberts made payments totaling $2,000, Sac County Attorney Ben Smith moved to garnish the funds to pay toward the $150,000 restitution that Richter owes Wehde's family.

