Pepin County judge takes homicide case

A Pepin County circuit court judge will oversee court actions against a Melrose man who has been charged with reckless homicide in the death of an Ettrick father of two.

Judge Thomas Clark took over the case from Trempealeau County Circuit Court Judge Rian Radke who recused himself. A county employee with whom Radtke works is related to the victim, 37-year-old Kyle Dahl. Clark was scheduled to oversee a bail hearing Tuesday for Todd Eric Gieck, 61, of Melrose, who has been charged in Dahl’s death.

According to court documents, Dahl was returning home from planting on his family’s farm when his car was followed by one driven by Gieck. Gieck is alleged to have shot at the back window of the Dahl car because he was agitated because he thought Dahl had slowed his car to look at him. Gieck allegedly said “watch this” as he fired a gun at the Dahl vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

Trempealeau County District Attorney John Sacia has charged Gieck with first-degree reckless homicide, repeater, use of a dangerous weapon; discharging a firearm from a vehicle toward a building or vehicle, repeater; and possession of a firearm by out-of-state felon in the death of Dahl. He has been held in Trempealeau County jail on another charge. 

Dahl’s car was initially found crashed in a ditch May 15 and the responding deputy, Austin Markham, reported finding driver Dahl severely injured with some type of “object” near his eye. Among the individuals assembled at the crash site was Dahl’s father who said the 37-year-old had been planting on the family farm until 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. and was headed home.

Dahl later died in Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in LaCrosse.

Hospital personnel and later a Minnesota medical examiner confirmed to deputies that it appeared Dahl had been shot, a finding that set into motion an investigation by Trempealeau County deputies and state special agents. The officers used video tapes and numerous interviews to finally track down the man they suspected of shooting the fatal bullet.

According to court records, officers identified Gieck as a suspect May 16, and began surveilling him. Investigators eventually interviewed an individual who alleged Gieck had a handgun and a second person who was riding with Gieck at the time of the incident.

Gieck was initially held in Jackson County jail since May 18 on charges unrelated to the homicide case. He has been in Trempealeau County since May 30.