NU man charged with attempted murder

Incident

occurred Sunday in Renville County

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

OLIVIA -- A New Ulm man was charged with attempted murder after a violent struggle with his wife this past weekend.

Authorities in Renville County have accused Richard Allen Boesch, 64, 124 5th North, of trying to kill Lorraine R. Boesch with a handgun he allegedly hid underneath the driver's seat of her car. The incident occurred at a boat landing near Franklin Sunday afternoon.

Richard Boesch was arrested in New Ulm following the alleged incident and was taken to the Renville County Jail in Olivia.

On Tuesday, a Renville County District Judge Randall Slieter set two options for bail for Boesch at $500,000 without release conditions set by the court or $300,000 with conditions, including an order to stay away from Lorraine but to remain in the state. Boesch is currently being held in the Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar.

Boesch is charged with two counts of attempted murder in the first degree. One of those charges alleges a 30-year history of domestic violence.

Other charges include assault with a dangerous weapon in the second degree and domestic assault. All counts except the last one are felonies.

A criminal complaint filed in Renville County District Court claims the two stopped at the boat landing to use restroom facilities.

When Richard Boesch returned to the vehicle, the victim was already in the front seat, the complaint states. Richard Boesch then brought the gun up from underneath the seat and pointed the pistol at her and ordered her to get out of the vehicle.

The complaint said Lorraine Boesch grabbed the gun barrel and pointed it away from herself, during which time the gun fired two shots into the door and the windshield of the van as the result of a physical struggle between the two people.

She managed to free herself.

Lorraine allegedly lost her shirt, a shoe and her glasses in the altercation, the complaint states.

According to the Renville County Sheriff's Department, Lorraine flagged down a passing motorist, who drove her to a gas station near Morton, where she called 911.

She was later treated at Renville County Hospital for bumps and bruises.

Officers later searched the boat landing area and found a shoe, two buttons and a spent bullet casing, the complaint said.

Richard Boesch was arrested in New Ulm at 16th North and Garden streets around 5 p.m. Sunday. New Ulm police and Brown County law enforcement, who had received an alert from Renville County about Boesch, surrounded his van and took cover behind squad cars with their weapons drawn, according to one witness.

Both attempted murder charges are punishable by no more than 20 years in prison. The second-degree assault charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine. The charge of domestic assault is punishable by a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Court records indicate Boesch is scheduled to make his next appearance in court in early October.