By David Lohr

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April 2, 2007

JANESVILLE, Wis. (Crime Library) —  On Friday, James C. Koepp, 49, pled guilty to DWI and reckless driving.  In exchange for his guilty plea, the Rock County District Attorney's Office dropped charges of operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 or more and eluding a police officer.  For his crimes, Koepp was sentenced to four years in prison.  While his sentence ensures that he will not be free anytime soon, many residents are starting to wonder if he will ever be charged in the January murders of Danyetta Lentz, 38, and her two children, Nicole, 17, and Scott, 14.

Last Wednesday, Nancy Koepp, 48, told The Associated Press that she knew her husband had been having an affair with Danyetta Lentz, but that she did not think he was capable of murder.  "I've never seen him hurt anyone. Ever," she said.  At one point during the interview, she even referred to him as a "born-again Christian."  Since her husband's arrest, Nancy has filed for divorce.  Danyetta's father, Russ Lucht, has said repeatedly to the media that his daughter never had an affair with Koepp.

Regardless of whether or not Koepp was having an affair with his alleged victim, many people in Janesville are becoming angry with Rock County District Attorney David O'Leary, who previously vowed to arrest Koepp for the murders, but later backed down because there was "insufficient evidence to meet the criminal burden of proof."  The last time O'Leary spoke about the case publicly was over a month ago, when he said he was waiting for further DNA tests from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in Madison.  The case reminds some people of a series of rapes that started nine years ago in Janesville, but which remain unsolved today, despite the police having DNA evidence.

Much of the problem can be linked to the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory and its well-documented shortage of DNA analysts and its backlog of nearly 2,000 cases.  In an effort to make up for the shortage, the state legislature recently agreed to provide funding so the department would be able to hire an additional 30 analysts; however, experts laugh at the funding, saying that it will take at least three years to clear up the backlog.  In the meantime, residents of Wisconsin will have to deal with the possibility that this situation could be allowing a large number of criminals to continue to commit crimes in their state, with a reduced likelihood of being prosecuted.

Regardless of the lab's problems and O'Leary's reluctance to file charges, Sheriff Robert Spoden is convinced that his department has fingered the right man for the Lentz murders, and last month, he announced that his department had completed their investigation into the homicides.

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Contact  David Lohr at           crimewriter74@hughes.net

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DA Hesitant to File Charges Against James Koepp in Lentz Homicides

No Murder Charges Filed Against James Koepp in Family's Triple Homicide

James C. Koepp Arrested in Wisconsin Triple Homicide

Relative Finds the Bodies of Danyetta Lentz and Her Two Children

Documents:
1986 Appeal
1997 Appeal

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