Kara Welsh, a nationally acclaimed gymnast known for her infectious smile, was found curled in the fetal position when her boyfriend, former college wrestler Chad Richards, allegedly shot her eight times, according to a chilling police report.
Chad T. Richards, 23, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, disorderly conduct while armed and endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon after police determined that 21-year-old Kara Welsh was shot eight times on Aug. 30.
The criminal complaint said that Richards was the one who called police, and was found crying in a hallway when officers arrived. Welsh was found "lying on the floor in a pool of blood," the complaint stated. Welsh died of her injuries that night, and Richards was arrested the next day.
A black gun and shell casings were found near a door, and police reported that there were multiple holes in the door likely from either a hand or foot, according to the complaint.
Richards told police that he and Welsh had gotten into a fight at his apartment, leading him to punch the door out of anger. He told authorities that he could not remember what they had been fighting about. While they were fighting, Richards said that Welsh grabbed his handgun from the nightstand, which he then allegedly wrestled away from her and shot her before calling police, according to the complaint.
The document stated that Richards fired some of the shots while Welsh was in the fetal position.
Richards had been a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team from 2020 to 2022, according to the team's wrestling roster. He is originally from Loves Park, Illinois.
Welsh, from Plainfield, Illinois, had been a senior at UWW and a member of the gymnastics team. She took home an individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships, according to the UWW athletics page.
"Kara had a unique ability to bring joy to any person she crossed paths with, always putting a smile on people's faces with her sense of humor, unwavering support and sweet disposition," family friends wrote on a Gofundme for Welsh's parents and sister.
Richards' bond was set to $1 million, as reported by WMTV15. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28.
