Chad Richards Murdered UW-Whitewater Gymnast Kara Welsh, Police Say

Chad Richards is the 23-year-old former college wrestler accused in the murder of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater champion gymnast Kara Welsh, Whitewater police wrote in a news release.

“The Whitewater Police Department is confirming the identity of the suspect arrested in this case as Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois. Richards is scheduled to appear in court today, September 3rd, at the Walworth County Courthouse,” police wrote in the statement posted to the department’s Facebook page.

Richards appeared in court, but he has not been charged, according to WTMJ-TV, which reported that his $1 million bond was upheld.

Welsh’s family appeared in court and her sister Kaeli read a statement that read, “My little sister, Kara, was the light of my life. She was always smiling, always knew just what to say to make people laugh and was my overall favorite person on the planet,” according to WTMJ.

A former college wrestler at UW-Whitewater named Chad Richards has the same hometown as the suspect, according to the university’s website; police have not confirmed that they are the same person. However, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the suspect is the former college wrestler. Fox6 reported that Richards’ lawyer confirmed he is still a student at the university.

“The Whitewater Police Department forwarded the following charges to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office: First-Degree Intentional Homicide (Wis. Stat. 940.01(a)), Endangering Safety by the Use of a Dangerous Weapon (Wis. Stat. 941.20(1)(c)), and Disorderly Conduct while Armed (Wis. Stat. 947.01). It is noted that this case has not been concluded. Unless a judgement of conviction is entered, the arrestee/defendant is presumed innocent of all charges,” police wrote.

The Walworth County Sheriff’s Department told Heavy in an email that Richards “is scheduled to appear in Walworth County Court today at 1:15 p.m.,” referring to September 3. However, no charges are listed on the court website.

UW-Whitewater Warhawk Athletics released a photo of Welsh on its Facebook page, along with a statement from the university’s chancellor. “It is with great sadness that we announce a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student has passed away. Kara Welsh, age 21, from Plainfield, Illinois, died in a shooting off campus on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024,” the chancellor, Corey King, wrote.

“Our hearts are broken with the tragic loss of one of our own, UW-Whitewater Warhawk Gymnastics senior Kara Welsh,” the Warhawk Athletics page wrote with the post.

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. Chad T. Richards Placed 5th in a Regional Wrestling Competition

The UW-Whitewater website says Chad Richards was a wrestler at the university who was on the team from 2020 through 2022. He is a sophomore from Loves Park, Illinois. He weighs 174 pounds and went to Harlem High School, the website says.

The police press release does not confirm that Richards, the suspect, is Richards, the UW-Whitewater wrestler. In addition to a name match, the same hometown is listed for both.

The website gives these career highlights for Richards:

2021-22: NCAA Upper Midwest Regional fifth place (197 pounds) … season record of 17-9 with seven pins and one major decision … placed fifth with a 4-2 record, including one pin, at 197 pounds at the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional on February 25-26 in Eau Claire, Wis. … finished as runner-up at 197 pounds with a 3-1 record, including three pins, at the Don Parker Open on Feb. 5 in Eau Claire, Wis. … registered a 13-1 major decision at 197 pounds to help UW-Whitewater to a 23-10 win against UW-Platteville on Jan. 19 … tallied an 8-2 decision at 197 pounds to help UW-Whitewater to a 32-11 victory against UW-Oshkosh on Dec. 10 … record of 0-2 at 197 pounds at the Jim Koch Wisconsin Open on Dec. 4 in Kenosha, Wis. … placed second at 197 pounds with a 3-1 record, including one pin, at the CUW Open on Nov. 20 in Mequon, Wis. … contributed a 3-1 record with one pin at 197 pounds to help the Warhawks to a 4-0 record at the Adrian Duals on Nov. 13 in Adrian, Mich. … recorded a pin in 50 seconds at 197 pounds to help the Warhawks to an 18-17 win against Parkside on Nov. 10

2020-21: Record of 3-3 with three pins … posted a win by fall in 6:32 against Nolan Paar of UW-La Crosse at 174 pounds on Feb. 12 … registered a victory by fall in 1:20 against Adam Rients of UW-Eau Claire at 174 pounds on Feb. 9 … collected a win by fall in 2:50 against Trystan Altensey of UW-Stevens Point at 174 pounds on Feb. 5

In 2018, the Rockford Register Star featured Richards in a story about his high school wrestling career, writing, “Harlem’s Chad Richards kept his perfect record intact and stormed into the Dvorak Wrestling Tournament semifinals Saturday.”

“That was big,” the article quoted Richards as saying.

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2. Chad Richards Is a Finance Major, the Whitewater University Says

The UW-Whitewater website says Richards, the wrestler, is a finance major.

“Personal: Majoring in finance … parents are Paige and Dennis Richards … competed in wrestling at Harlem High School … chose to attend UW-Whitewater for the wrestling program,” it reads.

Richards is also listed on Hudl as being a freshman football player in high school.

The university did not return a request for comment on the arrest of Richards. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Welsh’s family.

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3. Whitewater Police Say Chad Richards Murdered Kara Welsh in an Apartment

On August 31, the Whitewater Police Department called Welsh’s death a “homicide” in a statement.

“The following information is being released by the Whitewater Police Department to update the public on the status of this ongoing investigation. The incident occurred at 147 W. Whitewater Street apartment #203. The victim in this case has been identified as 21-year-old Kara Welsh of Plainfield, Illinois. This information was previously withheld until next of kin was formally notified,” police wrote.

“The suspect, a 23-year-old male, has been arrested and confined in the Walworth County Jail. The following charges are being forwarded to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office at this time: First-Degree Intentional Homicide (Wis. Stat. 940.01(a)), Endangering Safety by the Use of a Dangerous Weapon (Wis. Stat. 941.20(1)(c)), and Disorderly Conduct while Armed (Wis. Stat. 947.01),” police wrote.

“Due to the fact that this is an ongoing investigation, no additional details will be provided at this time. Anyone with information relevant to this investigation should contact the Whitewater Police Department at 262-473-0555 option #4. Anonymous tips may also be shared using P3Tips.com,” the police press release concluded.

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4. Chad Richards Was Dating Kara Welsh, a Report Says

WISN-TV reported that Welsh’s friends say she was dating Richards.

Richards “was helping her move into her apartment,” the television station reported.

Friends also spoke glowingly about Welsh.

“She was the good in every memory that we all have growing up. So we’re just trying to remember her through the good parts,” former classmate Sarah Torello said to CBS News.

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5. Kara Welsh Was a Champion Gymnast Who Won an Individual National Title on the Vault Last Year, the Chancellor Says

The chancellor’s letter says that Welsh “was majoring in management in our College of Business and Economics and was a standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team, winning an individual national title on the vault in 2023.”

“We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community. It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve,” he added. “Please know that counseling services are available to you. For students, please contact the University Health and Counseling Services. For faculty and staff, please contact Acentra, the Employee Assistance Program.”

According to the chancellor, “Since learning of this tragedy, our colleagues across Whitewater have come together to respond and to engage in layers of support for our students, faculty, and staff. Our Dean of Students office is connected with Kara’s family and is helping them navigate through the unimaginable situation of the loss of their loved one.”

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