A Lincoln County jury found Ashley Baumann guilty on all counts Tuesday morning, following a 7-day trial. The jury deliberated for five hours Monday night and then reconvened Tuesday morning. The 12 jurors had reached unanimous verdicts within 45 minutes of resuming deliberations Tuesday morning.
The verdicts to all seven felony counts were delivered to Judge Jay Tlusty at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday. There were tears on both sides of the courtroom as he read all seven guilty verdicts.
Baumann, 26, of Merrill, was convicted on two counts of homicide by intoxicated operation of a motor vehicle in the deaths of Jessica Hartwig and Misty Glisch, one count of causing injury by intoxicated operation of a motor vehicle related to the injuries to Jerrica Woller, and one count of reckless driving-cause great bodily harm. Three other charges were dismissed on a motion from the prosecution after the verdicts were read.
Tlusty ordered a pre-sentence investigation in the case.
“I feel it’s appropriate in this case,” he said. “A pre-sentence investigation will provide a significant amount of information for sentencing.”
Tlusty also ordered that Baumann’s bond be revoked and she was taken into the custody of the Lincoln County Jail.
At a scheduling conference Thursday, a motion hearing was set for June 5 and sentencing was set for Aug. 20.
Over the seven-day trial, the prosecution was able to convince jurors that Baumann was driving when her car went out of control at high speed and rolled in a field off Alexander Street on June 7, 2014. Glisch and Hartwig were killed in the accident, while Woller and Baumann were seriously injured. Baumann’s blood alcohol level was measured at .157 percent five hours after the crash.
Defense attorney Wright Laufenberg argued that it was possible someone else was driving the car at the time of the crash. Laufenberg asked that the evidence in the case be preserved and indicated Tuesday morning that he may consider an appeal.