BEATRICE – Bond review hearings were held in Gage County District Court Thursday for defendants charged in separate cases involving the deaths of two Beatrice residents.


District Judge Rick Schreiner ordered 51-year-old Christopher Milke continue to be held without bond and any contact with two children be through legal counsel only. Defense Attorney Timothy Noerrlinger requested that a bond be set.


"We believe that the court should set some bond given the fact that Mr. Milke has no prior record. He's a lifelong resident of Nebraska. He has adult children as well as a sister who live in southeast Nebraska. Up until the time of his arrest, he was employed."


Special Counsel for Gage County, Michael Jensen said no bond was appropriate in the case. "The depravity of the offense is that he is alleged to have killed Tammy Leslie while at least one of the children was home at the time....and then barricaded the children when they did arrive home and didn't allow them to leave....in fact, tried to encourage one of the children to help him to end his own life. There's just been no change of circumstance."


Milke is charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of kidnapping in the August shooting death of 52-year-old Tammy Leslie in the home they shared in the eleven-hundred block of Hillcrest, in east Beatrice. A police SWAT team safely rescued two children in the home before taking Milke into custody and finding the victim of the shooting. Judge Schreiner gave his reason for Milke to remain in custody without bond.


"Looking at the court's file and the transcript...and I believe there is substantial and convincing evidence that would justify the continuation of no bond in this matter, both statutorily and constitutionally."

 

Austin Meyn in court
Austin Meyn in court  

In two criminal cases against 27-year-old Austin Meyn, Judge Schreiner ordered that separate bonds of $1 million and $500,000 remain in place.


Meyn was arrested in the death of a four-month-old child authorities allege had suffered injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, while Meyn was babysitting the child in August for the child’s mother, who was at work. Meyn is charged with committing intentional child abuse, resulting in death.


Meyn has also been charged with 1st-degree sexual assault and committing intentional child abuse in a separate incident authorities allege happened March 1st, of this year. Defense Attorney Timothy Noerrlinger requested lowering of the bonds, saying there had been no contact between Meyn and co-defendant, Ashlen Zitel…the biological mother of the child victims.


Chief Deputy Gage County Attorney, Amanda Spracklen-Hogan said the bonds were appropriate. "There are young vulnerable victims in play and the protection of the community is a major factor and concern. We believe those bonds are supported by the allegations and the facts in these cases. And, in light of Mr. Meyn having prior felony convictions and having been released from incarceration for less than a year before picking up these new charges involving the death of an infant and sexual assault of a minor."  The prosecutor said there was concern over potential evidence of witness tampering.


In the charges filed against both Milke and Meyn, pretrial hearings are scheduled for December 18th in Gage County District Court.