Two murders hit county - Celexa, Wellbutrin, Xanax, Seroquel

[Guest guest]

http://www.ironwooddailyglobe.com/1231murd.htm

Two murders hit county

Published Tuesday, January 3, 2006 11:47:53 AM Central Time

By MARGARET LEVRA

Globe Staff Writer

ajor crime struck in Iron County during 2005 in the form of two murders.

Mark Laguna, 40, of Pence, Wis., is charged with the March 16 first-degree

intentional homicide of his wife, , 42.

The news of the July 19 murder of 33-year-old Nick Kangas of Iron Belt once

again left the Gogebic Range in disarray.

Laguna is alleged to have shot his wife from behind with a .20-gauge shotgun

on Fifth Avenue, Laguna had first chased his wife's car with his truck on

Poplar Street, ramming it several times before she got out of her vehicle.

He shot her as she was attempting to flee, according to the criminal

complaint.

Laguna, who continues to be held in the Iron County Jail without bond, will

go to trial on February 1 in Iron County.

Joyce Leder of Mercer, mother of , now has custody of Laguna's two

daughters, and the Laguna girls have no contact with their other

grandparents, Alfred and Barbara Laguna of Pence, Wis.

Laguna was originally set to go to trial on Dec. 6.

After a meeting between defense attorney Fred Bourg from the public

defender's office in Ashland, Wis., Iron County Judge Madden and

district attorney Marty Lipske, the trial was rescheduled to February to

allow Dr. Jack Potts, the Arizona psychiatrist who initially evaluated

Laguna, more time to review defense documentation before completing his

report.

Judge Madden recused himself from the case on Nov. 28, citing " knowledge of

the parties " as his reason for recusal.

Price County Judge Fox was initially appointed to the case. Bourg

then filed for a substitution of judge, and on Tuesday, Vilas County Circuit

Court Judge Neal A. Nielsen III was assigned the case.

Bourg maintains Laguna is on strong medications and must be weaned off the

drugs in a controlled environment.

He has worked to have Laguna transferred to either Winnebago or Mendota

Mental Health Institute for evaluation and the weaning off of the

antidepressants he is taking.

At two different hearings, Madden ordered Laguna be transferred to either

Winnebago or Mendota for evaluation, but that has not yet been done.

With Laguna still jailed in Hurley, Bourg said officials were currently

working on a medication review. He said Dr. Pogliano was in charge of

that review.

There has been some talk about area officials attempting to wean Laguna off

the anti-depressants while he remains in jail.

Last week, Bourg said he advised his client of the dangers involved in

withdrawal from Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.

Corporation counsel Jodie Bednar-Clemens strongly objected to Laguna being

transferred to either Winnebago or Mendota for evaluation or to have him

weaned off the drugs.

She said Laguna could slowly be weaned off the medication while he is in

jail, however, experts on SSRIs said withdrawal must be done in a controlled

environment.

Bednar-Clemens said the medication Laguna was currently taking would not

affect his ability to participate in a trial.

Laguna, who has been on the antidepressants since November, is currently

taking Celexa, Wellbutrin, Ceroquel, for schizophrenia, and Xanex.

Bourg told the Globe he will present an involuntary intoxication defense at

Laguna's trial, noting Laguna was on three anti-depressants at the time of

the shooting.

Bourg contends Laguna began having symptoms of being overdosed in January.

July Murder and Suicide

Nick Kangas died after being shot, stabbed and beaten with a hammer by

24-year-old Brackett Jr. who died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to

the mouth two days after Kangas's murder. Kangas was murdered in his cabin

on Snake Track Road in Iron Belt.

Brackett's body was discovered by a hiker along the shoreline of Lake

Superior, about one-third mile east of the Montreal River, near Superior

Falls.

A shotgun was lying across Brackett's chest.

His death concluded a 36-hour nationwide search on a felony warrant for the

first degree intentional homicide of Kangas.

Brackett left a suicide note at the scene.

" This is it. I've finally lost it all. I'm really sorry for everything I've

done wrong in my life. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't live normal like

everyone else, " he wrote.

" Every experience since I've been here has made me a monster. A sociopath

only gets worse when he's left alone with nothing to do, but think. The more

I thought, the more I convinced myself or rather discovered, that this life

is pointless. We suffer and we die.

" I watched them through the window. I heard the moaning. I snapped. I really

snapped. After I slaughtered him, I regretted it and wished it didn't

happen. But, it was too late. "

A former girlfriend of Brackett, Golombiski, who was in the cabin at

the time of the slaying witnessed the murder, and afterwards said Brackett

said he was sorry and he wished he could take everything back.

Relatives and friends spoke highly of Kangas. He was well-known for his

skills as a musician, trapper, hunter, fisherman, logger, and farmer.

[Guest guest]

http://www.ironwooddailyglobe.com/1231murd.htm

Two murders hit county

Published Tuesday, January 3, 2006 11:47:53 AM Central Time

By MARGARET LEVRA

Globe Staff Writer

ajor crime struck in Iron County during 2005 in the form of two murders.

Mark Laguna, 40, of Pence, Wis., is charged with the March 16 first-degree

intentional homicide of his wife, , 42.

The news of the July 19 murder of 33-year-old Nick Kangas of Iron Belt once

again left the Gogebic Range in disarray.

Laguna is alleged to have shot his wife from behind with a .20-gauge shotgun

on Fifth Avenue, Laguna had first chased his wife's car with his truck on

Poplar Street, ramming it several times before she got out of her vehicle.

He shot her as she was attempting to flee, according to the criminal

complaint.

Laguna, who continues to be held in the Iron County Jail without bond, will

go to trial on February 1 in Iron County.

Joyce Leder of Mercer, mother of , now has custody of Laguna's two

daughters, and the Laguna girls have no contact with their other

grandparents, Alfred and Barbara Laguna of Pence, Wis.

Laguna was originally set to go to trial on Dec. 6.

After a meeting between defense attorney Fred Bourg from the public

defender's office in Ashland, Wis., Iron County Judge Madden and

district attorney Marty Lipske, the trial was rescheduled to February to

allow Dr. Jack Potts, the Arizona psychiatrist who initially evaluated

Laguna, more time to review defense documentation before completing his

report.

Judge Madden recused himself from the case on Nov. 28, citing " knowledge of

the parties " as his reason for recusal.

Price County Judge Fox was initially appointed to the case. Bourg

then filed for a substitution of judge, and on Tuesday, Vilas County Circuit

Court Judge Neal A. Nielsen III was assigned the case.

Bourg maintains Laguna is on strong medications and must be weaned off the

drugs in a controlled environment.

He has worked to have Laguna transferred to either Winnebago or Mendota

Mental Health Institute for evaluation and the weaning off of the

antidepressants he is taking.

At two different hearings, Madden ordered Laguna be transferred to either

Winnebago or Mendota for evaluation, but that has not yet been done.

With Laguna still jailed in Hurley, Bourg said officials were currently

working on a medication review. He said Dr. Pogliano was in charge of

that review.

There has been some talk about area officials attempting to wean Laguna off

the anti-depressants while he remains in jail.

Last week, Bourg said he advised his client of the dangers involved in

withdrawal from Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.

Corporation counsel Jodie Bednar-Clemens strongly objected to Laguna being

transferred to either Winnebago or Mendota for evaluation or to have him

weaned off the drugs.

She said Laguna could slowly be weaned off the medication while he is in

jail, however, experts on SSRIs said withdrawal must be done in a controlled

environment.

Bednar-Clemens said the medication Laguna was currently taking would not

affect his ability to participate in a trial.

Laguna, who has been on the antidepressants since November, is currently

taking Celexa, Wellbutrin, Ceroquel, for schizophrenia, and Xanex.

Bourg told the Globe he will present an involuntary intoxication defense at

Laguna's trial, noting Laguna was on three anti-depressants at the time of

the shooting.

Bourg contends Laguna began having symptoms of being overdosed in January.

July Murder and Suicide

Nick Kangas died after being shot, stabbed and beaten with a hammer by

24-year-old Brackett Jr. who died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to

the mouth two days after Kangas's murder. Kangas was murdered in his cabin

on Snake Track Road in Iron Belt.

Brackett's body was discovered by a hiker along the shoreline of Lake

Superior, about one-third mile east of the Montreal River, near Superior

Falls.

A shotgun was lying across Brackett's chest.

His death concluded a 36-hour nationwide search on a felony warrant for the

first degree intentional homicide of Kangas.

Brackett left a suicide note at the scene.

" This is it. I've finally lost it all. I'm really sorry for everything I've

done wrong in my life. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't live normal like

everyone else, " he wrote.

" Every experience since I've been here has made me a monster. A sociopath

only gets worse when he's left alone with nothing to do, but think. The more

I thought, the more I convinced myself or rather discovered, that this life

is pointless. We suffer and we die.

" I watched them through the window. I heard the moaning. I snapped. I really

snapped. After I slaughtered him, I regretted it and wished it didn't

happen. But, it was too late. "

A former girlfriend of Brackett, Golombiski, who was in the cabin at

the time of the slaying witnessed the murder, and afterwards said Brackett

said he was sorry and he wished he could take everything back.

Relatives and friends spoke highly of Kangas. He was well-known for his

skills as a musician, trapper, hunter, fisherman, logger, and farmer.