Wisconsin warden and 8 staff members charged following probes into inmate deaths

By TODD RICHMOND and SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The warden of a maximum-security Wisconsin prison and eight members of his staff have been charged following investigations into the deaths of four inmates at the troubled facility over the past year. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said at a news conference Wednesday that Waupun Correctional Institution’s warden, Randall Hepp, is charged with misconduct in public office. The remaining staff face felony charges of abuse of residents of penal facilities. The sheriff says one of the four inmates died of dehydration and malnutrition, and another died of a stroke but staff didn’t realize he was dead for at least 12 hours. Hepp’s attorney declined to comment.