Richards, Richardson appear in court during Butschke trial

James Richardson, 51, and his alleged accomplice, James Richards, 19, appeared in Jefferson County Circuit Court this morning, where Richardson waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Meanwhile an attorney for James Richards made a motion to dismiss the charge of first degree intentional homicide.

The two men are charged with first-degree homicide, theft, and hiding a corpse with the intent to conceal a crime, all felonies.

According to the criminal complaint, Beau Butschke, of Ixonia, went missing on July 14. Authorities found Butschke's body in the bed of his pickup truck at Ski Slide Storage in Ixonia on July 26.

Richards later told police that he was present when Richardson shot Butschke multiple times, the complaint said. The two men, who were neighbors in an Ixonia duplex at the time, had been in an ongoing dispute over Richardson maintaining his lawn and property.

Richards was homeless when he met Richardson at an Oconomowoc gas station two weeks prior to Butschke's murder. According to the complaint, Richardson offered the 19-year-old a place to stay.

The court will consider the motion to dismiss the first degree homicide charge for Richards on Aug. 25. His preliminary hearing was subsequently rescheduled to Sept. 8.