Man sentenced to life in jail for killing couple at Elkhorn bar in 2024

The person who fatally shot a married couple at an Elkhorn bar final yr has been sentenced to life in jail.

Thomas Routt, 58, was sentenced in Walworth County Circuit Court docket on Sept. 26 to life in jail with out the potential for parole on two felony counts of first-degree intentional murder for the deaths of Emerson and Gina Weingart on the Sports activities Web page Barr, 29½ S. Wisconsin St., on Feb. 1, 2024, on-line court docket data confirmed.

In a June jury trial, Routt was discovered responsible on the 2 counts of first-degree intentional murder, in addition to 4 different felony counts: tried first-degree murder, armed theft, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of methamphetamine, in accordance with on-line court docket data.

On Feb. 1, 2024, Gina Weingart was working behind the bar whereas her husband, Emerson, and a feminine patron had been additionally inside when Routt pulled a gun and instructed the three to not transfer. Routt instructed police Gina Weingart stated she would name police if Routt did not put his gun away. Then Routt stated Gina Weingart slapped the gun and it went off and struck her. Routt then took cash out of the register, shot Emerson Weingart and adopted and shot on the different patron as she fled the bar, the legal grievance stated.

After leaving the bar, Routt tried to do away with the gun and ammunition at a fuel station, which detectives later present in a close-by dumpster, the grievance stated. Police arrested Routt three days after the capturing.

As a consequence of his prior legal historical past and having a felony conviction, Routt wasn’t allowed to own firearms, on-line court docket data confirmed. He was additionally out on energetic neighborhood supervision on the time of the capturing.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Observe him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

This text initially appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man sentenced to life in jail for killing couple at Elkhorn bar in 2024