Mistrial declared in Grant County necrophilia case; prosecutors will try again

Talk about it

Grant County prosecutors say they’ll re-try the necrophilia case of a Cassville man, after a mistrial was declared on one of three charges against him.

A jury found Alex Grunke, 23, guilty Wednesday night of criminal damage to a cemetery and misdemeanor theft. But they could not reach an agreement on a count of attempted third-degree sexual assault.

Prosecutors said Grunke and two others tried to dig up the grave of a 20-year-old woman killed in a motorcycle accident in 2006, so they could have sex with her.

Grunke, his twin brother, Nicholas, and Dustin Radke, 22, were arrested.

A judge had dropped the attempted sexual assault charges, saying Wisconsin had no law against necrophilia.

State Senate Republican Dale Schultz of Richland Center then vowed to get such a law passed.

But that wasn’t needed because a higher court ruled that the sexual assault laws apply to victims both alive and dead.

Tags: wisconsin news, necrophilia, caseville, man