By Vicky Wedig
Staff Writer
A West Allis man who is believed to have killed two women, put their bodies in suitcases and dumped them in a ditch in the Town of Geneva is due back in court in Walworth County in May.
Steven M. Zelich, 53, a former West Allis police officer, is suspected of killing Laura J. Simonson, 37, in Minnesota in 2013 and Jenny Gamez, 19, in Kenosha in late 2012 or early 2013. Zelich was arrested after the bodies of the women were discovered in suitcases June 5 off North Como Road. He was first charged in Walworth County with two counts of hiding a corpse while investigations continued in the jurisdictions where the women are believed to have been killed.
Zelich was charged in Kenosha County in August with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse in connection with Gamez’s death. A final pre-trial conference is scheduled in that case for April 24 with jury selection set to begin for a trial there May 4. Zelich is being held in Kenosha County.
Zelich has not yet been charged in Rochester, Minn., where Simonson is believed to have been killed. Police in Farmington, Minn., where Simonson lived when she was reported missing in November 2013 initially investigated the case, and Zelich was the top suspect throughout the investigation.
Police believe Simonson died during an encounter with Zelich at a hotel in Rochester, an hour away from Farmington, on Nov. 2, 2013.
Lt. Casey Moilanen, of the Rochester, Minn., Police Department said last week the investigation is still open in Rochester. He said his department is waiting for information from the medical examiner in Walworth County where Simonson’s body was found and is still processing and testing other evidence, which he declined to give specifics about.
Moilanen said Zelich will not be extradited to Minnesota until the cases against him in Wisconsin are concluded.
The more severe charges in Kenosha County take precedence over the Walworth County charges. Zelich appeared in court in Walworth County for a status conference Dec. 4, and the conference was rescheduled for May 26, after the Kenosha County trial is scheduled to end.
Walworth County District Attorney Dan Necci said Monday the outcome of the Kenosha County case will determine how the case moves forward in Walworth County.
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