Lantern Lit on 2/19/15-2/25/15 for Andrew Dammen

Lantern Memorial Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple memorial wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities.

Obituary: "Andrew 'Andy' Brice Dammen, 24, of Mauston died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. He was born Jan. 31, 1991, in Milton. He was a member of the Necedah graduating class of 2010. He enjoyed spending time with his family. Andy was an outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He had many good friends and spending time together was very important.

He is survived by his daughter, Cadence Valena; mother, Kim Groener of Wilton; father, Rick Thompson; brother, Zane Long; maternal grandparents, Don and Darlene Dammen; paternal grandparents, Gary and Sharon Thompson; special friends, Bill McCracken and Clara Haldeman; and many other relatives and friends.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19, at Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home, 801 E. Monowau St., Tomah. The Rev. Terri J. Skildum will officiate. Burial will be private. Relatives and friends are invited to call from noon until the time of service Thursday at the funeral home.

Please visit www.sonnenburgfamilyfh.com for online condolences."
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MAUSTON — "A 21-year-old Necedah woman authorities say shot and killed a 24-year-old man told an investigator the man asked her to do it.

Authorities charged Natalie N. Murphy Friday with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of Andrew B. Dammen, Necedah. Juneau County Circuit Judge Paul Currant set a $250,000 cash bond for Murphy Friday afternoon. Her next appearance in the case is scheduled for March 18.

Juneau County District Attorney Michael Solovey made a motion to deny bond to Murphy, according to online court records, while defense attorney Steven Mays asked him to set bond at $25,000 cash or property.

According to the criminal complaint, at 12:50 a.m. Thursday, a Juneau County deputy responded to an apartment in the 200 block of Sheridan Street in the village of Necedah. When the deputy arrived, Murphy screamed, 'he's dead; he's dead,' according to the complaint. When the deputy asked who was dead, Murphy pointed to a back bedroom in the apartment.

When the deputy entered the bedroom, he saw Dammen up against a wall and in a seated position. The deputy was unable to rouse Dammen, according to the complaint.

When the deputy asked Murphy what happened, she said she killed Dammen by shooting him with a gun that she indicated was in a dresser, according to the complaint. The deputy saw the handle of a pistol inside a dresser drawer.

Dammen was transported to Mile Bluff Medical Center in Mauston, where he was pronounced dead, according to a Juneau County Sheriff's Department news release.

When a Sheriff's Department lieutenant arrived on the scene, he saw Murphy seated at a table in the kitchen. He heard Murphy say she shot Dammen, 'because he told me to shoot him,' according to the complaint.

Online court records indicate Murphy and Dammen were involved in a paternity case that concluded in July.

Read this article on the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune
Read related article on WiscNews

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