Man convicted of burning sons to death wants plea change (UPDATE)

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DARLINGTON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man convicted of killing his three young sons by setting their house on fire in 2012 wants to withdraw his guilty plea.

A post-conviction motion filed in Lafayette County Circuit Court claims Armin Wand was tricked into confessing to crimes he didn’t commit.

If a judge decides to grant the motion, Wand would have the chance to change his plea and request a new trial. If the motion is denied, defense attorney Patricia Fitzgerald told the Wisconsin State Journal she will ask the state Court of Appeals to overturn it.

“I don’t think there’s enough there to say Armin is guilty,” Fitzgerald said.

Wand was convicted in February 2013 of setting the fire that killed his sons, ages 3, 5 and 7. His pregnant wife, Sharon, suffered critical burns and lost the child she was carrying. But she rescued the couple’s 2-year-old daughter.

Wand is serving three life sentences without parole at the state prison in Boscobel.

Also convicted in the case was Jeremy Wand, who prosecutors say helped his older brother set the fire for a $300 cut of insurance money. He asked a judge to withdraw his guilty pleas, saying he was pressured, around the time of his sentencing in summer 2013. The request was rejected, and Jeremy Wand got life prison with a chance of parole after 35 years.

An appeals court dismissed another appeal from Jeremy Wand in July.