Insanity plea entered in fatal Wood County shooting

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) — A teen accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s mother in central Wisconsin has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease.

Seventeen-year-old Miguel-Angel Oertel, of Nekoosa, entered the plea during an appearance in Wood County Circuit Court on Tuesday. He’s charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the Aug. 17 death of 47-year-old Theresa Coates at her Saratoga home.

Court documents say Oertel went to Coates’ house after telling his ex-girlfriend he intended to commit suicide. According to the complaint, the girl watched Coates and Oertel struggle with a gun when it went off and struck Coates. The girl then saw Oertel shoot himself in the face. Coates died later at a hospital in Marshfield.

Daily Tribune Media reports Oertel is being held on $500,000 bond.