Inset: Gordon Laakso (St. Croix County Jail). Background: Home in New Richmond, Wisconsin, where Laakso killed his wife (WEAU).
A 71-year-old man from Wisconsin is set to spend the remainder of his life in prison following his conviction for the murder of his wife. He confessed to killing her after she “rambled” continuously for hours. Following the crime, he attempted to conceal her body in a nearby cornfield and later expressed astonishment that the authorities had not yet located her remains.
On Friday, Gordon Charles Laakso received a 14-year prison sentence, coupled with an additional six years of probation, from the St. Croix County Circuit Court. This followed his guilty plea in September to first-degree reckless homicide. Initially, charges included first-degree intentional homicide, domestic abuse through strangulation and suffocation, and concealing a corpse, concerning the death of his wife, 68-year-old Mary Laakso, in New Richmond, Wisconsin, located in the state’s western region.
A statement from authorities acknowledged the tragedy of the incident and commended the New Richmond Police Department and associated law enforcement for their exemplary investigation, which ensured a strong legal case and brought Mary’s killer to justice. “Our thoughts go out to Mary’s family and friends, and we hope the sentencing brings them some closure,” the release added.
According to prior reports by Law&Crime, police were alerted around 1:45 p.m. on March 2 regarding a potential domestic incident at the Laakso residence. The 911 caller reported that Gordon Laakso had made alarming comments earlier, suggesting potential harm to his wife.
Officers arrived at the couple’s home on Bluff Border Road and encountered Gordon Laakso, but Mary was nowhere to be found, nor could she be reached by phone. A little over two hours later, authorities discovered Mary Laakso’s body at the edge of a cornfield in rural Polk County, north of New Richmond.
As detailed in a criminal complaint obtained by WEAU, an Eau Claire NBC affiliate, when initially questioned by police, Gordon Laakso claimed his wife had “rambled” at him for seven hours and began striking him. He admitted that the situation escalated but struggled to articulate further details to the officers, as outlined in the affidavit.
Gordon Laakso additionally stated he knew his wife was dead and instead of taking her to the hospital he panicked and dumped her body. Then, he began packing a suitcase and told cops he was going with them. During a search of the home, cops allegedly found bloody gloves and several firearms.
When detectives asked him where she was, he allegedly responded, “Oh, you didn’t find her?” Asked to clarify, he said “she’s dead.”
