By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
With the defense asking for extra time to review discovery in the case, proceedings in a double homicide case were pushed back again Tuesday morning.
Thomas Routt Jr., 57, was in court in person at the Walworth County Judicial Center April 16, but his attorney, Russell Jones, appeared via Zoom.
While Judge Kristine Drettwan – and the people assembled in the courtroom – had trouble hearing Jones, he made it clear that he had not had enough time to review discovery in Routt’s case and file motions.
Drettwan agreed to a month’s delay, setting another status hearing for May 29 at 1:15 p.m. She made it clear, however, that the motions and the briefs that would go with them had to be filed at the same time, in order to expedite the process.
Routt Jr. is accused to shooting and killing Gina and Emerson Weingart at Sports Page Barr in Elkhorn Feb. 1, as well as shooting at another witness who fled the scene.
Both Emerson and Gina’s parents were in court Tuesday morning, and expressed frustration with the further delay.
At the initial hearing in March, Gina’s father, Tim Gennara, had asked for the proceedings to move as expeditiously as possible.
Routt was taken into custody Feb. 4, and allegedly admitted to police that he was the man at the bar with the gun Feb. 1, and that he committed the crime “more than likely for the money.”
He said he wanted Gina Weingart to get down on the ground, but she allegedly told him to put the gun away or she would call the cops. Routt said Gina Weingart slapped the gun and it went off, causing her to fall down and go limp.
Routt then admitted to shooting the man sitting at the bar, Emerson Weingart.
Routt said he took between $120 and $140 from the open cash register. The other witness called 911 as she fled the scene, and later provided police information about what happened in the bar that night.
Routt told police he went home after the shooting, and later dumped the gun and ammunition at a gas station. A news release from police said the gas station was the Handi-Mart in Lake Como (Town of Geneva), and that a 9-millimeter handgun and ammunition were later retrieved. The criminal complaint said the gun and ammunition were located in bags in a dumpster at the gas station.
