STEVENS POINT − Two people arrested after the death of a 46-year-old Carson woman made initial appearances July 27 on related charges.
Lyndon B. Hood, 60, of Stevens Point, faces a charge of first-degree intentional homicide for the death of Jeanette Pientka on July 21.
Sara M. Pientka, 46, of Stevens Point, faces charges of being a party to the crime of obstructing an officer and failure to provide a victim assistance or report a crime.
On July 24, Sara Pientka was charged with a felony charge of aiding a felon. Portage County Circuit Judge Louis Molepske Jr. set a $1 million cash bail for both Sara Pientka and Hood on July 23. On July 27, an amended complaint was filed against Pientka, changing the felony charge to two misdemeanor charges, and Molepske lowered her bail to a $5,000 signature bond. Molepske set an additional $1,000 cash bail, which she has 30 days to post. Her next court appearance is on Sept. 14.
Hood qualifies for a public defender, but there were no attorneys immediately available to take the case, although an attorney made a special appearance with Hood on July 27. Molepske adjourned Hood’s initial appearance until Aug. 31 to give the Wisconsin Public Defenders Office time to find Hood an attorney.
According to the criminal complaint, at 10:57 a.m. July 21, a woman called 911 and reported finding Jeanette Pientka inside a home, and she had significant injuries and reported there was, “blood everywhere.” The caller said she was a medical professional who does examinations on people wanting life insurance. She performed CPR on the woman.
County officers and then emergency medical services took over providing help to Jeanette Pientka, but she died at the scene, according to the complaint. An autopsy determined Jeanette Pientka had 11 stab wounds and had died from a stab wound to her left leg that severed her femoral artery.
On the morning of July 21, Sara Pientka and Hood were in Portage County Circuit Court for a civil case. Jeanette Pientka, who was Sara’s sister, had power of attorney over the finances of two of their aunts. Sara Pientka and Hood were staying at a home owned by the aunts and not paying rent, according to the complaint. Jeanette Pientka filed eviction proceedings against her sister and Hood. Jeanette Pientka said the two aunts needed to sell the house to get money for medical bills and other expenses, according to the complaint.
Family members told investigators that Sara Pientka and Hood both became angry with Jeanette Pientka after the eviction paperwork was filed. Jeanette Pientka had told a family member she did not feel safe in her own home because of Sara Pientka and Hood. A Portage County judge ordered Hood to vacate the house immediately on July 21, and he became angry in the courthouse, according to the complaint. Hood calmed himself down, but an officer in the courthouse had been about to tell Hood to quiet down, according to the complaint.
After the July 21 civil court appearance, Sara Pientka texted her sister, Jeanette, in a group chat that said, “You are both evil, evil, horrible people to do this …” and “U are both such complete utter disappointments to mom and dad and to aunties.” She said she had multiple records of the aunts saying they did not agree with the decision for the eviction, according to the complaint.
Video footage from the Portage County Courthouse showed Sara Pientka and Hood leaving and getting into his BMW, according to the complaint. Video from a business and a doorbell camera recorded them going to their house, going inside and then coming back out. Something could be seen in Hood’s left hand, according to the complaint.
Video showed the two going west on Portage County M toward Jeanette Pientka’s home and going back the other way two minutes later, according to the complaint. A minute later, they arrived back at their home and Sara Pientka was yelling at Hood and calling him names. Sara Pientka is seen getting back into Hood’s vehicle seven minutes later and driving away by herself.
The doorbell camera video also showed Hood going outside twice during the next half hour, first with a different top and then with different pants, according to the complaint. A search of the house done that afternoon found the top and pants Hood had worn earlier in the day, along with a white baseball hat, small white rag and large white towel in a trash bin filled with bleach solution standing in the shower. Officers also found several kitchen knives soaking in a small tub of bleach solution in the kitchen, according to the complaint.
When Portage County detectives talked with Hood, he said he and Sara Pientka were driving home when another vehicle passed them and the driver waved, according to the complaint.Hood said he thought the driver was Jeanette Pientka. Hood and Sara Pientka drove by Jeanette Pientka’s home and thought they saw Jeanette Pientke sitting on the hood of her pickup, Hood told detectives.
The two drove home and Hood got a knife out of the house. He told detectives, Jeanette Pientka had attacked him in the past and he got the knife to protect himself. The two went to Jeanette Pientka’s house. Sara Pientka stayed in the vehicle while Hood got out and went to where Jeanette was sitting on the steps, Hood told police. Hood said neither he nor Jeanette Pientka said anything to each other but Jeanette Pientka attacked him, according to the complaint. He said he took the knife from his pocket, began stabbing Jeanette Pientka and they both fell to the ground.
Hood said Sara Pientka pulled him off her sister and began yelling, “What did you do?” Hood said he told Sara Pientka to get back in the car and he drove them both home, according to the complaint.
Contact Karen Madden kmadden@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
(This article has been updated to correct information on the bail amounts set.)
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Stevens Point man charged with homicide in death of Carson woman
Reporting by Karen Madden, Stevens Point Journal / Stevens Point Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Karen Madden, Stevens Point Journal | USA TODAY Network
