A judge set bail at $2 million Friday for a 72-year-old Ridgefield man accused of strangling his 80-year-old wife to death in their home.
Wayne Leonetti is charged in Clark County Superior Court with second-degree domestic violence murder.
At Leonetti’s June 29 first appearance, Judge David Gregerson granted the prosecution’s request to hold Leonetti without bail until Friday’s bail hearing.
On Friday, Gregerson declined the prosecution’s request to continue to hold Leonetti without bail.
The judge ordered Leonetti surrender his passport and be subject to electronic monitoring if he is released. He also ordered Leonetti to not have contact with any of his in-laws or return to the house he shared with Alice Bolen.
Leonetti is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.
In arguing for a no-bail hold, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Smith said Leonetti was originally uncooperative with law enforcement after he called 911 to report he’d killed Bolen. Officers used less-lethal munitions against Leonetti to get him to comply with their commands, she said.
Medical examiner’s report
Smith also said preliminary findings from the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office show Bolen died from strangulation and blunt force head trauma. The evidence appeared to indicate she died hours before Leonetti called 911, she said.
Defense attorney Shon Bogar noted Leonetti’s lack of criminal history and the fact he called 911. Bogar also pointed to statements in the probable cause affidavit that Leonetti had asked one of Bolen’s family members to take his firearms out of the house because of Leonetti’s mental health struggles.
Some of Bolen’s family have been granted civil protection orders against Leonetti, court records show. The prosecutor also said Leonetti has significant financial assets to be able to post bail.
