News : Several charged in relation to fatal Feb. 2015 shooting in Vinton

Nearly one year after the death of Emma Redlinger in a shooting that has been ruled accidental, the teenager who pulled the trigger has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, and several others who were present that evening have also been charged with a variety of offenses.

The Vinton Police Department released the following information late this afternoon:

On Tuesday, February 24, 2015, a shooting occurred at 1207 W. 4th Street in Vinton which ultimately resulted in the death of 14-year old Emma Redlinger of Vinton on February 28, 2015, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Parallel local and federal investigations were conducted examining various aspects of this incident in addition to related events both preceding and following the shooting. Investigators determined that the actual shooting itself was unintentional.

However, state and/or federal criminal charges have been filed against five individuals for a variety of offenses. Four of those subjects were taken into custody on today’s date and transported to area correctional facilities where they are currently being held.

One juvenile was taken into custody and later released to his parents. A fifth subject who was present during these arrests was also taken into custody after officers found him in possession of suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia.

The family of Emma Redlinger has asked that the media respect their privacy and refrain from contacting them as they will not be making any statements at this time.

The Vinton Police Department was assisted during this investigation by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Benton County Attorney’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Crime Lab, the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office, United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Linn County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF). An arrest or criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant(s) is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The following individuals were taken into custody on February 16, 2016, for the listed offenses:

1. Robyn Lynn Merchant (aka. Robyn Winterroth), Age 52: Currently held at the Linn County Jail. Offense: Providing a Firearm to a Prohibited Person (Federal offense).

2. Chase Dean Merchant, Age 21: Currently held at the Benton County Jail.

Offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana (Serious Misdemeanor) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor)

3. Dillon Duane Winterroth (JUVENILE), Age 17: Currently held at the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Facility in Eldora. Offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana) With the Intent to Deliver (Class D Felony) Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp (Class D Felony) False Reports to Law Enforcement (Serious Misdemeanor) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor) Interference With Official Acts (Simple Misdemeanor) Harassment of a Public Officer or Employee (Simple Misdemeanor)

4. William Michael Hines (JUVENILE), Age 17: Currently held at the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Facility in Eldora. Offenses: Involuntary Manslaughter (Aggravated Misdemeanor) Interference With Official Acts (Simple Misdemeanor) Harassment of a Public Officer or Employee (Simple Misdemeanor)

5. Jacob Dean Hissong (JUVENILE), Age 17: Booked and released to a parent. Offenses: False Reports to Law Enforcement (Serious Misdemeanor) Interference With Official Acts (Simple Misdemeanor) Harassment of a Public Officer or Employee (Simple Misdemeanor)

6. Skyler Ryan Merchant, Age 33: Currently held at the Benton County Jail. Booking photo available from the Benton County Jail. Offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana (Serious Misdemeanor) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Simple Misdemeanor) An arrest or criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant(s) is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Federal weapons case information

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Cedar Rapids released the following information about the federal weapons charge:

Robyn Lynn Merchant, a/k/a Robyn Lynn Winterroth, 52, from Vinton, Iowa, has been charged with one count of providing a firearm to a prohibited person.­ The charges are contained in a Complaint unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. The Complaint alleges that, on or about February 23, 2015, Merchant provided a Walther HK MP5 22LR semiautomatic rifle to her son, D.W., a minor child. The Complaint further alleges that at the time Merchant provided D.W. the semiautomatic rifle, Merchant knew or had reasonable cause to believe that D.W. was an unlawful user of marijuana. Allegations in the Complaint provide that on February 24, 2015, at approximately 6:19 p.m., police responded to the residence of Merchant in Vinton, Iowa, after receiving a 911 call that a shooting had taken place. When police arrived, they discovered that a 14 year old girl, E.R., had been shot in an upstairs bedroom. That bedroom belonged to D.W., Merchant’s 16 year old son. D.W. was present in his bedroom at the time of the shooting. Also present in the bedroom were J.H. and W.H., both 16 year old males. The Complaint further alleges that the investigation revealed that at the time of the shooting, D.W. was an unlawful user of marijuana. Several associates of D.W.’s admitted to observing D.W. use marijuana in D.W.’s bedroom at some time during 2014 and 2015, prior to the shooting incident. A urine sample obtained on February 24, 2015, from D.W. tested positive for the presence of marijuana. During a subsequent interview, D.W. admitted to first smoking marijuana at the age of 14, and becoming a regular marijuana user at age 15. Allegations in the Complaint also state that when Merchant provided the firearm to D.W. on or about February 23, 2015, she knew and had reasonable cause to believe, that D.W. was then an unlawful user of marijuana. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that on the night of the shooting, police observed indicators of drug and alcohol use in plain view in D.W.’s bedroom. That night, from D.W.’s bedroom police seized a marijuana smoking pipe, drug paraphernalia, approximately seven ounces of marijuana individually packaged into eight separate plastic bags, and drug packaging materials. During a subsequent interview, Merchant admitted to police that she was aware that D.W. was a marijuana user. If convicted, Merchant faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.­ “Federal law prohibits certain people from possessing guns and ammunition,” said U.S. Attorney Techau. “Identifying and prosecuting those who knowingly provide guns to prohibited persons is a priority of this office and an important part of keeping our communities safe.” Merchant appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held in custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a detention hearing. Merchant’s next appearance for her detention hearing is set for February 18, 2016. As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case was referred to the United States Attorney’s Office by local authorities and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams. The case was investigated by the Vinton Police Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tabaco and Firearms. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 16-MJ-31.