GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The man charged with killing two women last month made his first court appearance in Brown County on Monday, after being returned from Arkansas.
Richard Sotka, 48, is charged with fatally stabbing Rhonda Cegelski, 58, of Green Bay, and Paula O’Connor, 53, of Bellevue. Their bodies were discovered Jan. 29 at a duplex on Elkay Lane on the city’s east side.
In court Monday, bond was set at $2 million cash. Sotka returns to court Feb. 22 for a preliminary hearing.
According to a criminal complaint, Sotka admitted to the murders. He went to the residence and told police he was ‘humiliated’ at the scene there, so he killed the women.
He also faces criminal damage to property charges for allegedly cutting off his electronic monitoring bracelet while fleeing, as well as bail jumping counts.
Sotka was arrested in Mississippi County, Arkansas the same day the bodies were discovered and waived extradition to Wisconsin on Feb. 6. Brown County Sheriff’s deputies traveled to Arkansas to bring him back to the area.
