Sotka's history includes domestic violence related conviction and open criminal cases

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- In his confession to police about what happened at an east Green Bay duplex last weekend, Richard Sotka said "I'm guilty of killing these girls." That is according to a criminal complaint, which also shows Sotka talked at length about his past, which includes a domestic violence related conviction and other allegations against him.

Sotka was charged Wednesday with the murders of Rhonda Cegelski, 58, of Green Bay and Paula O’Connor, 53, of Bellevue.

The criminal complaint states Sotka also told police "twenty-one years ago a female and him were in a relationship and he snapped in a similar way." Sotka says he broke the woman's leg, fractured her skull, and knocked out several of her teeth.

Online court records show Sotka was sentenced to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision for a substantial battery case in Marinette County in 2002.

Fast forward 19 years, court records show Sotka was charged in a July 2021 battery case in Oconto County where Sotka's ex-fiancé told police he pushed her to the ground and told her he "could easily snap her neck."

The ex-fiancé quickly obtained a restraining order, but court records show Sotka was charged with violating it in January 2022 in a case that also included a stalking charge.

A criminal complaint for that case shows the ex-fiancé’s friend told police "she truly believed Richard wanted to kill (his ex-fiancé) and he was making plans to do so." The friend also told police Sotka tried to get her to buy him an AK-47.

Sotka denied those allegations to police, according to the criminal complaint for the Green Bay murder charges.

In the Oconto County case, Sotka was ordered to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet as part of $10,750 cash bond. Police say Sotka ditched the bracelet along the highway shortly after last weekend's murders in Green Bay.

“The system is what it is,” said Commander Gary Richgels with the Green Bay Police Department. “They do the best that they can with the resources that they have. There's guidelines set by judges that are followed and we react to behavior.”

As for domestic violence, Golden House's Marissa Heim says everyone should be educated on relationship red flags and warning signs.

“Statistically proven and historically proven, it has been shown abusers do repeat the cycle and then that is where knowing what that is, that cycle of violence, that power and control wheel, we can hopefully help those victims leave that relationship early on or even prevent those relationships from ever happening,” said Heim, the grants and outreach manager.

Heim says it's also important to know about 24/7 resources like Golden House and law enforcement.

• Golden House has an outreach center located at 600 S. Webster Ave, Monday-Friday 8am-6pm, and is also available 24/7 via phone at 920-435-0100.
  

Sotka remains in an Arkansas jail, waiting on an extradition hearing. Courts have been closed down there due to severe weather since his arrest on Sunday.