LA CROSSE, Wis. (WTAQ) - A La Crosse area man who’s accused of killing his parents is trying to have his charges dropped.
Eric Koula’s attorney said there were no witnesses, and there’s no evidence his client acted suspiciously around the time of the slayings. A judge will rule on the dismissal request later.
The 40-year-old Koula stood mute Wednesday while the judge entered not guilty pleas to 2 counts of first-degree intentional homicide and forgery. Prosecutors said Koula shot his 68-year-old father Dennis and his 65-year-old mother Merna in late May in order to get their money.
Authorities said the defendant struggled as a day trader in the stock market. An expert from the State Crime Lab said a $50,000 check to Eric Koula from his father’s investment account was forged.
But Koula's attorney said they could not determine who wrote the check. And a state agent recently testified that Eric lost a million dollars of his parents’ money in trading stocks online. But he said Koula still never showed that he was desperate enough to kill his parents.
