WOMAN CHARGED IN POT HEIST

3 People Died in March Incident

A woman accused of helping her boyfriend and another man plot a
marijuana heist that ended with three people dead has been charged
with two felonies.

Erin Van Epps, 23, of Dodgeville, faces theft and felony burglary
charges with modifiers tied to using a dangerous weapon. The charges
came Tuesday after five months of investigation by state Justice
Department agents.

The complaint contains a six-page statement by Van Epps in which she
describes the attempted heist and claims to have warned the men
against trying it.

According to the complaint, Van Epps, her 29-year-old boyfriend,
Jaeson Shepard, of Dodgeville, and 24-year-old Eddie Harris, of Mount
Horeb, drove to Bradley and Jeanna Fandrich's home south of
Blanchardville on March 16. Shepard had talked about stealing
marijuana from the house and storing it at Harris' home.

The lights were on in one room, prompting Van Epps to suggest
abandoning the plan, according to the complaint and her statement.

"But Eddie said he wanted to do it," Van Epps said in her
statement.

Harris armed himself with a shotgun and kicked in the
door.

"They went into the house screaming, Get on the floor, we have (a
warrant) to search, Lafayette County Sheriff's,' " Van Epps wrote.

Brad Fandrich appeared and started shooting, hitting Harris. Van Epps
ran outside to the trio's vehicle. She waited, listening to more
gunshots. Harris and Shepard were both shot to death.

Fandrich then came onto the porch and starting shooting at her, Van
Epps said. She drove off to Blanchardville.

Sheriff's deputies arrived at the house. Fandrich was explaining a
cache of weapons and prescription drugs to a detective when he pulled
a small handgun from his pants and shot himself in the head. He died
before an ambulance could arrive.

Investigators found a marijuana-growing operation in a hidden room in
Fandrich's basement.

Van Epps turned herself in a day after the shootings. She is due to
appear in court Aug. 28.