POT-GROWING OPERATION AT SHOOTING SITE

Three Died at Rural Lafayette County Home

Lafayette County authorities have uncovered an elaborate
marijuana-growing operation at the home of a man who shot two
intruders to death last week, then killed himself in front of officers.

Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley said today that a search of the
home of Bradley Fandrich Saturday revealed an "extremely concealed"
area that was equipped with indoor growing equipment, perimeter
surveillance equipment and firearms.

Live marijuana plants found growing at the scene were estimated to
have a street value of between $450,000 and $500,000.

The search warrant follows the deaths of Jaeson C. Shepard, 29, of
Dodgeville, and Eddie E. Harris, 29, of Mount Horeb, who were shot to
death by Fandrich early Thursday morning as they broke in to his rural
home at 16971 County N in the town of Argyle.

Fandrich, 34, then shot at a fleeing van before police arrived.
Authorities have not identified the driver of the van, which was later
found at Harris' Mount Horeb residence.

Pedley said officers arriving at the scene confiscated the gun
Fandrich used to gun down the two intruders and found a large quantity
of illegal drugs in a vault. A Lafayette County detective, in the
presence of a Green County deputy, had begun patting him down when he
pulled another gun.

"He had another gun concealed on his person, in his waistline area we
believe," Pedley said. "He put it in the area beneath his chin and
pulled the trigger."

According to Lafayette County District Attorney Charlotte Doherty,
Fandrich shot Shepard as Shepard stood behind Fandrich's wife, Jeanna,
and held her in a choke hold. Shepard was later pronounced dead at a
hospital.

Harris, who was shot at least three times, was found dead at the
scene.

Jeanna Fandrich, who was in the midst of a divorce from Bradley
Fandrich, called 911 as her husband fired at the fleeing van.

She has been released to family members and is being treated as the
victim of a traumatic incident, Doherty said.

Meanwhile, a Dodgeville woman, charged in at least two criminal cases
with Shepard, turned herself in to Dane County authorities on Friday
on unrelated charges.

Erin A. Van Epps, 22, was on deferred prosecution for operating a
stolen vehicle and possession of narcotics in a 2004 case that also
resulted in a misdemeanor cocaine conviction for Shepard.

She was wanted on a warrant for charges filed in January of this year
of felony possession of a narcotic and felony bail jumping. In that
same case Shepard was charged with two felony counts of delivering
heroin.

Van Epps was released Saturday on a signature bond.

Green County authorities said today that two people living in Exeter
Township have been arrested on drug charges in connection with the
investigation.

[names and ages redacted] were arrested Friday
night at their home at [address redacted] on charges of possession of
marijuana with an intent to deliver.

The search of their single-family home Friday, conducted by the
Stateline Area Narcotics Team, Green County deputies and a Green
County police dog, uncovered live marijuana plants and bags of dried
marijuana. The [name redacted] were expected to appear in court today.

Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick said today that some of the
information for the search warrant on the [name redacted]' home stemmed from
the Lafayette County investigation into the shootings, although he
said Green County investigators had previously suspected they may have
housed an indoor growing operation.