Kyle Rittenhouse, who is charged with homicide, is residing in an undisclosed “safe house,” his lawyers said, following a motion from prosecutors to rearrest the teenager for failing to disclose his whereabouts.
Rittenhouse failed to notify the court of an address change within the mandatory 48-hour time-frame, and the prosecutors subsequently petitioned a judge to up his bond by $200,000 and issue an arrest warrant, county attorneys on Wednesday said. The 18-year-old, who was released from jail following a crowdfunded $2 million bond, was charged with homicide after he allegedly shot three people, killing two of them, during violent August riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Rittenhouse is in an undisclosed location, not on the run, after he received multiple threats against his life, his lawyers said, according to court documents.
Senior law enforcement figures advised Rittenhouse’s lawyers not to indicate the teenager’s actual address over two months prior to the prosecutor’s move to put him behind bars again, they added.
“Due to threats made against Kyle, I was concerned for his immediate safety while transitioning out of police custody after his bond was posted. Because of these concerns, I coordinated Kyle’s release with Captain Bill Beth of Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office several days prior to actually posting his bond,” John Pierce, Rittenhouse’s former attorney, wrote in an affidavit.
“I asked the Kenosha Police captain what address to put on the form. The Kenosha Police captain told me that I ‘absolutely should not’ provide the address of the physical location of the Rittenhouse safe house on the form, but to instead provide his home address in Antioch, Illinois,” he continued.
Rittenhouse’s legal team, spearheaded by Mark Richards, confirmed the agreement.
“It is noteworthy that the State has only now decided to file a motion to increase bond in this case, despite having corresponded with Attorney Chirafisi regarding the change in Kyle’s residence over two months ago,” he wrote.
Rittenhouse was a flight risk due to having no stake in the crowdfunded bond, prosecutors claimed, and they slammed the concept of seeing “accused murderers roaming about freely.”
“It is important to note that the $2 million came from a dubious Internet fundraising campaign, and the defendant and his family did not post any money toward that bond,” the court document petitioning a penalty against Rittenhouse read. “As a result, the defendant is free from custody with minimal incentive to comply with his bond conditions. He posted no money so he has no financial stake in the bond. He is already facing the most serious possible criminal charges and life in prison, so in comparison, potential future criminal penalties are insignificant. Indeed, the defendant has already demonstrated his carefree attitude by going to a bar immediately after his arraignment on January 5, 2021 and drinking 3 beers in the company of known ‘Proud Boys’ while flashing white supremacist signs and wearing a ‘Free as (expletive)’ shirt.”
It continued: “Rarely does our community see accused murderers roaming about freely. As a result, the defendant’s bond requires him to update the Court in writing within 48 hours of any change of address or telephone number.”
Rittenhouse allegedly killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber in addition to wounding a third victim, Gaige Grosskreutz, during prolonged unrest in the city following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, investigators said.
The 18-year-old was reportedly spotted at a Mount Pleasant bar in January, shortly after his release, sporting a shirt that read “Free as F—,” while he drank beer and posed for photographs with apparent supporters.
Rittenhouse, who prosecutors said did not violate the terms of his bond at the time, also allegedly was in the company of members of the far-right group, the Proud Boys. In Wisconsin, drinking underage is legal if accompanied by a guardian over 21, and his mother, Wendy, was reportedly present during the outing.
He was acting in self-defense, and the case against him is “one-sided,” lawyers at the time of the shooting said.
“In less than 48-hours, the Kenosha County District Attorney, without any meaningful investigation, charged Kyle with intentional homicide and other serious felonies — ignoring the clear video evidence of self-defense,” a webpage dedicated to releasing him read. “The God-given, constitutional right of self-defense is on trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin.”
