The Wisconsin man who raped an elderly woman in the Chestnut Street parking garage 24 years ago may be headed back to his home state.
Judge Debra Scudiere granted a motion that could send Raymond Wise, 68, to a locked family care unit in Wisconsin, should the conditions be met.
At Wise’s sentencing hearing in September, where he was sentenced to 10-25 years in prison, his attorney Craig Erhard told Scudiere he was working to get Wise back to La Crosse, Wis. Wise was extradited from that state in 2017 after a DNA match from the 1995 cold case was found during a search of the FBI’s National DNA Index Systems.
There are several hurdles to clear before Wise can be sent back to be housed in a locked unit family care facility, Wise’s court-appointed corporate guardian, John Behr of River Valley Guardians in La Crosse, said.
Behr appeared in court by phone on Tuesday.
While the specific facility where Wise will be kept hasn’t been identified, Behr said the facilities are all similar and need to be licensed through the state. They have various programs and many of the residents are kept under 24-hour watch. Should a resident leave the grounds, law enforcement are alerted.
One hurdle is funding. Scudiere’s conditional release order will allow Behr, who is the payee for Wise’s social security benefits, to restore that income since social security is not given to those in prison. Behr said he had enough saved up from Wise’s previous payments to pay for the first 30 days in the facility, by which time the benefits should kick in. The cost of the facility is Wise’s social security minus $100 a month.
A specific facility also needs to be identified, which, again, Tuesday’s order will help with, Behr said.
Airlines have programs in which children and the elderly are checked in and then escorted through every step of their flight. At the traveler’s destination, they are released to a pre-determined person through driver’s license verification, Behr said.
Behr will personally pick up Wise from the La Crosse airport and drive him to whichever facility he gets placed, he said.
Erhard said only direct flights from Pittsburgh to La Crosse would be considered.
The biggest hurdle seemed to be getting Wise from North Central Regional Jail to Pittsburgh for his flight. Erhard said if it came to it, and if the court allowed it, he would drive Wise.
Prosecutor Perri DeChristopher said Wise would need to be placed on probation in West Virginia and then have that probation transferred to Wisconsin. Sex offenders in West Virginia are required to be on a sex offender treatment plan if they are on probation.
Scudiere ordered such a plan be in place in Wisconsin.
DeChristopher said, “Truly the facts of this case, but for Mr. Wise’s advanced age, would not be appropriate for probation.”
However, she acknowledged the case is 24 years old and that makes things a little different. Wise also had a stroke several years ago and has been ruled incompetent by courts.
DeChristopher did not object to the plan and said she would do her best to make whatever Scudiere ordered happen.
Should all the pieces of the puzzle come together, another hearing will be held to issue a final order, Scudiere said.
