During a court appearance in Marathon County Tuesday, several new and significant developments unfolded in the case against Dale Robinson.
First, 30-year-old Robinson pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping Deanna Zuleger Scantlin, a young mother from Wausau. He also pled not guilty to charges of theft from the bar she was working the night she disappeared.
Prosecutors also revealed a new charge of second-degree sexual assault. During the investigation into Scantlin’s disappearance, detectives said an 18-year-old woman said Robinson forced her to have sex with him.
The district attorney believes this new charge will help the state build its case against Robinson.
"Obviously our concern with his kidnapping Deanna Scantlin, our theory of the case is that he kidnapped her to sexually assault her. When this information came along and another woman said she was sexually assaulted by force as well, we think adds strength to the state's prosecution of the case, yes. We think it's very critical information," said Jill Falstad, the Marathon County district attorney.
Also new in court, Robinson's attorney, Richard Lawson, asked to be withdrawn from the case and the motion was approved. Lawson was Robinson's second attorney so far in the case. The court will now appoint him a third.
