Riverside man charged with woman?s murder

A resident of Riverside has been charged with first-degree murder. Thomas Lee Hansen, age 70, was charged with the crime in connection to the death of Sharon Kay Gerot, age 54, who was pronounced dead at about 4 p.m. Sunday. The two were cohabiting at 1355 Deer Run Drive at the time of Gerot?s death, according to Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar. The address is in a residential development about one mile south of Riverside on Highway 218.

Hansen is being held at the Washington County Jail on a $2 million cash-only bond. A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the person charged is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

According to the affidavit of Washington County Investigator Chad Ellis, the Washington County Safety Center received a call at 3:43 p.m. Sunday from a man who identified himself as Todd Hahn. Hahn told dispatch that he witnessed a subject who had been shot and that a male subject told him that he shot the subject. Hahn told dispatch the address, and law enforcement and an ambulance responded. Upon arrival, they found a female body lying outside of the residence at 1355 Deer Run Drive. Law enforcement also made contact with Hansen at that time.

Hansen made statements to law enforcement indicating he had shot Gerot, according to Ellis?s affidavit. Hansen indicated he and Gerot had been arguing ?on and off? that day. Shortly before the incident, Gerot left the residence to work in the yard. Hansen went into the three-car garage attached to the house, where he retrieved a semiautomatic handgun. Hansen unholstered and chambered the weapon. He returned to the residence through the kitchen and approached a glass door leading to the back yard.

Ellis wrote in his affidavit: ?Upon seeing Ms. Gerot riding a lawn mower in an open field behind the residence, Defendant raised the weapon, fired a shot towards Ms. Gerot, which struck and killed her.?

In a press release issued Monday morning, Washington County Attorney Larry Brock said the State Medical Examiner?s Office will perform an autopsy on Gerot. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting the Washington County Sheriff?s Office in investigating the incident.

Doug and Sam Havel live east of 1355 Deer Run Drive. Doug said he was in and out of his garage that afternoon and was unaware of any incident at his neighbor?s house until a first responder?s vehicle parked outside it.

Doug said Hansen and Gerot are ?outdoorsy people? who spend their summers in Wyoming. He said Hansen and Gerot help out at Yellowstone National Park. Hansen and Gerot have a few horses at their residence, and Doug said they take the horses with them to Wyoming. Doug said Hansen was supposed to be at Yellowstone that very day but he couldn?t go because there was too much snow in the area and none of the roads were open. Doug said Hansen had his camper ready to go and that he was waiting for a call to tell him to go to Yellowstone.

Doug said Hansen and Gerot are gone about seven months over the summer. He said he doesn?t see them much over the winter, but sees them more in the spring when they?re outside doing yard work. Doug said that, just recently, Hansen got his lawn mower stuck in the bottom of a ditch, so Doug took his lawn mower over to pull Hansen?s out. Doug also recalled that Hansen and Gerot were outside one week ago building a fence for their horses.

Chuck Friese lives down the road, east of Hansen and Gerot. He said he had no knowledge of the incident in question. Friese said he met Hansen at a block party several years ago but hadn?t talked to Hansen in about two years. Friese said Hansen was ?a really good guy.?

?He was always like, ?Oh, you need anything? Stop up,?? said Friese.

Hansen is retired and used to work for the Iowa City Fire Department. Gerot was the Riverside City Clerk from March 2003 to August 2004.