Bernard Richter has been found dead outside his home in northwest Iowa. He’s the father of Tracey Richter, the woman who was found guilty this week in a highly-publicized court case.

On Monday, Richter’s daughter was convicted of first-degree murder in the death ten years ago of Dustin Wehde of Sac County. Sixty-nine year-old Bernard Richter was found late  Tuesday morning on his Rembrandt property by the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Department.

The department was notified by a relative who hadn’t heard from him since Sunday. The sheriff’s office says it appears the elder Richter died of natural causes, but an autopsy will be conducted by the state medical examiner’s office.

It’s believed the discovery of Richter’s body the day after his daughter was convicted is a coincidence and the sheriff’s department believes the body may have been there for between 24 and 36 hours before it was discovered.

By Joel Hermann, KAYL, Storm Lake