Two of the eyewitnesses in the bizarre case of a former sheriff’s deputy in Wisconsin accused of gunning down 18-year-old Ryelee Manente-Powell over the alleged theft of exotic animals, booze, and weapons took the stand on Wednesday on the third day of the trial for the 2020 slaying.
The two witnesses are the alleged killer, 46-year-old William Zelenski, who is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, and the victim’s mother, 37-year-old Tiffany Powell, who was dating Zelenski at the time and has since pleaded to multiple charges in connection with her son’s death.
Zelenski called 911 at about 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2020, and told the dispatcher that he had confronted Manente-Powell and an accomplice Ashton Tody for allegedly stealing the animals: a lizard valued at $17,000, a baby Burmese python worth $7,000, a Nile crocodile worth $2,000, and a boa constrictor worth $575. He said that guns and alcohol had also been stolen from his property. Zelenski said that he shot at Manente-Powell after the teen attacked him.
Despite claiming he shot in self-defense, prosecutors have emphasized that Manente-Powell was unarmed and that after shooting the 18-year-old, Zelenski did not attempt to render aid.
Powell was at the scene when her son was killed. She initially told police that her son “took off his shirt” to fight with Zelenski, and that’s when the older man grabbed a gun from his vehicle and shot Manente-Powell. However, a doorbell camera showed that Zelenski initially handed Powell the gun which she pointed at her son before giving the firearm back to Zelenski.
Powell, sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to first-degree recklessly endangering safety and guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in February, took the stand first.
During her testimony, Powell said that she first realized her son had stolen from Zelenski after seeing his Snapchat account on her phone had a video of Manente-Powell flaunting a bottle of stolen liquor. She and Zelenski then confronted her son, ending with him being fatally shot.
She testified that her son shouted at Zelenski to “put the gun down and fight like a man” but said he never put the firearm down. She further confirmed that Manente-Powell did not strike Zelenski and that he was unarmed throughout the encounter.
After Powell’s testimony, the prosecution rested its case, and Zelenski’s attorneys moved for a directed verdict which Judge Raymond Huber denied, reasoning that based on the evidence presented thus far, jurors could reasonably find the defendant guilty.
Zelensky took the stand and provided jurors with emotional testimony about the shooting. He said that after being informed about the robbery on Oct. 15 by Powell, they went to Manente-Powell’s apartment because he had reason to believe that Manente-Powell “might be involved.”
He said that when he brought up the theft, Manente-Powell got “very defensive” and “didn’t ask any questions about any of the details.”
Several days later — after the robbery but before the shooting — Manente-Powell’s girlfriend allegedly called Powell and warned her that Manente-Powell, who did not have a vehicle, had been asking around about getting a ride to Zelenski’s to rob him.
Zelenski said he found out about where Manente-Powell allegedly kept the animals and contacted law enforcement. However, he said a short while later he saw Ryelee running in the street, claiming he was yelling, “I’m going to get you,” and “Come fight me like a man.”
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He said he grabbed the shotgun from his car because he was “scared … of Ryelee … closing the gap” between them.
Asked about his “intent” on the day of the shooting, Zelenski said it was only “to find and return my animals safely home.”
“Were you looking to find Ryelee [Manente-Powell]?” his defense attorney asked.
“No,” he replied.
“Were you looking to hurt Ryelee?”
“Absolutely not,” Zelenski said.
“Did you intend to shoot Ryelee that night?”
“No,” Zelenski said.
“Did you intend to kill Ryelee that night?”
“Absolutely not,” Zelenski responded.
“Did you want Ryelee to die?” his attorney asked.
Zelenski immediately started shaking his head back and forth, placing his hand over his mouth and barely getting out the word “No” as he began to sob. He grabbed a tissue offered to him and spent the next few seconds wiping tears from his eyes as he whispered, “Sorry.”
The trial and Zelenski’s testimony will continue on Thursday.
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