Lexus D. Boedecker was driving a group home’s vehicle on April 13, 2024, her 24th birthday, when she ran a stop sign at East County Line Road and Highway 12 in the town of Lima, causing a chain reaction crash that involved two other vehicles. Four persons who were in the vehicle that Boedecker was driving died as a result of the crash, with several other occupants being injured as well as one of the other drivers. On May 27, 2025 Rock County Circuit Court Judge Karl Hanson sentenced Boedecker to 16 years in prison followed by four years of extended supervision. Boedecker had pled guilty in February to four charges of Homicide by Vehicle – Use of a Controlled Substance.
Boedecker, residing at the time in Elkhorn, was not authorized to be driving the group home’s vehicle, was 23 weeks pregnant, admitted to smoking marijuana the night before, and had a vape THC cartridge in her possession after the crash. Testing indicated that she had THC in her system at the time of the crash. She was charged in August with four charges of homicide and four charges of causing injury related to the alleged intoxicated use of a vehicle.
Three passengers — Jeffrey Turnipseed, 67, Ericka Berg, 38, and Jamie Ranguette, 39, all of Whitewater, who were not wearing seatbelts — were ejected from the rear windshield and died at the scene, while a fourth passenger — Patricia A. Seufzer, 59, of Whitewater, who also wasn’t wearing a seat belt — died of her injuries a few days later. All four victims were adults with cognitive disabilities.
Rock County District Attorney Jason Sanders issued the following news release after the sentencing:
RE: Boedecker sentenced to 16 years in prison for Fatal Crash that Killed Four
Janesville, WI – On April 13, 2024, Lexus Boedecker was driving a group home’s vehicle when she blew through a stop sign in Lima township, Rock County, setting off a “chain reaction” crash with two other vehicles. The crash she caused killed four people and injured four others. Three passengers, who were not wearing seatbelts, were ejected from the rear windshield and died at the scene of the accident. A fourth passenger, who also wasn’t wearing a seat belt, died of her injuries a few days later. All four adult victims had cognitive disabilities. Boedecker was not authorized to be driving the group home’s vehicle, was 23 weeks pregnant, admitted to smoking marijuana the night before and had a “vape” THC cartridge in her possession after the fatal crash. The Rock County District Attorney’s Office charged Boedecker last August when the test results showed that she had THC in her system at the time she was driving. In February, Lexus Boedecker pled guilty to four counts of Homicide by Vehicle – Use of a Controlled Substance.
Today’s sentencing hearing took place in a crowded courtroom, with more than a dozen family members of the deceased attending the sentencing hearing. Four family members of the deceased victims addressed the courtroom, with more writing to the judge directly. Some victims expressed their anger and asked for Boedecker to be sentenced to the maximum consecutive sentence in prison. Others expressed that their strong faith compelled them to forgive Boedecker. Boedecker, who recently turned 25 years old, had no criminal history and recently gave birth to a child. She also had several letters testifying to her character, including from her pastor, and one that described her as “a tender soul.”
Assistant District Attorney Jerry Urbik argued for her to be sentenced to prison for a “substantial number of years, consecutive to one another.” Urbik noted that, while Boedecker did not intend to hurt anyone, she chose to consume THC on a daily basis
despite being pregnant and chose to drive a vehicle she was not authorized to drive with THC in her system and without ensuring that her passengers, who she was responsible for, were wearing their seat belts. Boedecker’s attorneys argued that she should spend
4-5 years in prison, with more time on extended supervision. Judge Karl Hanson agreed with Urbik that Boedecker had made a series of bad decisions and sentenced Boedecker to 16 years in prison custody, followed by another four years of extended supervision. Because her crimes involved the death of others, she will not be eligible for early release pursuant to the Substance Abuse Program but can petition for release after serving 85% of her sentence.
“The senseless deaths of these four people could have been avoided if Ms. Boedecker chose not to drive a vehicle after consuming marijuana,” ADA Jerry Urbik said. “Judge Hanson’s sentence was tough but fair.” Urbik and his co-counsel ADA Verity Altenberger both thanked the Rock County Sheriff’s Office for an excellent investigation, and for their assistance in helping all the people injured by Boedecker’s crash. They also thanked the Victim-Witness office for their tireless work helping the many family members and friends victimized by Boedecker’s crime.
“Some people think that because THC isn’t as dangerous as fentanyl, it is just not a big deal,” said District Attorney Jason Sanders. “That’s not true when you’re driving. We’re moving thousands-of-pounds at high speeds, and it is easy to make mistakes even when sober. Don’t drive high. The lives you wreck may include your own.”
Editor’s note: Previous Banner articles regarding this crash were published on April 14, April 17, April 22. and July 30, 2024.
