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Dubuque man charged with attempted homicide for beating at Rock on the River in 2013

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By Ted Pennekamp

 

Charges have been officially filed in Crawford County Circuit Court regarding a three-year investigation into the assault of a man at Rock on the River in the town of Bridgeport.

A Dubuque man, Anthony Runde, 35, was charged Oct. 14 with one count of attempted first degree intentional homicide and one count of aggravated battery with intent to cause great bodily harm in the beating of Joshua W. Milligan, 30, also of Dubuque.

Runde faces up to 70 years in prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted of both counts.

According to the criminal complaint: 

A lieutenant with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department was informed that Joshua Milligan was discovered on the festival grounds lying sprawled out on the ground, unconscious on July 13, 2013.

A security guard who had been hired to work at the festival said he was driving his truck on the grounds when he saw two men running. He then saw the unconscious man on the ground. Another man then approached screaming, “Josh, Josh.” The man told the security guard, “I knew I shouldn’t have left him alone, they f...... got him.” The man continued to rant about “steroid freaks.” 

The security guard noticed blood on the ground in front of the face of the unconscious man and that his nose was dripping blood and he had blood by his lips. The security guard said that one of the men running from the scene as “big” at least 6-4 or 6-5 and close to 300 pounds and muscular. He said the other man looked big too but he didn’t get a good look at him.

The unconscious man, Joshua Milligan, was taken to Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital with serious and life threatening injuries. He was later taken by Med-Link to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse.

Milligan’s girlfriend told the lieutenant that she had seen Runde making gestures and saying things to Milligan in an attempt to provoke a fight.

Medical staff at the hospital told the lieutenant that Milligan had suffered major head injuries and was in a coma.

On June 8, 2016, a special agent with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation spoke with Joshua Milligan and noticed that Milligan requires a walker to move about and has an obvious speech impediment. Milligan requires assistance to walk with both a walker and a person to hold on to a gait belt. It was also, noted that he has impairment to his vision, sense of smell, lacks the ability to sense hot and cold, is incontinent, and suffers from significant cognitive impairments.

Two witnesses at the Rock on the River said that they saw Runde on top of Milligan and beating him with his fists. When Runde got up and walked away, Milligan remained motionless, one witness said.

Another person interviewed by investigators said that Runde and Milligan used to be close friends but that the friendship ended after Runde heard that Milligan had an affair with Runde’s wife during a separation. The person interviewed said that Runde was intent on revenge and heard him say he was going to “kill him” or “finish him.”

On Sept. 14, 2016, the Dubuque Police Department apprehended Runde. Runde was later transported to the Crawford County Jail.

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