Bail denied for accused mother

PALMER -- An Alaska Superior Court judge denied bail and third-party release Wednesday for Suzette Welton, the woman accused of burning down her Wasilla residence to collect on the insurance policies of her teen-age sons.

Welton remains jailed at Hiland Mountain Correctional, where she has been lodged since her arrest more than a year ago.

Judge Milton Souter approved the minister's wife who came forward to become Welton's court-appointed third-party custodian but said the $15,000 cash bail toward a $150,000 bond would not be enough.

"My concern is that she has a substantial motive to flee and that amount of bail would not be enough to keep her in Alaska," Souter said.

Souter also had reservations about a second third-party custodian, Welton's boyfriend, Michael Minzlaff, who agreed to put up his home to raise money for Welton's bail bond.

Welton, 38, was originally indicted Nov. 30, 2000, on four counts of murder and one count of arson in connection with a Sept. 15, 2000, fire that resulted in the smoke-inhalation death of her 14-year-old son, Samuel. The boy perished in an upstairs bedroom of his mother's Mulchatna Drive Duplex apartment.

Another son, Jeremiah, then 16, was able to get out of the home by jumping to the ground from a second-story window. Welton and her 6-year-old daughter escaped uninjured.

Welton has been jailed since Nov. 21, 2000, awaiting her trial. A request to be released on bail June 18, 2001, also was denied by Souter, at that time on the grounds that he had reservations about the proposed third-party custodians.

At Wednesday's hearing, Ramona Covlasky, the wife of missionary minister Mike Covlasky, answered questions posed by the judge and prosecuting attorney Dave Berry.

"I first met Suzette when we did Friday night ministries at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial (Facility) and have known her about a year. I've had almost daily conversations with her for a year now," Covlasky said.

When defense attorney George Davenport asked Covlasky why she is willing to take on this responsibility, the retired caterer said, "I believe Suzette is innocent."

The former owner of Mom's Catering in Wasilla said she has lived in Alaska since 1977 and in her years here has acted as a third-party custodian for several other people. She described herself as Welton's "friend," saying they have in common their Christian faith.

Souter said he had no question about Covlasky's character and believed she and her husband were both "forthright individuals" who would act as responsible guardians.

Welton, remaining in handcuffs for proceedings but dressed in normal clothing rather than a jail-issued uniform, appeared hopeful the judge would release her from Hiland Mountain Correctional Facility, then grew tearful when he did not.

The defense's offer of $15,000 cash bail posted as a 10-percent deposit toward the court on a $150,000 bond was not enough, assistant District Attorney Berry told Souter.

"I also have questions about the brief length of time Mrs. Covlasky has known Suzette Welton," he said.

In other matters requiring pretrial decisions, Souter agreed with the defense to grant more time to prepare for trial. A new date was set for April 1, postponed from March 25.

Souter also ruled that testimony from Welton's son, Jeremiah, who is now 18, would not be limited by the state to certain matters the state felt most relevant to the case. The state so far has objected to testimony on Jeremiah's alleged use of drugs, contending it has little bearing on the arson-murder case.

But defense attorneys Greg Heath and George Davenport need Jeremiah's testimony about his own relationship with his younger brother, Samuel, and other potential matters, Heath said.

"We won't know until we get to trial what kinds of testimony he will give, and since he is the state's primary witness, we need to look at his credibility," Heath said.

That testimony is likely to be complicated due to its source -- thousands of pages of computer chat-room conversations Jeremiah Welton is said to have wracked up over the Internet with friends in Kenai and elsewhere.

"We will need to authenticate the testimony, just as you would with any letter," Heath said. Heath said he would establish authentication by checking with those who had online chat-room conversations with Jeremiah Welton and calling them to testify before the jury.

The trial is expected to be lengthy and complex. Souter agreed to schedule six weeks for trial in Palmer Superior Court and to calling more than 100 jurors in order to assemble 14 finalists. In order to be ready for the April 1 trial, the jury process is set to begin in early February.

Welton has the right to petition the courts again to be released on bail.