Emerson Leo Weingart, a 33-year-old White male, was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a teaching degree who worked as a meat department manager. An avid sportsman who loved to fish and hunt, Emerson was described by his father as a "good kid." In June 2023, he married his wife, Gina Lynn Weingart, age 37. The couple, described in their obituary as "beautiful, kindhearted and fun-loving," were regulars at the Sports Page Barr in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and had become close
with staff and patrons. Eventually, Gina took a job there as a part-time bartender, and Emerson would often sit at the bar to keep her company during her late-night shifts.
In the early hours of Thursday, February 1, 2024, a 911 call reported shots fired at the Sports Page Barr. The Walworth County Sheriff's Office and Elkhorn Police Department responded to the scene at approximately 12:11 a.m. Inside the bar, they discovered the bodies of both Emerson and Gina Weingart. Both had been shot and killed in what the Elkhorn Police Chief called a "senseless act of violence." The owner of the bar later wrote that "some coward came into the bar and opened fire."
Investigators began a search for the person responsible for the double homicide. Over the following weekend, police developed a lead that led them to a person of interest. On Monday, February 5, authorities announced they had taken a man into custody. He was initially held on an unrelated matter as the homicide investigation continued.
The suspect was identified as Thomas A. Routt, Jr., a 57-year-old man from Elkhorn. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and robbery in connection with the deaths of Emerson and Gina Weingart. Routt pleaded not guilty to the charges. As of February 2024, the case was pending litigation.
