Dating app 'predator' Timothy Olson's attorney removed from case
FRANKLIN, Wis. - The attorney for Timothy Olson, the man charged with burglary and allegedly kidnapping a Greendale woman – holding her for hours and stealing her identity – has been removed from the case.
Olson, 52, had a preliminary hearing in Milwaukee County court scheduled for Wednesday morning. That has now been rescheduled for Jan. 24.
The public defender appointed by the court to represent Olson, Nathan Opland-Dobs, filed a motion Tuesday to withdraw as Olson’s attorney.
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In court Wednesday morning, Opland-Dobs said his client insisted he wanted a different attorney. Opland-Dobs wrote that Olson is still considered indigent and still qualifies for representation by the state public defender’s office.
During the hearing, Olson told the court he spoke with two private practice attorneys, Claire Barth and James McCann, about representing him. Messages left for Barth and McCann were not immediately returned.
Timothy Olson
Court Commissioner Barry Phillips told Olson that if he does not hire attorneys, he won’t be allowed to have another public defender appointed for 30-90 days.
Olson was wanted by several jurisdictions for multiple alleged crimes. He was arrested by Franklin police last month, suspected of kidnapping a 79-year-old woman from a Franklin bar. Investigators also said Olson was involved in at least two burglaries in Franklin just prior to his arrest.
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Franklin police said an officer noticed a person matching Olson's description pushing a bicycle in the area near 35th and Rawson. As officers approached, police said Olson ran into a nearby condo complex. Once the cops caught up with him, police said there was a brief struggle and Olson had to be tased to be taken into custody.
"I think it's likely that there's other victims – maybe some that are embarrassed to come forward," said Franklin Police Chief Rick Oliva. "Hopefully that he's in custody now, if there are victims that, they're more likely to call their local departments and report that."
South Milwaukee death investigation, Timothy Olson named "person of interest"
"There's no doubt that this person would continue to do what he did until caught."
Prosecutors have said Olson is a person of interest in the deaths of two women, including a woman who passed out at a South Milwaukee bar.
Racine police first warned the public about Timothy Olson in early November. Investigators said he was meeting up with women he connected with on apps, drugging them and stealing money from them. Olson has yet to make a court appearance in Racine County on charges there.