Woman Testifies She had Secret Affair with Offiicer Accused of Murder

GRAND HAVEN

At the same time Ken DeKleine claimed his estranged wife was having an affair with her therapist, he was romantically involved with another woman, court testimony today revealed.

Richelle VanderWal, once married to a Holland police officer, was in the midst of a divorce in 2006 when she said she met Ken DeKleine and began a relationship that lasted until his arrest for allegedly killing his wife.

VanderWal testified today at Ken DeKleine's murder trial, describing how she met DeKleine in July 2006 and began a sexual relationship that fall, before her December 2006 divorce. DeKleine still was living at the Calvin Street address with Lori DeKleine until she filed a personal protection order in January 2007.

They kept the relationship a secret, she said.

VanderWal testified DeKleine was fixated on doing something about suspicions his wife was having a relationship with her therapist and planned to report the man to a state board. She acknowledged DeKleine was upset and frustrated with the constant rescheduling of court dates for his divorce.

VanderWal said she never came to police after DeKleine's arrest this past January to tell about their relationship. They eventually contacted her.

"I know how police think. I was afraid of being accused of her murder," she said.

In other testimony, police testified they asked DeKleine the same day of his wife's death if he killed her. He denied any involvement.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 11, in an interview room at the Zeeland Police Department, Ottawa County sheriff's Detective Tom Knapp told DeKleine they had found clothes in the garage attic with apparent blood stains. During that interview, DeKleine claimed he left items in the attic while fixing a vent pipe in 2006 and had cut himself.

When Knapp directly accused DeKleine of being responsible for his wife's death, DeKleine replied: "I don't know how to respond to that, Tom."