By Shereen Siewert

WAUSAU — A 56-year-old Wausau native now living in Niagra is facing felony domestic abuse charges brought forward as part of an ongoing homicide investigation.

A warrant was issued Wednesday for the arrest of Lee Franck, who was taken into custody in Florence County and transferred to the Marathon County Jail. Franck is not facing homicide charges at this time, but is instead charged with two counts of disorderly conduct as a domestic abuse repeater.

He is being held on a $750,00 cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, Franck had an argument with 77-year-old Lyle Leith days before Leith’s body was discovered in the garage of his Kickbusch Street home. Leith’s daughter, who was dating Franck and had been living with him in Florence County, found her father’s body Tuesday morning and called police.

Autopsy results to determine the cause of Leith’s death are pending.

During the investigation, Leith’s daughter told police Franck threatened her father during an argument that happened on Feb. 17, and continued to make threats against the family after the argument ended.

A review of court records show Franck has a number of criminal charges and convictions dating back to 2007, when he was found guilty of intimidating a victim in Marathon County Circuit Court. In that case, a felony stalking charge from 2007 was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Franck lived in Wausau at that time.

In 2008, Franck was convicted of criminal trespassing and bail jumping. In that Marathon County case, additional charges of stalking, battery, making threats to injure, criminal damage to property, intimidating a victim and disorderly conduct were also dismissed.

In 2013, Franck’s most recent legal tangle, he was charged in Florence County Circuit Court with second degree recklessly endangering safety and endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, but those charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal that involved Franck pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail.

A review hearing is set for Feb. 28.