of Juneau County
The Messenger STUDENTS COMPETE IN TRACK SECTIONALS
VOL 14, NO. 45
LOOK INSIDE FOR YOUR LOCAL NEWS:
Elroy: Page 6 Mauston: Page 4 New Lisbon: Page 8
County: Page 3 Wonewoc: Page 14 Hillsboro: Page 10
Classifieds: Page 16 Legals: Pages 17–21
THE AWARD WINNING OFFICIAL LEGAL NEWSPAPER OF JUNEAU COUNTY THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2013
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Shooting takes one life in Mauston BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD In the wee hours of Friday morning, May 31st, tragedy struck in Mauston behind PJ's Bar and Grill as just after midnight shots were fired and two young Mauston women were gunned down. One, 29 year Gail Howland lost her life, while 23 year old Ebony Lasher was left in critical condition fighting to keep hers. By dawn most of Mauston awoke to word that the entire downtown area had been roped off and was being investigated as a crime scene. It would take days before official word on who the victims were and the name of the suspect were officially released Cody J. Treul, 29 of Mauston, was taken into custody that same night after the shooting. The first official announcement from law enforcement came Friday morning in a press release from Mauston Police Chief Mark Messer and Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson. In the release they wrote: "At approximately 12:10 a.m. Juneau County Communication Center received several calls about a shooting that took place in the 300 block of East State Street behind P.J.s Bar and Grill in the City of Mauston. There were two female victims. One of the victims was pronounced dead by the Juneau County
Coroner. Law enforcement has a male subject in custody and the public is not in danger. Names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of family members." Assisting law enforcement with the investigation are the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. The Wisconsin State Patrol, as well as the New Lisbon and Elroy police departments assisted in apprehending Treul at his apartment down the street from PJ’s Bar. On Monday morning, June 3rd, official details of the crime began emerging when Treul was formally charged with 1st degree intentional homicide, attempted 1st degree intentional homicide, and 1st degree recklessly endangering safety. As one family prepared for the burial of Gail Howland and another family sat vigil over Ebony Lasher who was still listed in critical condition, Treul appeared Monday afternoon in Juneau County Circuit Court before Judge Paul Curran for a bond hearing. The criminal complaint supporting the charges state that on May 31 at approximately 12:10 a.m. Detective Shaun Goyette of the Juneau County Sheriff's Department was alerted to
respond to a report of shooting victims located behind PJ's Bar and Grill on State Street in Mauston. When the detective arrived on the scene he observed the female victims laying on the ground and both had suffered numerous gun shots. A witness, Douglas Schroeder, stated to the detective that he had been present at the time of the shooting. He stated that when he heard a loud bang he turned to observe "Cody" shooting Gail Howland. According to Schroeder the gun was then aimed at him before Treul allegedly shot Lasher multiple times. Other witnesses on the scene collaborated Schroeder's statement with their own eye witness recall of the tragic shooting. Detective Goyette reported that at approximately 12:54 a.m. on Friday, May 31st, Mauston Police Department officer Eric Sanner arrested Treul at a residence in the 200 block of State Street. At the time of the arrest the criminal complaint states that Treul was in possession of a Springfield semi-automatic handgun. The criminal complaint goes on to state that during an autopsy on Howland, Dr. Robert Corliss at the V.A. Hospital in Madison recovered three bullets from her body and SEE SHOOTING, PAGE 3
In the top photo, the Wisconsin Crime Lab processes the scene of the shooting. Directly above shows just one of the many streets that were blocked for several hours on Friday mornings commute after the shooting.
One dead in hit and run in City of Elroy According to a press release issued by Elroy Police Chief Tony Green this past weekend on Friday, May 31, 2013 at approximately 10:02 p.m. the Elroy Police Department responded to a report of a suspect hit by a vehicle on State Rd 80/82 near the Valley Inn Dinner Club in the City of Elroy. The subject, identified as 27 year old James F. Bendel Jr. of Mauston, was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Hillsboro via the Elroy Ambulance. Bendel Jr. was later pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital. Over the weekend The Messenger received numerous messages from readers that the hit and run had occurred and that the Elroy Police were looking for a red SUV. It was from those messages that we first learned of the tragic accident which took Bendel's life. After making numerous calls and attaining the press release we were able
to speak to Elroy Chief of Police Tony Green. Green stated that at this time he would not be releasing any additional information as the incident is still under investigation. Green went on to state that the make of the vehicle in question has not yet been determined. He went on to state that should information become available a press release would be issued as was the case when the incident happened. Green stated that the first release on the incident was faxed to the Sheriff's Department and was to made available to those who inquired about the incident. "I knew people would want to know and would be calling in about it," stated Green. The investigation is being handled by the Elroy Police Department. The Wisconsin State Patrol and the Juneau County Sheriff's Department are assisting with the investigation.
Inmate found hanging in jail cell A 23 year old Monroe County Jail Inmate, Gilbert Rebeles, was found hanging from a bed sheet and unresponsive in his cell at the Monroe County Jail at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Saturday evening June 1, 2013. Jail officers immediately cut him loose and began CPR. EMS was on the scene in approximately 8 minutes and he was taken to the Mayo Clinic in Sparta at approximately 6:35 p.m. and further medflighted to Gundersen Hospital in LaCrosse. The hospital pronounced him deceased at 11:54 p.m. on June 1st 2013. Mr. Rebeles, originally from Hammond Indiana, was staying with relatives in Sparta Wisconsin. He was arrested by the Sparta Police Department on May 24th, 2013 and was released on bond conditions on May 28th. He was arrested again by the Sparta PD on May 29th for felony violation of bond conditions and given a $1,500.00 cash bond and was being held until the bond amount could be posted. The incident is currently under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections.