of Juneau County
The Messenger WISCORPS HELP CWNAS PREPARE FOR OPENING VOL 15, NO. 46
LOOK INSIDE FOR YOUR LOCAL NEWS:
Elroy: Page 4 Mauston: Page 3 Comment: Page 14
New Lisbon: Page 5 Wonewoc: Page 7 Hillsboro: Page 6
Classifieds: Page 10 Legals: Page 4, 11, 12, & 13
THE AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER OF JUNEAU COUNTY THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014
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Treul will serve life in prison for shooting BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD
GLAD TO BE BACK WITH MOM
FTO Hintz and Officer Franks of the Tomah Police Department were able to reunite a family Tuesday morning. On Monday, officers were called to the area of the dam for the young fawn stuck in the rocks. There were also reports that kids were harassing the animal. Officers arrived and determined that it was best to let the fawn remain as the mother was still around the area. Today the fawn remained in the same spot when officers checked. Officer Hintz and Officer Franks were able to safely move the deer from the rocks to higher ground and reunite it with the mother. The two deer happily left the area. As always, we recommend leaving wildlife alone as most times they will be able to handle it on their own. Also, please do not harass wild animals. This mother was very defensive during both days.
Cody Treul, age 30 of Mauston, will no longer know what freedom is like. On Monday morning during a sentencing hearing, Juneau County Circuit Court Judge John Roemer imposed a life sentence on Treul who had pled no contest to first degree intentional homicide and first degree attempted intentional homicide for the May 2013 shooting that occurred behind PJ's Bar and Grill in Mauston. That shooting took the life of 29 year old Gail Cody Treul was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting that occurred in Howland and critically May of 2013. wounded then 23 year old Ebony Lasher. While behind PJ's Bar and Grill Schroeder the gun was then homicide conviction. With Lasher may have survived on State Street in Mauston. aimed at him before Treul the life sentence came conthe initial shooting, she When the detective arrived allegedly shot Lasher mul- ditions that he will not be now lives without the use on the scene he observed tiple times. eligible for extended superof her legs and is confined the female victims laying In hearings since the vision nor early release. to a wheel chair. On the night of the on the ground and both had shooting Treul insisted on The criminal complaint suffered numerous gun pleading no contest to the shooting Treul was appresupporting the charges shot wounds. A witness, charges, and did so at the hended and has since restated that on May 31, Douglas Schroeder, stated time against his legal coun- mained in the custody of 2013 at approximately to the detective that he had sel's advice. Treul’s life the Juneau County Sheriff's 12:10 a.m. Detective been present at the time of sentence on the first degree Department. It is unclear at Shaun Goyette of the the shooting. He stated that intentional homicide con- this time which Wisconsin Juneau County Sheriff's when he heard a loud bang viction will run concurrent Department of Corrections Department was alerted to he turned to observe with a 40 year prison sen- prison facility Treul will respond to a report of "Cody" shooting Gail tence on the first degree at- serve out his sentence. shooting victims located Howland. According to tempted intentional
ARTILLERY SHELLS FOUND During the evening hours of June 2, officers were called to a residence near the intersection of Jackson Street and McLean Ave in Tomah. Upon arrival it was determined that the occupant of the residence had been doing landscaping and located two military artillery shells buried in the ground. Based upon their condition, it was unknown if the munitions could be safely removed. Arrangements were made for military personnel to inspect and remove the items. Members of the 115th Fighter Wing, stationed out of Madison, arrived and determined that one of the shells was a training shell. The other shell had been an active artillery shell however it did not contain a fuse or detonation devices. Both items were removed and later disposed of at Ft. McCoy.
Guilty verdict entered against Becerra BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD There will not be a jury trial in the State of Wisconsin's child sexual assault case against 43 year old Neil Becerra of Necedah. Last week in a plea hearing before Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Taggert, a plea agreement was reached and Becerra entered a no contest plea to repeated sexual assault of the same child. The remaining 13 counts relating to child sexual assault were dismissed. Judge Taggert ordered that a pre-sentencing investigation Neil Becerra be conducted for the purposes of sentencing and a telephone conference would be scheduled in eight weeks. As for the sentencing hearing, that is yet to be determined. Becerra is a registered sex offender as the result of a guilty/no contest plea in a 2001 second degree child sexual assault charge for an assault that took place in December of 1998 and resulted in the victim becoming pregnant. The most recent case came just shortly after in 2103 when Juneau County District Attorney Michael Solovey dismissed another case against Becerra, and one that also dealt with felony child sexual assault charges. The alleged victim in that case was a young female known to Becerra but not the same victim Becerra pleaded no contest to in this charge. In court, Becerra was represented by defense attorney Maura O. Melka. Representing the State of Wisconsin was Assistant Attorney General Karie Cattanach and Juneau County District Attorney Mike Solovey. Becerra remains in custody of the Juneau County Sheriff's Department on a $20,000 cash bond.