WAUKESHA, Wis. (Court TV) — A Wisconsin man has been convicted of murdering his long-time girlfriend, whose body was found decomposing in the woods.
Matthew Pahl (C) appears in court during opening statements in his murder trial Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Court TV)
A jury found Matthew Pahl guilty on all charges related to the first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse in the death of Stephanie Pavlons, identified as “Victim A” in court documents.
Pavlons was last seen on Aug. 23, 2022, leaving the apartment she shared with the defendant. Pavlons’ parents told police that the couple lived together and had been in a turbulent, on-and-off relationship for 20 years. Her mother said she suspected Pavlons was a victim of domestic abuse in the relationship.
Pavlons’ body was found badly decomposed in the woods by a group of construction workers who were posting “No Trespassing” signs in the area. The body was so badly decomposed that the medical examiner was unable to determine the cause or manner of death.
Pahl never reported his girlfriend missing, and police said surveillance video from their apartment complex shows them both leaving on Aug. 23, but only him returning with her purse and water bottle.
Police who searched Pahl’s cell phone found that he had been communicating with two Skype accounts, “Mejyn” and “beautiful disaster.” The conversations were sexual in nature and in messages with both accounts, Pahl said that he wanted to move to the Philippines.
In Wisconsin, a conviction of first-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence. Pahl is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 11, 2025.
TRIAL COVERAGE
DAY 7 – 11/4/25
- After a little over an hour deliberating, the jury reached a verdict. Matthew Pahl was found guilty on all charges.
- His sentencing date was set for Nov. 11, 2025.
- Alex Pescador, K-9 expert
- Criticized the K-9 search of Pahl’s truck and identified cross-contamination issues in the facility where the search occurred.
- Criticized the positioning of Pahl’s truck in the search area and expressed concerns about the K-9’s behavior and potential cuing by the handler.
- One vehicle in the area had a deceased person in the driver’s seat. Raven only showed two changes in behavior and didn’t alert to other potential decomposition sources.
- Under cross-examination, Prosecutor Sue Opper challenged Pescador’s credentials and pointed out errors in her documentation, including incorrect dates.
- Pahl told the judge he would not testify.
- The defense rested its case; prosecutors declined to present a rebuttal case.
- The prosecution delivered its closing argument.
- The victim’s body was so decomposed that the cause of death could not be determined.
- Pavlons was making future plans for dinners, doctor appointments and was excited for an upcoming trip.
- The victim had not attempted suicide since March 2021.
- She was found with no purse, water bottle or prescriptions — only a vape and a scalpel.
- A note found in the defendant’s car was a breakup note, not a suicide note.
- After Pavlons disappeared, Pahl made calls from her phone, picked up her prescription medication and searched for obituaries and her name before anyone knew she was dead.
- Never reported Pavlons missing to the police or answered calls from her mother or daughter.
- Defendant drove to the body’s location on Sept. 6 and panicked when seeing police on Sept. 9.
- Travelled to the Philippines after the body was found; had a note about extradition in his apartment indicating he had searched for non-extradition countries.
- The defense delivered its closing argument.
- Pahl attended physical therapy for his broken foot, and Pavlons accompanied him to his appointment. But when he came out, Pavlons was no longer in the truck, so he drove back to the apartment without her.
- The medical examiner could not determine the cause or manner of death.
- Pavlons had a history of mental health issues, including suicide attempts. She had periods of no contact with her family/friends, so no one initially reported her missing.
- Defense asked how Pahl could have carried Pavlons given his broken foot and busy location in broad daylight, and asked what proof exists that Pavlons was killed by another person.
- The prosecution delivered a rebuttal closing argument.
- Pointed to Pavlons’ journals, which documented extensive abuse; she said, “I feel trapped” and afraid of Pahl.
- Documented instances of physical abuse include a blown eardrum and a black eye.
- August 8, 2022, incident: Pavlons came into the apartment with wet pants, and Pahl sent her a degrading text about the wet seat. Prosecutors argued this was the result of strangulation, causing loss of bladder control.
- Suggested Pahl murdered Pavlons using her purse strap as a ligature and placedc the scalpel near the scene to make it look like a suicide.
DAY 6 – 11/3/25
- Wakausha County Sheriff’s Det. David Shoder returned to the witness stand to testify to the digital evidence from Pahl and Pavlons’ devices.
- On Sept. 9, before anyone knew that Pavlons was missing, Pahl conducted web searches relevant to the case.
- On Sept. 10, Pahl’s phone searched for “dead body found by construction crew.”
- On Sept. 11, Facebook messages were sent from Pavlons’ account.
- Pahl claimed he was driving up and down streets searching for the victim, but evidence showed he stayed in the same area.
- Between March and June 2022, 380 messages were deleted from Pavlons’ device.
- Between August and September 2022, 93 entries were deleted from Pavlons’ device.
- Pahl conducted obituary searches beginning on Aug. 26 and used a police scanner device regularly after the victim’s disappearance.
- Under cross-examination, Shoder conceded that he didn’t know when the items were deleted from the devices or who deleted them.
- Pahl’s device showed zero usage on the day Pavlons went missing.
- Video shows Pahl entering the apartment building between 11:03-11:06 am on Aug. 23, carrying a water bottle. He changed shirts inside the apartment and then exited the building around 12:19-12:21 pm. There were approximately 10 minutes between when Pahl’s truck entered the complex and when he entered the building.
- Prosecutors rested their case-in-chief.
- Defense presented a motion for a judgment of acquittal.
- The judge denied the motion, noting evidence of internet searches about Pavlons’ disappearance before it was public knowledge and evidence of scanner app usage spikes when law enforcement was in the area.
- Jason Denosae, a Construction worker who found Pavlon’s body, testified.
- Was putting up “no trespassing” signs around an orthopedic building when his colleague spotted what appeared to be a body in the woods.
- Thought the body was female based on shoes he observed.
- Called the police, who arrived within 15 minutes.
- Body appeared to have been there “quite some time” and was in poor condition.
- Dr. Stacy Hail, emergency physician and toxicologist
- Testified to Pavlons’ prescribed medications in 2022: Alprazolam (Xanax) for anxiety and oxycodone.
- Alprazolam is addictive, and withdrawal can cause seizures.
DAY 5 – 10/31/25
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Detective Nathan Plennes returned to the stand.
- Reviewed Skype messages between Pahl and a woman in the Philippines; there was a communication gap between Aug. 21 and Sept. 5, 2022.
- Phone records showed no calls between Pahl and his father from June 28 to Aug. 26, 2022, except for one 26-second call on Aug. 26.
- On Sept. 17, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Pahl’s home and a detective reviewed web browser searches on his phone.
- The web searches included Waukesha County obituaries, funeral homes, and “dead body found by construction crew.”
- Pahl had been searching for “Pavlons” daily, starting on Sept. 16, 2022, which is before anyone interviewed him about Pavlons’ disappearance.
- The Pavlons family didn’t know Stephanie was deceased until Sept. 12, 2022.
- Facebook messages showed Stephanie sent messages to Pahl’s friend in the Philippines from Aug. 13 through September 2022 with no responses.
- Messages between Stephanie and her daughter showed missed calls starting on Aug. 25, 2022, and an angry message from Layla on Aug. 26.
- When Pahl was arrested on Sept. 18, 2022, a detective extracted data from his phone showing screenshots of news about Pavlons’ body being found, her driver’s license, police news releases and prescription bottle photos.
- 2023 web history revealed searches about moving overseas, Pavlons’ obituary and drugs.
- Acknowledged that Pahl had a broken foot and wore a boot, but didn’t think the defendant was limping at times.
- Confirmed that Pahl was cooperative every time they spoke.
- Dr. Edward Rushel, Pavlons’ neurologist
- Treated Pavlons for seizures and last saw her on May 12, 2022.
- Prescribed Pavlons medications for her condition.
- Described Pavlons’ demeanor as quiet, but thought she was more upbeat at her last visit.
- No indication she was having thoughts of self-harm; she had not had any seizures in the last year.
- Seizures were not likely to cause death (less than 5-15% chance).
- Wisconsin State Crime Lab analyst Melissa Graf, Friction Ridge Analyst
- Used chemicals to examine a document for fingerprint detail.
- The paper was highly crumpled with wrinkles and folds, not in pristine condition.
- Conducted a fingerprint comparison using cards from Pahl and Pavlos, and identified a latent print as belonging to the defendant.
- The paper appeared to be cut with scissors at the bottom rather than torn, but another analyst may have done that after their analysis.
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Detective Jeremy Stilling
- Assisted with the execution of a search warrant at Pahl’s residence.
- Found a document about non-extradition countries in the defendant’s belongings, but could not say who wrote the note, when it was written or how long it was in the box where it was found.
- Jessica Chilson, Willow Park Apartments manager
- Pahl was a resident of Willow Park Apartments starting Nov. 1, 2021.
- Pahl could have guests, but no one was allowed to live there permanently; guests were only permitted to stay for up to two days.
- Key access is required to enter; surveillance cameras were installed in 2022, covering all doors and monitoring people coming and going.
- Pahl would have received only one key when renting the apartment.
- Kyle Hobeck, Facebook Marketplace purchaser
- Purchased a powerwasher from someone named Stephanie, who said she was selling stuff for her employer.
- Wakausha County Sheriff’s Det. David Shoder
- Reviewed cell phone records for Pavlons and Pahl.
DAY 4 – 10/30/25
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office Det. Brian Fredericks returned to the stand for cross-examination.
- Identified the defendant from surveillance video.
- Showed the jury videos of Pahl in the mailroom the day after the victim was last seen.
- On Sept. 17, still had lots of Pavlons’ belongings, including her purse, water bottle and prescription drugs.
- Pahl was talking with women in the Philippines and planned to go there. He had previously traveled to the country.
- Pavlons’ mother felt she was in an unhealthy relationship.
- Every time Pahl left the apartment, Pavlons left too, and Pavlons had no key to the apartment.
- Racine County Sheriff’s K-9 Officer Andrew Willis
- K-9 Raven is certified in human remains detection.
- Willis and Raven were called to search an area by the Waukesha Police Department. The search involved multiple vehicles, with a Toyota Tacoma being the target vehicle.
- Raven initially walked past the vehicle, then made a 180-degree turn and sat at the back of the truck. The formal alert indicated Raven detected the scent of human remains.
- The search lasted approximately three minutes, total.
- On cross-examination, the defense pointed out Raven’s certification record, noting false negatives in 2021, and pointed out that Willis knew the location of the target vehicle before the search began.
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Detective Marshall Jensen
- Asked to search a section of a bedroom and found small pieces of paaper with login information as well as a bag with documents and currency.
- I was not aware that Pahl had returned from the Philippines.
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Detective Nathan Plennes
- Responded to a report of a dead body on Sept. 9. He was at the scene for approximately three hours; no identification was found on the body.
- Pahl did not approach him to report a missing person.
- Went to Pavlons’ parents’ home to explain the investigation. Her mother gave officers Stephanie’s belongings and turned over two journals.
- A journal covering July 10, 2020, to April 2021 documented Pahl and Pavlons’ relationship’s ups and downs.
- WATCH: Victim Stephanie Pavlons’ Journal Entries Detail Abuse by Matthew Pahl
- Received medical records showing Pavlons was treated for a blown eardrum.
- The journal mentioned that Pahl had an acquaintance in the Philippines and shipped a computer.
DAY 3 – 10/29/25
- Katelyn North, Receptionist at Delafield Dental
- Stephanie Pavlons had a dental appointment scheduled for Sept. 2 at noon. Text reminders were sent to her on Aug. 19 and Aug. 30. A phone call was made on Aug. 31.
- Pavlons never confirmed the appointment and was marked as “no call, no show.”
- Wisconsin State Crime Lab analyst Chris Johnson
- Searched Pahl’s Toyota Tacoma truck on Sept. 20, 2022 and conducted presumptive blood tests on three areas inside the truck; all were negative.
- Luminol testing in the truck’s bed showed some illumination, but all swabs tested negative for human blood.
- Nothing of evidentiary value was found on the vehicle.
- Wisconsin State Crime Lab senior analyst Stephanie Kleine
- Analyzed DNA samples from the truck swabs, most of which had insufficient DNA for testing.
- The front passenger seat had male DNA identified as likely Pahl; the truck bed had Pahl’s DNA plus two individuals.
- Could not find Pavlons’ DNA in the vehicle.
- Tested a black t-shirt and found blood, but no human DNA.
- Waukesha Police Department digital analyst David Feyen
- Analyzed four MacBook computers and Pahl’s phone.
- Performed data extraction of the electronic devices.
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office Det. Brian Fredericks
- Served as lead detective on the case and responded to the scene where the victim was found; the body was in a skeletal phase, with the gender initially unknown.
- Went to the victim’s home for identification, talked to parents who hadn’t seen her for about three weeks. They said they last saw her going swimming with Pahl.
- The victim and defendant had a child together, Stephanie had no friends and her parents were unaware of her talking to other men.
- Inside Stephanie’s purse, police found two empty prescription bottles, vape cartridges, personal items and the pink water bottle seen in surveillance video, as well as scalpels matching the ones found at the crime scene.
- Interviewed Pahl on Sept. 17, and he said he couldn’t say when he last saw the victim. He said she disappeared while he was at an orthopedic appointment. Pahl told him that Pavlons had a tendency to wander off in the woods and mentioned a note found under his car’s floor mat.
- A handwritten note was found that said, “I hate you…I’m tired of being used and taken for granted.”
- Pahl picked up the victim’s medications on Aug. 25
- The jury heard a recording of Pahl’s arrest, during which he made statements about police fabricating information.
DAY 2 – 10/28/25
- Georgiann Pavlons, the victim’s mother, took the stand.
- Stephanie was one of three children and was in a long-term relationship with Matt Pahl. She moved in with Pahl quickly, and Pavlons described the relationship as “unhealthy.”
- WATCH: Bad Boyfriend Murder Trial: Victim’s Mom Takes the Stand
- Pahl was not welcome in Pavlons’ home due to how he treated Stephanie.
- Stephanie worked for Pahl’s house-flipping business and had no other job or paycheck. Stephanie had no car. Pahl would drive her to visit her family, but left her at the curb.
- Last contact was on August 25, 2022, when Pavlons texted her daughter about a package delivery; Stephanie didn’t respond.
- Stephanie smoked and vaped, had epilepsy and took multiple medications.
- Pavlons said her family had a history of suicide; Stephanie had a history of depression and cutting.
- Stephanie was planning a trip to the Philippines with Matt; she was waiting for her passport.
- Medical Examiner Dr. Amy Sheil
- Responded to the scene where Stephanie’s body was found.
- Found a disposable scalpel near the body.
- The body was partially decomposed and skeletonized with no soft tissue on the face or neck. The victim was identified through tattoos, jewelry, a medical pin in her wrist and dental records.
- At autopsy, no internal or external trauma was found; the hyoid bone was intact with no fractures, and most internal organs were absent due to decomposition.
- Cause of death was undetermined, and manner of death was undetermined.
- Estimated date of death: Aug. 23, 2022.
- Could not rule out seizure, stabbing, strangulation or car accident.
- Forensic Entomologist Dr. Crystal Hans
- Identified maggots in the victim’s torso and determined the estimated prepupal state would have been August 25-26 to August 30-31.
- Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Janamarie Truesdell
- Found no trauma to the remains during an analysis.
- The only sharp force trauma present was from the autopsy procedure.
- Could not determine cause or manner of death.
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ross Settz
- Helped identify Pavlons’ body and assisted with search warrants for her phone.
- Retrieved surveillance video from the Willow Park Apartments showing two security cameras focused on the entrance doors.
- The video shows the victim and the defendant leaving the building one minute apart. The defendant returns at 11:14 am with Stephanie’s pink water bottle, then exits at 12:20 pm with nothing.
- Conducted an interview with Pahl on Sept. 17, 8 days after the body was found. In the interview, the defendant talks about the victim’s mental health issues, suicide attempts, medication problems and depression.
- Defendant claimed that the victim had seizures and was on antidepressants and pain medications.
- Said he last saw her weeks ago, and said she left her purse in the back of his truck after furniture shopping. He claimed she stayed overnight, left her phone and iPad at his apartment and disappeared while he was at an orthopedic appointment.
- Pahl told police he found a suicide note from the victim saying she was “tired of everybody” and “hated everyone.” He mentioned she had a history of cutting her wrists, threatening suicide and running into the woods.
- The interview lasted two hours and was voluntary; Pahl was not read his Miranda rights.
DAY 1 – 10/27/25
- Sue Opper delivered the prosecution’s opening statement.
- Prosecutors alleged that Pahl killed his girlfriend on Aug. 23, 2022, and then left her body in the woods, where it was discovered 17 days later.
- Prosecutors will present evidence that Pahl had a relationship online with two women in the Philippines and was planning to move there, but his plans were derailed when he hurt his foot and had to rely on his girlfriend, Stephanie, more.
- On Aug. 23, Pahl and Stephanie went to his physical therapy appointment; that was the last time she was seen alive.
- Pahl never reported the victim missing.
- WATCH: Prosecutor: Matthew Pahl killed girlfriend, hid body in woods for 17 days
- Peter Wolff delivered the defense’s opening statement.
- Pahl’s attorney argued the cause and manner of Stephanie’s death are undetermined and that there is no evidence that Pahl intentionally killed her.
- Defense suggests that Stephanie’s death could have been a suicide or due to medical issues.
- Questioned how Pahl could have moved Stephanie, given his broken foot.
- WATCH: Defense: No Proof Matthew Pahl Killed Girlfriend Found Dead in Woods
- Eyewitness Nicholas Fricano
- Fricano was a project manager for a construction company hired to install “No Trespassing” signs along a property.
- While working on Sept 9, 2022, he noticed a foul odor and found a dead person in a wooded area approximately five to ten feet from the tree line.
- Deputy Sheriff Frank Frascello
- First law enforcement officer to respond to the scene.
- Met with construction workers, who led him to the body’s location.
- Identified the presence of human remains wearing jeans and a bra.
- Waukesha County Sheriff’s Det. Mark Conrad
- Part of the drone unit, Conrad responded to the scene and took aerial photography.
- Det. Christina LaFleur
- Processed the crime scene and collected evidence; at the scene, she found a vape and a scalpel with a green handle.
- The victim’s body was lying on her back, clothing partially disturbed.
- The body was in an advanced state of decomposition with maggot infestation.
- Executed a search warrent at Pahl’s apartment on Sept. 17, where she collected items including an iPad, cell phones, a purse with Stephanie’s ID and a medical bag with scalpels.
- Found a handwritten note under the floor mat in Pahl’s truck passenger area.
- Cadaver dog alerted on Pahl’s vehicle on Sept. 19.
- Waukesha police specialist David Platta
- Used a laser scanner to document the crime scene with 77 different scans.
- Measured distances: the vape was 14.26 feet from the body, the scalpel was 12.89 feet from the body.
- Placed markers at the scene for the jury to observe the approximate location of the body and evidence.
- The court went on a jury view to visit the site where the victim’s body was found.
- Over the 15-minute viewing period, the jury saw evidence markers placed in the locations of key items.
- Jurors were told not to discuss the case while on the jury view.
- Outside the presence of the jury, the day ended with a voir dire of the victim’s mother to determine the parameters of her testimony about her daughter’s mental health history.
Portions of this story were reported by a journalist and have been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
