Milwaukee, WI – A Milwaukee County jury convicted Nicolas Matzen of the murder of his former girlfriend, Emily Rogers, whose body was discovered near a creek in St. Francis nearly three years ago. The verdict was delivered after jurors deliberated for nearly three hours on Friday.
Nicolas Matzen, who was visibly unemotional next to his attorney Scott Anderson, faced charges stemming from the death of Rogers, a 23-year-old mother from Milwaukee. The incident occurred approximately 34 months after Rogers was found dead in the 1300 block of East Waterford Street in St. Francis.
Emily Rogers, a resident of Milwaukee’s south side, was last seen alive on April 26, 2022. Before her disappearance, she had reportedly planned to end her relationship with Matzen, as conveyed by a friend to the police. Nine days subsequent to her last sighting, Rogers’ lifeless body was located.
The trial, which commenced on Monday, saw Matzen take the stand to testify in his own defense by Thursday. During his testimony, as led by defense lawyer Anderson, Matzen claimed that he last encountered Rogers alive at their Becher Street apartment, which they had once shared. According to Matzen, he had just been released from jail on an unrelated charge and had returned to the apartment to collect his belongings with a friend.
Matzen denied all allegations related to Rogers’ disappearance and murder, stating he was unaware of her whereabouts until he noticed social media posts about her being missing.
Earlier in the trial, Felix Torres, a witness who received immunity in return for his testimony, presented a different account. Torres claimed he assisted Matzen in wrapping Rogers’ body in a rug and placing it in the trunk of a car. The two then allegedly transported her body to St. Francis and disposed of it near a creek.
The medical examiner’s report revealed that Rogers had been strangled twice, initially with the assailant’s hand and subsequently with a cord. Torres agreed to testify against Matzen in exchange for immunity from prosecution and assurances that his brother would not face any charges related to the case.
At the time of the murder, Matzen was under probation for charges including possession of a firearm by a felon and first-degree reckless endangerment.
The sentencing for Matzen is scheduled for April 17.
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