A 57-year-old Wisconsin man has been convicted of killing his girlfriend and then hiding her body in the woods after she told him she was leaving him.
On Tuesday, a Waukesha County judge found Matthew Pahl guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse in the death of his girlfriend, 44-year-old Stephanie Pavlons. The trial lasted six days.
Pavlons Body was Found in the Woods on Sept 9, 2022
On Sept. 9, 2022, Pavlons' body was found in the area of Golf Road in Delafield in an "accelerated state of decomposition," according to a criminal complaint.
Once the body was identified as Pavlons', authorities spoke with her family, who told investigators they had not heard from their daughter in nearly three weeks and that she was in an "on and off again relationship" with Pahl for more than 20 years.
Pavlons Detailed the Abuse She Suffered at the Hands of Pahl in Journal Entries
Pavlons' mother believed her daughter was a victim of domestic violence and that Pahl "knocked her around." As detectives continued their investigation, they found apparent evidence of such abuse in the form of entries into a daily planner book.
"[A]nother depressing & physically abusing day. I think he likes to do it," read an entry from July 2021. "HATe my life."
An entry from the next day read, "got hit hard which left a nice mark on my chest," as well as "got a nice scar along w/ it." Pictures from that same year showed the victim "with a bruised and swollen eye" and a red mark on her chest.
Pahl was Captured on Camera Returning with Pavlons' Water Bottle and Purse She was Last Seen Leaving Their Shared Apartment with
Pavlons was last seen on Aug. 23, 2022, at a convenience store after leaving their shared apartment in the morning with a pink water bottle and black purse. Pahl left not long after.
Surveillance footage captured the since-convicted defendant returning to the apartment hours later with the same pink water bottle, and a little while later, carrying a plastic shopping bag containing Pavlons' black purse.
Authorities noted that Pahl did not report her missing between her disappearance on Aug. 23, 2022, and her discovery on Sept. 17, 2022.
Pahl Told Cops He 'Had a Bad Feeling' About Pavlons and That She was Suicidal
Despite compiling evidence, due to the decomposition of her body, authorities could not determine a cause of death for Pavlons. However, they did determine that she died on Aug. 23.
Pahl was ultimately taken into custody on Sept. 17, 2022, where he told law enforcement he hadn't seen Pavlons in weeks and he "had a bad feeling." He claimed that she was "threatening suicide all of the time and that really got to him," according to the complaint.
At one point in his interview, Pahl reportedly said, "I have nothing to do with what happened to her...so that purse, that purse, and water bottle ain't s—...ok it's not going to prove anything. It's not going to prove or disprove anything."
Pahl Searched for Pavlons' Obituary Three Days After Her Death and 15 Days Before Her Body was Found
Pahl's computer history also proved curious to detectives. He "began searching for an obituary" for the victim on Aug. 26, three days after her death and 15 days before her body was found.
Pahl was charged with killing Pavlons, and plans for the trial moved ahead. Once it began, prosecutors admitted it was a circumstantial case; however, they crafted an account and provided enough evidence that jurors found to be incriminating.
Pavlons Had Told Pahl About Her Intentions to Leave Him, He Then Strangled Her With Her Purse Strap and Dumped Her Body in the Woods
Pavlons told Pahl her intentions to leave him around the time he had a doctor's appointment on that fateful Aug. 23, according to prosecutors' account of events. He then strangled her with her purse strap and dumped her body in the woods.
"He thinks he's covering his trail – but he didn't know that we would know we could look through her phone, find things he deleted – we're smarter than him," Waukesha County Assistant District Attorney Kristi Gordon said. "He thinks he's the smartest man in the room."
Pahl's defense team claimed his behavior was normal — that he was worried about his girlfriend and that was why he was searching for an obituary. They also suggested Pavlons was suicidal and pointed out how neither her mother nor the couple's shared daughter reported her missing.
Prosecutors' account ultimately proved more convincing. Pahl is set to be sentenced on Nov. 11; he faces life in prison.
