A 38-year-old Wisconsin professor allegedly killed his pregnant on-again, off-again girlfriend and her dog before setting her house on fire, authorities say.
Matthew R. Sierra faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree intentional homicide of an unborn child, arson and mistreatment of animals causing death. He stands accused of killing 27-year-old Alexis Pickett.
The La Crosse Fire Department responded around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 13 to a house fire in the 1700 block of Taylor Street. When emergency crews arrived, they encountered heavy smoke on scene and when firefighters entered the home, they found Pickett deceased.
Autopsy Revealed Pickett was Dead Before the Fire Started
According to a criminal complaint, an autopsy revealed her body lacked soot in her lungs and had low carbon monoxide, meaning she was dead before the fire started. Her cause of death has not yet been disclosed. Investigators also learned that her dog was also killed before the blaze. The pet was located underneath a toilet, according to the affidavit.
Sierra was seen arriving at Pickett's home at around 12.45 a.m. on the same day, according to surveillance footage obtained by authorities. He was seen leaving about two hours later, with the home's smoke alarms getting triggered just as he entered his vehicle.
Sierra Had Told Pickett to Get an Abortion, Threatened to Seek Custody of First Child if She Refused
Sierra and Pickett already had a child together and she was pregnant with their second child. But he wanted her to have an abortion and threatened to seek custody of their first child if she refused, cops alleged.
Detectives spoke with Pickett's friend, who said, "All I know is that they have been on and off and they have been constantly fighting because he found out she was pregnant with his kid and he didn't want anything to do with it."
Sierra Claimed He was at a Gas Station But His Cellphone Data Placed Him Near Pickett's Home
The defendant claimed he was at a gas station at the time of the fire, but cellphone data showed he was at Pickett's home. Cops arrested Sierra on Tuesday and took him to the La Crosse County Jail, where he remains on a $1 million bond. His next court date is set for Dec. 23.
"This has been a very diligent, comprehensive, and strategic investigation in collaboration with the La Crosse Fire Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Wisconsin State Fire Marshal's Office," City of La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron said in a statement. "Our thoughts continue to be with the Pickett family."
Sierra is a mechanical design professor at Western Technical College, He was placed on administrative leave in the wake of his arrest.
