September 9th, 2022, 10:54 a.m. A construction crew is clearing brush near Golf Road in Deloffield, preparing to post no trespassing signs. It's routine work until one of them steps just 5 ft into the treeine and stumbles onto something unexpected, something profoundly disturbing. They immediately dial 911. 911. What's the address of the emergency? >> Uh, it's the Orthopedic Hospital of Wisconsin on Gulf Road. >> Okay, hang on just a moment. >> Okay. Is that the Orthopedic Associates of Wisconsin? >> Yep. It's behind it. It's in a vacant lot next to it. >> And tell me exactly what happened. >> Uh, we found a dead body in the woods when we were putting up uh putting up stakes for no trespassing signs. >> Okay. >> [music] [music] >> The deputies respond. Detectives follow. What they find is a woman in an advanced state of decomposition positioned just inside the woods. No purse, wallet, phone, or ID. A Jane Doe. The following day, the Wakaaw County Medical Examiner begins the slow work of identifying her. Because the composition is advanced, external clues are limited, but internally there are markers. a surgical pin in her right wrist and a dental bridge stamped with SP65. The medical examiner cannot determine a cause or manner of death due to the decomposition, but she estimates the woman has been deceased anywhere from 1 week to 1 month. Soon, investigators identify her as 44year-old Stephanie Pavlons. On September 12th, detectives notified her parents. It had been nearly 3 weeks since her parents had heard from her. That silence, that unusual break in contact had already raised concern >> when I sent her a text that she had a package here and she didn't respond. And I thought, "Oh, that's cuz she always responded." >> Stephanie's mother remembered her as a private, [music] caring woman who managed deep-seated anxiety and epilepsy. For 20 years, she was in a highly volatile on andoff relationship with 54year-old [music] Matthew Paul. Her family openly disliked him and suspected he was abusive. In court testimony, Miss Pavlons was asked to elaborate further on her relationship with her daughter and Matthew. >> Was Stephanie's relationship with Matt could be categorized as kind of on again, off again? >> Not at the beginning. >> Okay. Tell me about how your relationship was in the beginning. Um they were just he he had his own business of um fixing up houses inside and out and she she was his main worker. >> Okay. So Stephanie actually worked for Matt. >> Yeah. They worked together. >> What kind of work did they do? >> Um construction on people's homes. Um, >> when Stephanie met Matt, so she met him in 1999. Before that, did she have a lot of friends? >> She had a few. Yeah. >> And a few close friends. >> Yeah. >> After she met Matt, did you know if Stephanie had any friends? >> Not really. She didn't. No, she didn't really have any friends. >> Okay. And was Matthew welcome in your home? No. >> Why not? >> Because of the way he treated her. >> Way he treated who? >> Uh Steph. >> Okay. What What bothered you about that? I just thought it was an unhealthy relationship and she um I don't know. Did in the last 5 to 8 years did Matt ever come to your residence? >> No. >> Did you guys ever talk on the phone? >> No. >> You didn't have any communication with Matt? >> No. The family's distrust of Matthew arose from a toxic one-sided dynamic. In a 2017 family court hearing, he claimed total disability due to complications from a broken foot to successfully pause his child support obligations. While the court saw a man who couldn't [music] work, Stephanie saw a man who wouldn't. Despite her own health struggles, she shouldered the entire financial burden. She felt trapped, a word she used frequently in a daily planner recovered by detectives from her mother's home, unable to leave a man who had made himself her permanent responsibility. That journal also documented a harrowing pattern of abuse, including a 2021 entry that read, "Got hit hard, leaving a nice mark on my chest." There were countless [music] such entries. This shifted the focus of the case to a targeted homicide, especially [music] after detectives realized Matthew never reported her disappearance. Surveillance images helped to fill in the gaps. On August 23rd, security camera footage from [music] their Willow Park apartment showed Stephanie exiting the building for the last time with Matthew following just one minute later. Detective Fredericks, what did you observe about Miss Pavlon's belongings on that day? >> Uh, she was leaving with that black purse with the chain on it, uh, as well as the pink water bottle. >> Okay, that was at 8:39 a.m. >> That is correct. >> Going to slide six. This is at 8:40 a.m. >> Is that accurate? >> Yes. Sorry. We'll play here. stopped it at 8:4040. Uh, Detective Fredericks, what did you take note of as Mr. Paul is leaving the apartment? >> Well, he's leaving from a different door uh than Stephanie had left. >> Okay. And did you also take note of the possessions or belongings that he's carrying with him? >> Yes, he's got a bag with contents in it. >> At 8:53 a.m., a convenience store captured the final images of Stephanie alive. Cell phone data shows both phones traveling toward Orthopedic Associates where Matthew had a 9:15 appointment. Yet, neither phone pinged from the waiting room. Instead, location data places both devices in a wooded area near G Road, the very location where Stephanie's body would later be found. The devices remain there together for approximately 90 minutes. At 9:34, Matthew checks into his medical appointment 16 minutes after arriving in the parking lot. 2 hours later, surveillance showed Matthew returning to the apartment alone, carrying Stephanie's belongings. Okay, I've paused it at 11:141. Detective Frederick's, what did you notice about this? >> Uh, I see Mr. call uh approaching his through the uh door to the apartment complex uh with a key and uh in his left hand and arm he has a blue folder and between the folder and his chest is a pink water bottle. >> What was significant about that? >> The pink water bottle was seen earlier that day leaving uh with Miss Pavlons. Okay. Pause it at 11:1451. Detective Frederick's uh important to note that Mr. Paul's not wearing any sort of walking boot here. >> He is not >> not using any crutches. >> Also correct. Matthew re-entered the building an hour later with a bag that detectives said contained the purse she was last seen with. Armed with this timeline and the mounting digital evidence, detectives decided it was time to have a conversation with Matthew. On September 17th, they sent a tactical team to serve search warrants at his address for the apartment and vehicle. While there, they asked if he was willing to come down to the station to answer questions about Stephanie's disappearance. [music] They told him nothing more. Detectives were working on a first-degree intentional homicide theory. They wanted to gauge his reaction, see how much he knew, and get a clear sense of his mindset. After being read his Miranda rights, Matthew waved them and agreed to speak. >> Well, I haven't done anything to be in charge. >> Well, where do you go? >> Nothing. >> Okay. >> There's nothing in my vehicle and there's nothing in that apartment. Nothing. We're not even accusing you of having anything in your truck. [clears throat] We just >> We just want to ask you a few questions. That's all we want to do. Talk to you a little bit and see if maybe some of the answers you can give us can clear us up and point us in the right direction maybe. >> Okay. All right. I will try. But when you try calling, I already contacted a family member and I will get the best attorney that just because I live in that place does not mean I can't afford my family. Nobody's saying anything bad about you, Matt. Nobody's Nobody's >> That's We don't have any preconceived notions about you. >> I I'm just being truthful with you. The experiences that I've been through here, okay, that sounds >> I'm not saying that I'm one of these guys that I believe in defunding the police because I'm not I I know you guys go to freaking hell with the with the [ __ ] you do, okay? And I'm not trying to butter you up or anything. I'm just being straight up honest with you. I don't care if I don't like you or not. And I'm just being honest with you. >> Appreciate that. >> I I I've been through the system enough. I see what you guys go through and got to deal with. I'm not on that >> line, you know, where things are going. But I also know that there's a flip side of that where this county has a tendency to experience some bad things here. It sounds like you have and you know it sounds like you've had some bad experiences in the county here. Uh like my partner was saying, you know, we're just looking to to have a conversation and for you to give us a shot. Uh we we'd like to explain some things. I know you got a bunch of questions. Uh we have some questions. We have some answers. Um we'll be honest with you and we just our ask is that you just be straight with us, right? >> I assume you've been searched and searched, right? Like Yeah, I'm just looking at >> if we thought that about you, you would you're not in handcuffs, right? >> You've been nothing but respectful with the deputy >> allergies. You're good. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, let's get through this paperwork so we can get through the the what's and everything else. So, you high school, college, any of that? Yeah, all of the above. >> Okay. Do you have a degree in anything or no? Just some college? Well, okay. I I'm I'm not going to answer that one because it's we're not I mean, if I have too much education, then I can be considered too smart. >> No. If I don't have any education, >> no. We ask that question. We ask that question because sometimes when we talk to people like when Bur said they haven't gone through a lot of schooling and we want to make sure that when we're talking to you, you understand what we we're saying. We understand what you're saying. That's what we ask. It's not to be offensive or to >> to say that to say anything negative or positive. >> I'm not narcissistic, so I'm not going to talk up my education or my uh my ability to comprehend. >> You seem fine to me. So I I don't you don't need to give me a curriculum. So I mean I'm I'm confident. So >> it's different things. So I >> Yeah, that's fine. >> It's a whole list of stuff. So I [laughter] I'd rather get >> to the next. >> Are you curious at all about why we want to talk to you? >> Well, of course I am. >> That's that's kind of why >> that's why I asked what? >> Right. Cuz we haven't accused you of doing anything wrong. >> Something that happened yesterday. I mean, I went right over by by the police. I mean, nobody >> I'm not we're not here about anything yesterday. Okay. >> Okay. And neither of us has accused you of doing anything wrong. All we want to do is talk to you. >> Yeah. But you're you have a job. You your job is to >> find make a case. >> Yeah. To find the truth. >> Yeah. Fact. >> You know what I mean? >> I hope so. That's all we're me and Brian are not about putting stuff on people that didn't do it. Okay. I promise you. All right. I know you never met us, but I'm I'm shooting you straight. >> Well, I've seen both you guys before. Okay. Believe it or not, >> we have we have no desire. >> Yeah. >> Mhm. >> Well, that's good that I've seen you make a few bus in the undercover capacity. >> Can we Let's talk about Stephanie. What is she to you? Oh my god. Stephanie is the mother of my daughter and you guys already know that. >> Yeah. >> Did you guys have a current relationship? Uh we've we've always had some type of relationship with [laughter] helping helping each other go. Um she helped me uh she was spending a lot of time with her family and friends and she uh helped me recently when I uh had when I broke my ankle. Uh she helped me out quite a bit and I was quite thankful for that. Uh I had a few other family members that helped. [clears throat] um what I've been with her. Um this is well documented with her doctors. It's well documented with um the suicide attempts that she's made uh in numerous places. Um, and uh, back in April, she took a whole bottle of pills uh, by her parents house and um, they just kind of blew it off like it was nothing. And uh I tried and tried and tried to get her to stop the medications to get help. Um >> what did she take when she overdosed by her parents? What was she taking? uh she was taking uh one of the doctors was prescribing her a lot of medication and um the we a lot of times I would go with her to pick up the medications uh which the pharmacist has well documented that I would go there and pick them up or we would go together and um a lot of times times I would I would give the medications >> [clears throat] >> uh my daughter um allegedly my daughter. There's never been a DNA test to definitively prove that. Okay. I believe in my heart she's my daughter, but um I have a brother that's deceased that we're very close to each other and we all lived together at one time 20 years ago. So, um, I said again, we haven't sat here and accused you of anything. Okay. We're just asking questions about her whereabouts. >> No, I I really I uh All right. So, so Matt, you understand that when we have these types of cases, we we pull out all the stops and resources, right? Okay. Okay. Do you understand that? Okay. Okay. You see that's August 23rd, correct? >> Yeah. >> Okay. That's her going out here. >> Of course. Of course. You're going to have pictures going in and out. >> That's her going out to the truck. I told you I saw it. >> I don't I just I'm just showing you some stuff. Okay. >> Mhm. >> All right. That's her walking out to the truck. Okay. >> That's the purse, right? >> Yeah. Couple minutes later, you're walking out over here and the truck drives away and you guys go off to the appointment or I think you guys went to Quick Trip. Does that sound familiar? >> I don't I don't. >> But you went to your appointment that day at 8:30, right? Okay. All right. Okay. This is where we need to to figure out something because it doesn't make any sense. All right. That's you coming back the same day at 11:14. Okay. >> Hold on. Listen, man. your kid. You're holding her water bottle and that. Okay, that's you going upstairs wearing the same shirt you have on now. Okay, this is the same thing. And at 12:29, so less than an hour later, you walked in and that's her purse in her bag. In the bag. Okay. So, this whole story, Matt, about >> that's her purse in the bag. >> Yes, ma'am. So the whole story about finding the purse in the truck later makes it it wouldn't have happened because >> Oh no no no no no no Matt. That's her purse in a plastic bag. Okay that you carried inside after you carried her water bottle that she walked Matt. Look you see that's her water bottle and that's her purse. Okay. You walk in with her water bottle. You go to >> What time is this? 12 >> when you got home, Matt. >> Yeah, that's when I came that's when I came back from my appointment, >> right? So, you carried in her water bottle and her purse that same day. This is the 23rd, the same day. This isn't a week or two later at a car wash where you found it in the back seat with a note that you then read and then stuck underneath the floor. Matt Matt, >> that's not her personal bag. >> It is her person. Oh, that's closed. >> It's closed, man. >> That's clothes. >> Who's closed? >> Yeah, that's clothes I had in the back. That's not a purse. >> It is her purse, man. >> No, it's not. >> It's not. >> That's not her first. >> How do you figure, man? >> Because it's not. That's a bag. >> Can I show you something? >> It's a bag of clothes. >> I'm going to show you something. Okay. See, I knew you guys were going to do this. >> No, Matt. But what the problem is, >> I knew you guys going to do this. That's why I >> Nobody's doing anything. You're the one. >> That's her purse right there, right? You see that? >> Yeah. >> You see that? Okay. >> If I was If I was the purse, >> that's her purse. Okay. So, we're not going to play games about it's not her purse. It is her purse. Okay. We know it's her purse. We also know that her phone went with her out to where you guys went for your appointment and then it came back with you. We know this. So you saying the phone stayed at her apartment, we're asking you to be honest with us and help us. Okay. But if you're going to tell us stories about going to a car wash and finding her purse in there a week later, it doesn't make sense. None of it does. What happened? It'd be one thing if she had some type of drug overdose. Okay. And you're doing something. We don't know. >> Regardless, I have nothing to do with what happened to her. >> What happened? >> So that that purse, >> what happened? >> That purse and water bottle ain't [ __ ] >> Okay. What happened? >> That purse and water bottle ain't [ __ ] >> Yeah. >> Okay. It's not going to prove anything. >> It's not going to prove or disprove anything. >> Agreed. >> Okay. >> Yeah. What happened to her? >> Only you can tell us. I don't I don't know what happened to her. >> I don't know what happened to her. >> Why were you at Why were you at the place on the 9th for You didn't have an appointment that day then? >> I was. Yeah, I did. I had a >> No, you did not. You had one on the 6th and the >> I had a doctor's appointment on the 9th on orthopedic associate. What do you mean what place? You had an appointment on September 6th and September 12th. >> I had an appointment on September 9th at Orthopedic Associates. >> See, I'm just asking you time. >> This is what you're trying to do. >> Now you're trying to get slit. You're trying to pin whatever was found over in that area on me. >> Why would you associate anything we found over there on you? >> Because I was there >> when >> I was there on the 9th. I had a doctor's appointment at at 1:00. I saw the crime lab there. They were there at by 11:00. >> Everybody in there was talking about it. >> Who did you see at 1:00 over there? >> The doctor. >> Who? >> Dr. Shu. Did you have an appointment? >> I had pre-planned or did you call it? >> This was scheduled. >> So, you had a scheduled appointment on the 9th of September at 1 p.m. with Dr. Shu? >> Yeah. Okay. >> [snorts] >> Why do you think something happened or or why are you associating that? >> Why why are you getting so aggressive about this person? >> I'm not getting aggressive. >> See, you're changing tactics. See, this is why this is why I should have even tried to explain this to you. >> It's our job to [clears throat] point out inconsistencies. Okay. So, when you tell me when you tell me When you tell me you found her purse a week or two later while cleaning out the truck and then you found a note under it that talked about supposedly about her alluding to suicide which you then showed your dad. >> She's got another purse. >> I understand. But you're telling me you found this note and then >> she's got another purse. >> I know, [snorts] Matt. But listen, >> she's got another purse. She's got a gray a gray. >> That's not the purse we're talking about, Matt. What I'm talking about. >> How do you know which purse was I talking about? talking about the the person in the photos, man. And what I'm talking about the note. You said you found the note. >> Maybe you said >> Yeah, but that's not the purse I was talking about. That's not the purse that I found in the back seat. >> Okay. You found a >> The purse I found in the back seat was it it was a it's a gray strap-on bag. >> Okay. So, >> that that purse doesn't mean nothing. >> So, this black purse is the one you brought in the day that she went missing. The uh yeah that that that was in the in the car that was in the left car >> uh in the front. In the front and the other purse I found in the back. It it was it's a shoulder bag. >> Then not too long ago I asked you what property she left in the in the truck and you said nothing. She didn't leave anything. You said she left her phone at home. Okay. You said she left nothing in there. You went looking around. Nothing. Okay. And then a week later or two weeks later, you found her purse. >> I honestly don't recall everything. I I don't know. The phone might have been phone might have been in the car. >> Well, you said that she >> Why? Why? Hey, Matt. You said that you told her when you went to your appointment that I'll text you. And she said, "No, I left my phone in the house." That's what you said before. >> Mhm. That I'll text you. >> Yeah. You said I'll text you when I'm in there or something. And she said, "No, I left my phone at the house." or your apartment rather. That's what you told us a little while ago. >> No, I couldn't text her because I had the phone. That's >> You had your phone. You said you were going to text her. You said that she then said, >> "You know what? >> I left the phone." >> If you're going to charge me, charge me. I I didn't do anything. I I can't >> You're the only one who can give us info about her. >> I can't be honest. >> So we get answers to her family. >> I can't be I can't be honest anymore. >> What do you mean you can't be honest? You've been honest. I can't be >> you keep everything that I say twist anything you said keep twisting >> all we're doing is pointing out the inconsistencies on what you're saying >> because I can't I can't remember everything exactly >> okay but remembering what somebody had for for lunch a week ago is different from remembering this is the last time you've known this woman most of your adult life correct right you have a daughter in common supposedly like you said you don't know you can't prove you view her as your daughter >> I do nothing. We didn't accuse you of anything. >> I didn't do nothing to this girl. Regardless of the purse, regardless of the purses, regardless of the stupid water bottle, that water viral was left in and out of the truck. There's so much crap going in and out of that truck half the time. I don't remember. >> If you carry your person from the car, why did you put it in a plastic bag? >> That's it. >> And why did you go in an exit that you didn't use earlier? >> I can use Could you explain to me why you would have to conceal a plastic? >> I can use any exit I want. And hypothetically, if I did move a purse, I would not want to be walking around with a purse >> [clears throat] >> uh looking strange. >> Why would you look strange carrying a purse not over your shoulder? >> Because I'm a man. >> You can hold it with your hand. >> I I'm a I'm a man. I put my daughter's Disney backpack on my back. >> Okay. I I have to get an attorney. I'm trying. >> I don't think you are. >> No, you're not. You're lying. >> We need an opportunity to be truthful with us. >> Yeah. And I was >> Yeah. Well, we Well, we'll see you soon, though. >> Right. Okay. >> I was >> You started We had some problems. You started strong, but we had some problems and that's fine. You asked for an attorney, man. We're done, right? We We'll be in touch with you in the next couple weeks. That's I can I can promise you. >> Okay, >> that's fine. You know, I can promise you I didn't do anything. >> So you say >> so I know. >> Okay. >> So I know. >> Yeah. My god. >> With that recorded interview, detectives now had enough to ensure Matthew Paul wouldn't be walking free. Leveraging a prior conviction for delivery of cocaine, they detained him on a probation hold, buying themselves time, and they would need it. Proving homicide with an unknown cause of death and entirely circumstantial evidence can be a tall order. That's why it took a year before the state felt it had enough evidence to finally bring charges. >> Georgian Pavlon says tonight she's relieved. A criminal complaint filed this week details the criminal charges she's been waiting a year for. Pavlon's mom says the medical examiner called her with autopsy results two weeks ago. >> They couldn't come to a conclusion on on how she had died that it was undetermined is the cause of death. >> I was uh very very nervous about that and I called the detective and uh he says, "No, we've got plenty." >> Kendall, investigators also looked at Paul's cell phone search history. >> That's right, Patrick. Prosecutors say it showed he started searching websites for obituaries three days after Pavlons disappeared, but before her body was even discovered. Paul is charged with firstdegree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse. He's in the Wakaaw County Jail on a $2 million bond. >> During the course of their investigation, detectives identified a significant gap in Matthew's August 23rd [music] medical appointment alibi. Though his truck arrived at the clinic at 9:18 a.m., he didn't check in until 9:34, leaving 16 minutes unaccounted for. Forensics later revealed that while Stephanie's body lay in the brush, Matthew was on Skype as live Matthew Paul communicating with various [music] women in the Philippines. One account in particular, Majin contains conversations from late August 2022, just days after Stephanie's disappearance. In those messages, [music] Matthew discusses moving to the Philippines. He talks about one-way plane tickets, buying land, starting over. On September 11th, just 2 days after Stephanie's body is found, he messages one of the women. If I get interrogated, nobody has seen her. By that point, law enforcement had not publicly confirmed her identity. Matthew's browser history was [music] equally damning. Starting August 26th, he spent 15 days hunting through Waka County obituaries despite never reporting Stephanie missing. He didn't call the morg. [music] He didn't call the cops for 15 days. He just opened the paper and waited for her name to appear. On the day her [music] remains were found, he accessed a police scanner app 66 times, listening in real time as [music] investigators closed in. After a series of delays, the trial of Wisconsin versus Matthew Paul finally began on October 27th, 2025. >> On September 9th of 2022 is the day the body is discovered. I just told you that it's about 17 days between August 23 and September 9th of 2022. Well, what's Mr. Paul doing during this time? what's going on with his life. In fact, you may see some videos that you watch and you may conclude doesn't seem to have a care in the world. He continues chatting with the women in the Philippines. He continues making his plans to go to the Philippines, saying, "I'll be there by the end of the fall. I just got to finish this treatment and I'll be there." But he's also saying some curious things to these women in the Philippines. And he also starts talking to his dad. Hadn't talked to him since June. Suddenly, he's talking to his dad frequently. He's traveling up to Jackson off of Highway 60 to visit with his dad. His dad's coming down to his apartment. And he's telling his dad and he's telling his girlfriends something bad happened, but I can't send it in a text message. I can't talk about it in writing. We'll have to talk about it on the phone. He says he's worried about somebody. He even tells his dad he thinks he's in some kind of trouble. He also starts doing Google searches. He's searching for Stephanie Pavlon's name in the obituaries. He's um searching uh the Waka I'm sorry. is searching Google, just doing Google searches on her name. At this point, nothing had been made public about her death. There was a brief news article the day the body was found, but prior to the body even being found, he's looking up the obituaries for Stephanie Pavlons. He's Google searching her name and he's got an app on his phone that's a police scanner and he's checking that frequently, checking in what are the cops up to, what are the cops investigating nowadays, what kind of scene are they getting called to. All of this evidence will be presented to you. >> Prosecutors told jurors this case wasn't about guesswork, it was about data. They argued Matthew used a routine doctor's appointment as cover, [music] that both phones went into the woods together and stayed there, but only Matthew came back out, and that his own digital footprint, from obituary searches to [music] police scanner checks, showed consciousness of guilt, not coincidence. In contrast, the defense made two main counterarguments. You will find this case very interesting. This is my client, Matthew Paul. You've heard the elements for the two charge defenses. You heard them on Friday. You'll hear them again throughout the case. You've heard the government's belief about what may have happened in August and September of 2022. No witnesses will be able to testify with any certainty how Stephanie Pavlon's life came to an end. In a homicide case, the government always relies upon the testimony of one critical witness, that being the medical examiner. In this case, the Wakshia County Medical Examiner will testify that despite exhaustive testing and investigation, they can sum up the conclusion about the manner and cause of Stephanie's death in one word, undetermined. For you, the jury, a thorough analysis of the facts and circumstances in this case is critical. For you to find Matthew guilty, you must find that the elements of the offenses have been pro proven by the government and proven by the government beyond a reasonable doubt. [snorts] There are a couple questions I want you to ask yourself when the government presents its case. Ask, how did Stephanie get from the front seat of Matt's truck to the small wooded area where she was found? Keep in mind, her body was found in a wooded area that is bound by a heavily traveled frontage road and interstate, a very busy health center, a golf course, and homes. Ask, if Matt carried Stephanie into that wooded area, when would he have done that? Keep in mind, the government has hundreds of hours of camera footage and cell phone mapping. Keep in mind, Matt was still dealing with a broken foot. Finally, ask, "What proof does the government have that Stephanie was even killed by another person?" It could have been suicide. It could have been medical issues. It could have been anything. Over the course of 7 days, the trial pitted Matthew's helpless persona against a mountain of digital evidence. While his defense claimed he was too disabled to move a body, the state attempted to prove he was healthy enough to scout disposal sites and monitor police scanners in real time. To address the inconclusive autopsy, prosecutors pointed to a chilling detail. Stephanie's clothes were found wet in a localized area despite not having rained. That's a common sign of strangulation. They theorized Matthew used the strap of her own purse as a liature, choking her in his truck before discarding her in the brush. On October 31st, 2025, it took less than an hour for the jury to return a verdict. All right, have a seat, everybody. All 12 jurors have returned. It's my understanding that the jury has reached a verdict. Uh, who's our presiding juror? Is that correct, ma'am? >> Yes. >> All right, if you could hand the materials to Mike, please. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. What I'm going to do is read the verdict forms at this time. The verdicts read as follows. We the jury find the defendant Matthew E. Paul guilty of firstdegree intentional homicide as charged in count one of the information. The second verdict reads, "We the jury find the defendant Matthew E. Paul guilty of hiding a corpse as charged in count two of the information and each is dated today's date the 4th of November 2025 and uh signed by the presiding juror the four person. Ladies and gentlemen, what I'm going to do now is pull each. >> 11 days later, Matthew got his chance for a final statement. One last shot to talk to the judge before the door locked for good. Most defendants use this moment to beg for mercy or offer a shred of remorse. Not Matthew. He stayed true to form, cold, defiant, and stuck in his own universe. It was a disturbing glimpse into exactly what Stephanie had been dealing with for many years. Paul, >> do you wish to make a statement, sir? Of course. >> Okay. >> Go ahead, sir. >> First, I I just want to correct some of the puke coming out of Gordon's mouth. Um, whatever this 2012 I mean, this is how this stuff starts. This fabrication, these wild stories, wild imagination. I was never charged with any possession in 2012. I I believe that was Stephanie. Um in this 93 police report, uh I read that there there were many suspects in there and I had nothing to do with anything that happened down there. I didn't commit any murder in Milwaukee. And this stuff about being a parent, I was only a parent till Leila was about 9 years old. I was never given a chance to be a parent after that age uh because of all the goofy stuff that was happening here in court. And I I just want to make a statement about this case. Uh I I look at the justice system here in the United States. It's about winning. It's it's not about the truth. Uh the US has 4% of the world's population. 20% of the people behind bars in this planet are here in the United States or on probation. Uh why? Maybe sham trials. Um, and I think this was definitely a sham trial called Making a Murderer here in Wacaaw. It was definitely a pseudo sham trial where psychopaths and suits fabricate extreme circumstantial events and turn them into their wild imagination. No wonder why they get away with manufacturing charges. The public and jury believed these lies and story missing in this whirlwind of hysterical hyperbowl was I was seen with three little green men hovering above the woods in a disshaped object going down in a beam of light. How deep does this rabbit hole go? Well, maybe one day on review for this huge blunder, these people here better have the right answers because I am the only victim here. I'm the one being murdered by the new Gustapo. I I am one of the innocent people in jail from from a sham trial. You know, maybe I'll be on wrongful conviction someday. I don't know. But I would again, like I said in my statement to the detectives, I'd rather stand with God and be judged by the people than stand with the people and be judged by God. That's it. >> All right. Thank you very much. Matthews casting himself as the victim wasn't just poor judgment. It was a choice. Maybe he was unwilling to accept the inevitable. Or maybe he simply knew he was already beyond mercy. Either way, Judge Ramirez wasn't about to let that final display of arrogance go unanswered. >> I have no qualms with your claim of innocence. Not at all. But what I do have concern about is you're characterizing this as a sham trial. Uh manufactured charges. You make light of the system. You believe that the state created evidence that you're the only victim here that this is a fascist dictator government and the opera in her clan know what you mean and oper's got a delusional mind. Mr. Paul, I'm not a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but the things that I see about you, you're the center of the universe. The universe revolves around you. Everybody's wrong. You're the only one that's right. You shake your head in the negative as I say this to you, and that's okay. That's your right to do that. But sir, what you have exhibited to me demonstrates to me what I consider, and again, I'm not a shrink. This is what I consider to be narcissistic behavior. How can anyone not believe that I'm innocent? H how is it that everybody gets it wrong and I'm the only one that gets it right? And what's important about that is that those characteristics, you your personality tells me what I have to do. Tells me loud and clear. The jury told me loud and clear in less than an hour. and your statements and your behavior and your attitude tells me loud and clear as we sit here today what is the appropriate thing for me to do and so here's what I perceive my purpose in imposing a sentence in this case is to incapacitate Matthew Paul to prevent him from taking advantage of somebody like Stephanie Pavlons in the future of hurting her mentally, emotionally, physically, of punching her, kicking her. I mean, so what I have to do is incapacitate you and incarcerate you for the maximum amount of time appropriate. And what I also have to do is send a message to the community, the Pavlons family and the community as a whole as it pertains to domestic abusers who kill their partners that we have to incapacitate those people. And in light of that, as to count number one, I'll impose a sentence of life imprisonment without any eligibility for release to extended supervision. On November 11th, 2025, the theater finally ended. The judge saw through the helpless act and the victim claims, sentencing Matthew Paul to life in prison without the possibility of parole. There would be no second act in the Philippines. No more child support dodges or medical charades. For Matthew, the future is now a series of steel doors and concrete walls. a permanent silence to match the one he forced on Stephanie. He walked out of the courtroom just as he lived, defiant and unrepentant. Stephanie Pavlons didn't get a choice in her final destination, but the state of Wisconsin made sure Matthew Paul's was guaranteed for the rest of his natural life.