Convictions include arson, mutilating corpse, armed burglary, solicitiing homicide
Waupaca County Judge Vicki Clussman sentenced Steven D. Eggert, 25, to 25 years in state prison.
Eggert appeared in court for sentencing on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
On July 17, Eggert was convicted of arson, mutilating a corpse, armed burglary and felon in possession of a firearm after he entered pleas of no contest.
In a second case, Eggert entered an Alford plea to a charge of solicitation of first-degree intentional homicide.
In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but does admit that prosecutors have enough evidence to obtain a conviction.
Shortly after 2 a.m. on April 27, a 911 caller reported a house fire in the town of Harrison.
When Iola firefighters and Waupaca County deputies arrived at the scene, they found the house fully engulfed in flames. The roof and one of the walls had collapsed.
Within 20 minutes, the entire structure had collapsed into the basement.
Investigators later found a charred body under the smoldering debris.
Evidence indicated that the body of the home’s sole occupant, 62-year-old Kevin Roeglin, had been in the kitchen when it fell into the basement as the fire consumed the building.
Two witnesses later told investigators that Eggert said he had gone into the house and found Roeglin’s body inside.
Because there was a warrant for his arrest, Eggert said he did not want to contact the police, according to the criminal complaint.
He burned down the house in order to hide evidence that he had been there, the witnesses said.
While Eggert was in jail, he asked two inmates to murder one of the witnesses in his arson case.
According to the criminal complaint, an inmate said Eggert offered to pay him $60,000 to kill the witness.