A man accused of beating his autistic half-brother to death and then hiding his body is claiming he’s not guilty of the crime. The plea was entered on Jeffrey Vogelsberg’s behalf on Thursday in Dane County court, where the 28 year-old is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse.
Prosecutors have alleged that Vogelsberg regularly tortured his half-brother, 27-year-old Matthew Graville, before finally killing him last June 30th at a rented home in the village of Mazomanie.
Graville’s body was not found until early November, and investigators described horrific abuse, including being beaten, shot at with a pellet gun, and being waterboarded the night before his death. “Matthew lived a living hell, one in which he could only find peace in death,” said Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Vogelsberg’s defense attorneys are citing Mahoney’s emotional press conference after Graville’s body was discovered as one of the reasons for a change of venue for Vogelsberg’s trial. Their motion will be heard May 6th
Vogelsberg was arrested in early November in Washington state, where he had moved to be with his wife, who’s stationed at a military base. He attempted to fight extradition and was not returned to Wisconsin until December.
