Dennis Brantner (Fond du Lac Co. Sheriff)
The family of an 18-year-old Sturtevant woman murdered in Fond du Lac County in 1990 will have to wait almost another year before the man suspected of killing her is retried.
A Fond du Lac County judge on Monday scheduled a four-week trial for 63-year-old Dennis Brantner, which will begin February 12th of next year. He is being tried a second time for the murder of Berit Beck, after a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict during a trial that ended in June of last year.
The delay is intended to give Brantner’s new lawyer time to review materials in the case. Attorney Jeffrey Haase said the long timeline is appropriate, given the amount of material he needs to go through. “It certainly will give us a chance to review everything,” he said.
Beck went missing in July of 1990 after a stop in Fond du Lac. Her van was found in a parking lot and, six weeks later, her body was discovered in a ditch outside of Waupun. Brantner was identified as a suspect in 2014, after his fingerprints were found on items recovered from Beck’s van.
District Attorney Eric Toney says Beck’s family has shown incredible strength and patience, as they wait to get justice for her death. “It’s really incredible to see such a strong and incredible family,” he said. “My heart goes out to them.”
Affiliate KFIZ contributed to this report.