OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — Matthew Brennecke, the man accused of killing 87-year-old Al Eighmy in a hit-and-run crash last year, was arrested again on drug charges while out on bail — a development that has renewed outrage from the victim's family.
Al Eighmy was struck while driving his lawn tractor on an Oconomowoc road on July 14, 2025. He had just finished mowing his church's grass and was heading home when he was hit and left for dead. He died the next day.
It took 3 days for police to find Brennecke, who is charged with hit-and-run involving death. He has been awaiting trial after being given a $100,000 bail with conditions that included maintaining absolute sobriety — no alcohol, drugs, or drug paraphernalia.
Police found Brennecke in a car with crack cocaine and a pipe loaded with drugs.
"It is just wrong. It is just wrong. He should be, he should be in jail," Al's daughter, De Ann Eighmy, said.
His grandson, Tyler Eighmy, said the arrest could have prevented another tragedy.
"It could have likely been somebody else," Tyler said.
"Thank god he got arrested for the drug charge or he might have killed somebody else," De Ann said.
This was not the first time Brennecke failed to comply with his bail conditions. He was brought before Judge Ralph Ramirez for non-compliance in both April and June.
Two weeks ago, Judge Ramirez took $3,000 from his bail because of it. TMJ4 News reached out to the judge to ask why Brennecke was still out on bail after those instances but did not hear back.
The family said they are relieved Brennecke is behind bars again, even as they reflect on the loss of Al Eighmy. They said Al was still a regular biker and often found working around his church.
"If he could help anyone, doesn't matter. He would be there," De Ann said.
"He deserved these last years," Tyler said.
"One thing I do know through this — he would have stopped to help Brennecke," De Ann said.
Brennecke was given a $50,000 bond for the new drug charges. He is currently in jail awaiting a hearing for not complying with his bail terms in the hit-and-run case.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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