WAUKESHA — A Waukesha man convicted of murdering his longtime girlfriend was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without any eligibility for a release to extended supervision.
Matthew Pahl was found guilty last week of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse in the 2022 death of Stephanie Pavlons. A jury deliberated for about an hour before reaching their verdict, despite the case being built entirely on circumstantial evidence with no known cause of death.
Watch: Waukesha man sentenced to life in prison for 2022 murder of girlfriend
During Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Waukesha County Judge Ralph M. Ramirez sentenced Pahl to life imprisonment without eligibility for release to extended supervision.
For the charge of hiding a corpse, the judge imposed an additional sentence of 12.5 years' imprisonment with 7.5 years' initial confinement and 5 years of extended supervision, to run consecutively.
Prosecuting attorney Kristi Gordon argued for consecutive sentences, describing Pahl as a danger to the public and to any woman he would enter a relationship with in the future.
Judge Ramirez echoed those concerns, describing Pahl as a domestic abuser who exerted financial, emotional and physical control over Pavlons before taking her life.
"Your statements and your behavior and your attitude tell me loud and clear as we sit here today what is the appropriate thing for me to do," Ramirez said.
The judge emphasized the jury's quick deliberation, calling it the "fastest verdict on a first-degree intentional homicide" that he could recall.
In court, Pahl continued to proclaim his innocence and criticized the justice system, calling his trial a "sham" and his charges "manufactured." He referred to himself as a victim.
Judge Ramirez dismissed Pahl's claims as "nonsense" and stated Pahl himself attempted to refashion, create and alter evidence to throw suspicion away from him.
The judge also ordered Pahl to have no contact with the Pavlons family as a condition of his extended supervision and to pay $8,309 in restitution to the Pavlons family for funeral expenses.
Pahl has 20 days to appeal the decision.
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