Wisconsin Rapids man gets life in 2008 homicide

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WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) — A 55-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole Thursday shortly after a jury convicted him of killing his daughter’s ex-boyfriend six years ago.

Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before finding Joseph Reinwand guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. About an hour after the verdict, Wood County Judge Greg Potter sentenced Reinwand to life in prison with no eligibility for extended supervision.

Reinwand was charged in the 2008 shooting death of 35-year-old Dale Meister. Reinwand decided not to take the stand Wednesday in his own defense, so his lawyers, David Dickmann and Troy Nielsen, ended their case with testimony from others.

In closing arguments Thursday, the prosecution portrayed Reinwand as manipulative, controlling and deceptive, the Daily Tribune Media reported.

Special prosecutor Vincent Biskupic showed pictures that had been shown earlier, including pictures of Meister carving a pumpkin with Reiwand’s grandson, snuggling with his daughter or going down a slide with the children. When Biskupic put up a picture of Meister’s body, some of Meister’s family members left the courtroom.

“There’s no sugar-coating it. This was a cold, brutal killing,” Biskupic said.

Nielsen pointed out inconsistencies in the prosecution’s theories in his closing argument.

Meister had previously told several people that he was afraid Reinwand would try to kill him, according to court documents. Meister and Reinwand’s daughter were in the midst of a custody dispute.

Nielsen told jurors that the prosecution never looked into whether others could have been responsible for Meister’s death. But Biskupic countered that there is no physical evidence to suggest anyone but Reinwand killed Meister.

Information from: Daily Tribune Media, http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com