On Halloween of 2018, the body of 36-year-old Caucasian male Bradlee Gerke of Beaver Dam was discovered in a shallow grave in a rural area of Ixonia, Wisconsin. An investigation into his death quickly determined that he was the victim of a homicide. The property owner where Gerke's remains were found had contacted authorities, leading to the grim discovery in a tree line on his land.
Investigators at the scene found burned grass, blood spots, and a fragment of a skull near the shallow grave, which had been covered with gasoline.
The investigation led police to 20-year-old Nigel Schultz of Portage. Initially, Schultz denied any involvement in the murder but later confessed to the crime. He admitted to shooting Gerke a total of sixteen times with two different firearms, a. 38-caliber Derringer and a. 22-caliber rifle. The motive for the brutal killing appeared to be Gerke's intention to report Schultz for a parole violation. Schultz revealed that after the murder, he unsuccessfully attempted to place Gerke's body into a 50-gallon burn barrel before resorting to burying him in the shallow grave.
Two other individuals were implicated in the aftermath of the murder. Schultz's ex-girlfriend, Dakota Schlesner, was charged with hiding a corpse as a party to a crime. Schultz had called her shortly after the killing, and she allegedly agreed to help him conceal the body and remain silent about the incident. Schlesner, who lived on the property where Gerke was buried, admitted to helping cover the burial site with sticks, grass, and dirt, stating that she was terrified of Schultz. Another woman, Rebecca Wolc of Beaver Dam, also faced a felony charge of harboring or aiding a felon.
Nigel Schultz was ultimately convicted of first-degree intentional homicide and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During sentencing, the prosecutor noted that Schultz seemed to view the murder as an accomplishment and had bragged about it. Dakota Schlesner entered a no-contest plea to a charge of harboring or aiding a felon, as did Rebecca Wolc.
