Jury finds Nicholas Matzen guilty in homicide of Emily Rogers

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A jury found Nicholas Matzen guilty Friday in the homicide of his former girlfriend, Emily Rogers, in 2022. 

38-year-old Matzen was charged with first degree reckless homicide and hiding a corpse. After the week-long trial, a group of jurors made up of 8 men and 6 women concluded that Matzen was guilty on both counts. It took the jury half an hour to deliberate.  

“There’s no more wondering. It’s over. I can move on with my life and close this chapter," said Ammie Lyde, Rogers's mother.

Rogers was reported missing by a friend in April of 2022. Over a week later, her body was found in a wooded area of St. Francis. In court Wednesday, the state presented several witnesses, including the man who says he helped Matzen hide Rogers’ body.

“Even though it was difficult to hear some of the testimony and see some of the photos, I knew it was a necessary evil that I was going to have to do that," said her dad, Terry Rogers.

On the stand, brothers Andre and Felix Torres testified against Matzen.

“He said he choked her,” Andre Torres testified.

“I tried to keep what I did to a minimum. Nobody needs to experience or hear what goes through my head. We dumped her in the creek,” said Felix Torres.

“He wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed so hard that she broke her neck. He wrapped a cord around her neck and strangled her," assistant district attorney Daniel Flaherty told jurors during his closing remarks. 

Matzen testified in his own trial, stating Torres was helping him get rid of a 400-pound sex doll. 

“It’s a search for the truth. Look at what the state presents as their best case and it falls short of beyond a reasonable doubt," Matzen's attorney Scott Anderson told jurors during his closing argument.

Rogers's parents say they can finally close out this chapter and go home to their granddaughter. 

“I’m gonna go to Emily’s grave and I’m gonna buy her a balloon that says congratulations and I’m gonna put it on her grave," said Lyde. “I’m just gonna go back to Texas and live a happily ever after now. With Katie. She’s gonna start pre-k soon and justice has been served.”

Matzen will be sentenced in April.