Last Updated: Saturday, November 8, 2008 12:32 PM CST
Decker facing burglary charges
By Heather Schaefer
Regional Editor
A Rhinelander teen accused of helping her boyfriend plan a revenge plot that turned into a murder has now been charged with helping him burglarize two Rhinelander businesses back in March 2007.
According to a criminal complaint filed Oct. 29, Katie Decker, 17, helped Seth Louis burglarize Coffee Beans Etc. and the UPS Store on March 7, 2007.
The alleged burglary took place approximately one month before the murder of Tomahawk resident Tracy Maurer, a crime Louis has said he committed.
According to the complaint, another friend of Louis, Heather Ward, told police Louis told her that he and Decker “took on Coffee Beans” and bragged about how good a job Decker did in assisting him with the burglary.
According to the complaint, Ward made the statement in April 2007, more than a year before she was charged, along with Decker, with helping Louis plot the burglary of Maurer’s residence.
The complaint also states that a second witness said she was in a vehicle with Louis and Decker in March of 2007 when he discussed a plan to burglarize the coffee shop. The witness refused to take part in the scheme and was dropped off at home, the complaint said. A third witness claims he stored computers for Louis that were later found to have been stolen from the joint office of the coffee shop and the UPS Store.
Besides computers and computer equipment, Decker and Louis are accused of stealing money and food from the businesses.
In total, the stolen property was worth approximately $11,000, the complaint said.
The complaint indicates one of the stolen computers was later sold to Maurer, Louis’s coworker at the Rhinelander Taco Johns restaurant.
Louis has confessed he killed Maurer during a burglary at her residence.
Maurer, 42, was found dead in her home at 211 W. Merrill Ave. in Tomahawk the morning of April 6, 2007. A medical examiner has said she was stabbed as many as 70 times and had her throat slashed.
Louis has testified he wanted revenge on Maurer because she had information about his criminal activities and had threatened to go to the police. He said he planned to steal everything of value in Maurer’s residence and vandalize what was left but she surprised him and he ended up stabbing her.
Louis testified Ward, 19, drove him to Maurer’s home but did not come inside. Decker allegedly met up with Louis and Ward at a Tomahawk motel after Maurer was killed. Louis testified Decker was never at Maurer’s residence the night of the murder but he has said both women gave him knives to use during the burglary and helped plan the revenge plot.
Both women have been charged in Lincoln County with felony murder and have plead not guilty.
Besides the new burglary charge, Decker is also facing a felony charge in Oneida County of harboring or aiding a felon.
She is accused of hiding bloody clothes Louis allegedly wore the night of Maurer’s murder under her bed.
Decker is scheduled to be in court Monday to answer to the burglary charge and also for a motion hearing on the aiding a felon charge. In the aiding a felon case, she is seeking to have statements suppressed.
While defending Decker on the felony murder charge, defense counsel Wright Laufenberg has claimed Louis has told several stories about the murder “that don’t match up.”
Louis’ confession was part of a plea deal that will likely allow him the possibility of parole when he turns 70.
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big bay de noc wrote on Mar 10, 2009 8:48 PM: