A 49-year-old Wisconsin man, Richard Wendell Sotka, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his girlfriend and best friend, Rhonda Cegelski and Paula O'Connor. Sotka was dating Cegelski at the time of the killings.
A jury found Sotka guilty on two counts of first-degree murder with a dangerous weapon, five counts of jumping bail, and one count of criminal damage to property. He is also required to pay $16,000 in restitution.
The killings occurred on January 29, 2023, in the residence where Cegelski lived with Sotka. Sotka was out on bond for charges related to stalking, violating a restraining order, domestic abuse battery, and disorderly conduct.
Investigators tracked Sotka's GPS monitor, which showed movements consistent with the time of the murders. Sotka was found driving a truck belonging to his employer, which had its own location tracking abilities. Law enforcement found Sotka in Arkansas, and local law enforcement arrested him. Sotka admitted to killing the two women after feeling jealous and humiliated after seeing them getting intimate.
A jury found Sotka guilty on two counts of first-degree murder with a dangerous weapon, five counts of jumping bail, and one count of criminal damage to property. He is also required to pay $16,000 in restitution.
The killings occurred on January 29, 2023, in the residence where Cegelski lived with Sotka. Sotka was out on bond for charges related to stalking, violating a restraining order, domestic abuse battery, and disorderly conduct.
Investigators tracked Sotka's GPS monitor, which showed movements consistent with the time of the murders. Sotka was found driving a truck belonging to his employer, which had its own location tracking abilities. Law enforcement found Sotka in Arkansas, and local law enforcement arrested him. Sotka admitted to killing the two women after feeling jealous and humiliated after seeing them getting intimate.
