FOND DU LAC COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – A 64-year-old Kenosha man has been convicted for a 1990 murder.
The Kenosha Trucker suspected of killing 18-year old Berit Beck in Fond Du Lac, has pled to a second degree reckless homicide charge.
Dennis Brantner entered an Alford plea Friday morning. The plea is not an admission of guilt, but it acknowledges if he were tried, he would likely be found guilty.
Brantner emerged as a suspect in 2014, with prosecutors re-filing charges after a 2016 trial ended in a hung jury.
Berit’s mother Diane Beck said she had just about given up.
“At 27 1/2 years, it is something that I had actually given up on. I did not think that we would ever see resolve to this case” she said. ” We are happy that we had the outcome that we had today, and we are looking forward to sentencing in just a few weeks.”
Fond Du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney says it was heart-breaking to hear Diane Beck say she had just about given up on bringing the murderer of her daughter Diane to justice.
“I hope that however someone may view this result, that gives some other families hope and some other law enforcement the inspiritation to open up some of those cases and maybe hold others accountable for some of those unsolved murders that we know are out there.”
Sheriff Mick Fink would have liked to see Brantner get a longer sentence on a more severe charge, but he says it is still closure for the Beck family.
“I don’t like it, but it is the best thing that we could come to a joint conclusion with.”
The 64-year old Brantner will be sentenced on March 1st.
