Steven Eggert is sentenced in Waupaca County court, October 4, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Steven Eggert was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison for setting a dead man’s home on fire rather than reporting the death to authorities – and later trying to hire someone to kill a witness in the case.
Eggert, 25, was also placed on extended supervision for nine years by Judge Vicki Clussman for the incidents related to the death of Kevin Roeglin. Sentences for other counts, including mutilating a corpse, are concurrent to the arson sentence.
Before the sentence was issued, Eggert apologized, saying he made the wrong choices.
“At the end of the day, I have to be a man and accept responsibility for my actions that will affect the course of the rest of my life, even after my incarceration, because I cannot believe the acts that I have committed. There is no excuse for them. I truly should have known better. Out of respect for Kevin’s family, I want you to know from the bottom of my heart that I am beyond sorry that my actions didn’t allow you to properly bury Kevin and say goodbye,” Eggert said.
According to the criminal complaint, crews responded to the fire at a home on County P in Harrison on April 27, 2022. The roof collapsed and eventually the structure collapsed into the basement. Roeglin’s remains were found in the debris.
After the fire, two people called police, saying they talked with Eggert about the man’s death before the fire. Eggert says he showed up at Roeglin’s house and found him dead. They told him to call police.
“Eggert stated that he was concerned that law enforcement would think that he killed the deceased person,” the complaint states.
After the fire, a witness again talked to Eggert, who said he “took care of it,” in reference to the body. Eggert also said he didn’t want police to know he had been at the home.
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