Скачать или смотреть No Cause of Death, But State Says Murder Proven 1.1

On October 27, 2025, the Matthew Pahl murder trial began in Waukesha County Circuit Court with opening statements that laid bare the central challenge facing both sides: How do you prove intentional homicide when the medical examiner cannot determine how the victim died?

Prosecutor Sue Opper told the jury that on August 23, 2022, Matthew Pahl killed his girlfriend of 20+ years, Stephanie Pavlons, during a 16-minute window at his physical therapy appointment, then hid her body in the woods for 17 days. The state's case rests on circumstantial evidence: cell phone records, surveillance footage, internet searches for obituaries before the body was found, and allegations of a pattern of domestic abuse. Opper acknowledged the medical examiner cannot determine cause of death due to severe decomposition, but argued Wisconsin law doesn't require proving how someone died - only that the defendant intentionally killed them.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Jensen countered with a "baking a cake" analogy: without all the necessary ingredients, the recipe fails. Without a cause of death, Jensen argued, the state cannot prove intentional homicide beyond a reasonable doubt. The medical examiner's conclusion? "Undetermined." Jensen told jurors that suspicion is not proof, and asked them to consider how Stephanie could have been transported to the wooded area - bounded by a busy interstate, health center, golf course and homes - without being seen, especially with Pahl still recovering from a broken foot.

This case asks a fundamental question about the burden of proof: Can circumstantial evidence alone prove first-degree intentional homicide when no one can say how the victim died? The answer will determine whether Matthew Pahl, presumed innocent, spends the rest of his life in prison.

⏰ KEY MOMENTS IN THIS VIDEO

01:29 - Prosecution shows photographs of Stephanie Pavlons alive and decomposed in woods
08:54 - August 23, 2022 identified as day state believes Pahl killed Stephanie
10:14 - Prosecution details critical 16-minute gap between clinic arrival and check-in
13:33 - Evidence Pahl searched for Stephanie's obituary before body was found
16:30 - Domestic abuse allegations from Stephanie's journal to be presented
22:26 - Defense opening: "Baking a cake" without all ingredients equals reasonable doubt
27:36 - Medical examiner cannot determine cause or manner of death - "undetermined"

📖 CASE BACKGROUND

Surveillance cameras captured Stephanie Pavlons leaving her Waukesha apartment with Matthew Pahl on August 23, 2022. Seventeen days later, construction workers found her body in woods near Delafield. The medical examiner determined she died August 23 but could not establish cause of death due to decomposition. Cell phone records place both phones near a medical clinic where Pahl had an appointment. He arrived on time but did not check in for 19 minutes. Prosecutors allege he killed Pavlons and hid her body during that window. Surveillance shows him returning home alone with her belongings. He never reported her missing. The defense argues the State cannot prove intentional homicide when no one knows how she died.

📂 PLAYLISTS & RESOURCES

► Full Trial Live Broadcasts:    • WI v. Matthew Pahl - Live Broadcast  
► No Breaks Edition:    • WI v. Matthew Pahl - NO BREAKS EDITION  
► Official Trial Record:    • WI v. Matthew Pahl - Official Trial Record  
► Subscribe for Daily Coverage:    / @justiceisaprocess  

⚖️ ABOUT JUSTICE IS A PROCESS

This channel continues the work of Steven M. Askin, a criminal defense attorney who was disbarred in 1998 for refusing to violate attorney-client privilege, then criminally convicted in 2010 for teaching people their constitutional rights from a coffee shop in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He passed away in February 2024, but not before he and I started this channel together.

I am Steven M. Askin II. I am not an attorney. I am a watchdog. I cover criminal trials to educate the public about due process, the presumption of innocence, and constitutional protections. Every video on this channel is part of building the machine the system feared my father would create: a public trained to watch, question, and demand accountability.

This is not entertainment. This is education. This is oversight. This is Justice Is A Process.

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