Eau Claire Jury Plunges Into Grisly Rock River Decapitation Trial

Jurors in Eau Claire County are now locked into a weeks-long murder trial, weighing evidence in the case of Brandon Gaston, who is accused of killing and decapitating Altoona resident Dennis Schattie in 2022. Prosecutors say the evidence will show a calculated, financially driven killing. Schattie disappeared from his Altoona home, and his remains were later pulled from the Rock River in Rockford, Illinois. Both sides are expected to call a long list of witnesses as the trial unfolds.

Jury selection wrapped up, and opening statements were delivered Monday afternoon, according to WQOW. The station reports the proceedings are slated to run about 19 days, with jurors hearing from investigators, forensic specialists and members of Schattie’s family.

Prosecutors detail Rockford river discovery

Prosecutors told jurors that Schattie was killed at his Altoona residence and that his remains were later discovered on April 12, 2022, along the Rock River near the Fordam Dam in Rockford. Officers reported burned and dismembered remains at the scene, according to WIFR. Detectives also noted burnt debris and motor oil containers near the shoreline, details that helped trigger a multi-jurisdiction investigation involving authorities from Altoona and Rockford.

State points to money as a motive

Investigators outlined evidence they say ties Gaston and his then-partner, Tracey Clark, to Schattie’s home and finances. According to WEAU, that includes mail and annuity paperwork listing Clark as a beneficiary for the 79-year-old victim. Prosecutors told the jury they recovered items such as a saw, a kitchen knife, and a hammer in connection with the case, and described the alleged homicide as driven by financial gain.

Co-defendant pleads and is sentenced

Clark later entered a no-contest plea to amended charges and, in February 2025, received a 15-year prison sentence followed by extended supervision, WEAU reported. Addressing the court at her plea and sentencing hearing, Clark said, “There’s not a day that goes by I don’t wish I could turn back time.”

Inside the courtroom

Opening statements offered jurors two sharply different narratives, with prosecutors walking through the state’s timeline and the defense signaling it will challenge how the evidence is interpreted, according to WQOW. The judge has set a detailed schedule that court officials say should keep the trial moving over the next three weeks.

High legal stakes

Gaston is charged in Eau Claire County with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse as a party to a crime, according to WIFR. Under Wisconsin law, first-degree intentional homicide is classified as a Class A felony and carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to FindLaw.

The trial is set to continue this week with witness testimony and forensic exhibits. Reporters are expected to remain in the courtroom as the case progresses, with more updates to come as each side lays out its version of what happened to Dennis Schattie.