WAUKESHA – A man accused of killing his longtime girlfriend and disposing of her body in Delafield Township last year will hold his preliminary hearing later this month.
Matthew Bahl, 55, was charged in Waukesha District Court with first-degree murder and concealment of a corpse and faces life in prison if convicted. His bail was set at $2 million.
Bahl appeared in court on Wednesday. Attorney Jeremy Christian Berry and attorney Amanda Marie Neimer were in court for Bahl. A preliminary hearing will be held on November 29. Nemer said they will file a motion to dismiss and would like to hear that at the same time as the preliminary hearing, according to online court documents.
Bahl was charged after construction workers working at the site of a Wisconsin orthopedic clinic on Golf Road found a woman’s body on September 9, 2022. There was no cell phone, wallet or any identification on her. An autopsy showed that the victim died on August 23, 2022, but the cause of death was not determined.
Her parents knew her as Stephanie Pavlons.
Her parents said Pavlones lived with her longtime boyfriend, Bahl, adding that they did not get along with him or like him, the complaint said. Pavlon had an on-off relationship with Bahl for more than 20 years, and they have an adult daughter together.
The detective responded to the apartment in Waukesha where Bahl and the victim were staying together. The investigator found a gray Toyota Tacoma registered in Bahl’s name that he had used. It was also discovered that Bahl never reported the victim missing between Aug. 23, 2022 and his first contact with law enforcement on Sept. 17, 2022, the complaint states. Surveillance video of the Waukesha apartment complex showed the victim leaving the complex on Aug. 23 at 8:39 a.m. wearing a black shirt and blue jeans, carrying a large pink water bottle, a plastic bag and a black wallet. The outfit matched the clothing she was wearing when her body was found, the complaint said.
The footage shows Bahl leaving the building at 8:40 a.m. and at 11:14 a.m. Bahl entering the apartment building carrying a large pink water bottle, as well as a blue folder, a black cell phone tucked into his right pants pocket, and unknown items in his left pants pocket. Investigators watched footage showing him walking down the sidewalk empty-handed at 12:20 p.m., wearing a different shirt. He was seen entering the building again at 12:29 p.m. carrying a plastic shopping bag along with the victim’s black purse, the complaint said.
The victim was not seen again after she was seen leaving with Bahl on August 23.
Cellphone records show the victim’s voicemails were checked multiple times after she was last seen on Aug. 23, 2022 and after her body was discovered.
Skype records show that Pahl had online sexual relations with two women in the Philippines. Internet search records show Bahl searching for obituary records and news stories about “body found by construction crew.”
Bahl was taken into custody on September 17, 2022 but was later released. He told investigators that he found a suicide note from the victim while cleaning his truck. The note was never recovered, the complaint said.
