Altoona Tangled Web of Murder

Since its inception, the content of this blog has focused exclusively on cold case homicides. Highlighting unsolved cases brings the memories of the victims to the forefront and may also cause reluctant witnesses to come forward with new information.

This post, however, deals with a current investigation -- a case that, besides the typical media reports, I admittedly, firsthand, no little about.

Located to the east of Eau Clarie, Wisconsin, police in Altoona (population 6,793) are in the midst of a death investigation that points to a probable homicide. Theresa Still, 43, was last seen alive on December 27 at the 400 Club -- a tavern located less than a half-a-mile north of Still's home.

Eau Claire police later discovered Still's car locked and abandoned at the Super Target, located at 3649 S. Hastings Way, about four miles south of the tavern. The store is just to the north of Highway 53, a busy thoroughfare and a gateway to the interstate.

With the cooperation of citizens, law enforcement organized search parties. Police, however, later discovered a body believed to be Still's over 100 miles away in a rural field in Adams County. Investigators conveyed the body to Madison for an autopsy.

The bartender at the 400 Club, Val Lanners, is the last known person to have observed Theresa Still alive. Lanners told an Eau Claire television station that Still -- a tavern regular -- had ordered a beer and played a video game prior to leaving the tavern alone. Lanners believed the usually outgoing woman wasn't her typical self. Another witness told investigators that Still wasn't looking forward to returning home that evening.

Still resides with her live-in boyfriend, identified by WQOW in Eau Clarie as Greg Gebernot, who told investigators that he last saw Still on December 27 between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Still and Gebernot resided together for three years. The court docket strongly suggests that their relationship wasn't exactly a bed of roses.

Gebernot pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct stemming from an August 2007 incident where it's alleged he punched Still in the face. Three months after pleading guilty and receiving probation, police again arrested Gebernot for striking Still. This time Still alleged that Gebernot also choked her -- a layman's term frequently used to describe strangulation.

Still then filed for a restraining order and wrote: "We were out together and he was acting jealous. When I got home, I went upstairs to find a hole in the ceiling. I told him that we were done and that I couldn't continue to live this way. He said if he couldn't have me, no one will. He hit me over the head with a vase and choked me. I yelled and my daughter jumped on his back and he threw her off. She then called 911."

Court documents indicate that Still needed sutures for cuts to her head and possibly broke her wrist. A judge found Gebernot guilty of battery. He performed community service in lieu of a jail sentence. Records show a judge later tossed-out the restraining order request when both parties failed to appear for a hearing.

Some readers may ask why Theresa Still continued to permit her abuser to reside with her. Unfortunately, economics often times plays a role in domestic relationships. I'm speculating that Still may have, at some point, relied on Gubernot to pick-up some of the household's bills. Court records further show that Theresa Still recently defaulted on her mortgage. Not only was Still living with a physically abusive boyfriend, she was also experiencing a tremendous amount of financial stress.

According to WQOW, police are not officially calling Still's boyfriend a suspect. Authorities claim Gubernot is cooperating with the investigation. He told investigators that his live-in girlfriend decided to visit an Indian casino in the center of the state. Friends of Still's doubt Gubernot's claim. They say the woman was typically in bed early on work nights.

So where does this lead investigators?

The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune reported that "a man" called the Adams County Sheriff's Department at 11:28 a.m. on December 30 to report the discovery of a body. The sheriff's office declined to provide the precise location, although the sheriff described the investigation as "fast-paced" and "ongoing." Investigators are further checking claims that Greg Gubernot either owns or had owned land in Adams County.

In an effort to establish a solid timeline, an important piece of evidence will likely be the video from the Super Target parking lot. In an effort to reduce and discourage theft, large retail outlets generally have very good surveillance equipment.

Furthermore, since the killer transported Still's body, the vehicle used is also key. WQOW just reported that police seized Greg Gubernot's pick-up truck. Forensic investigators will comb the bed and interior of the truck, as well as the vehicle's tires. Even if an effort was made to clean the bed, technological advances in DNA recovery and testing may produce evidence. Moreover, debris found on the tires and the truck's undercarriage will be checked for particles consistent with the area where the body was located.

While news reports failed to mention cellular phones, like most Americans, Still and Gubernot may own and carry these devices. If the data exists, investigators are likely readying subpoenas to obtain this valuable information.

For updates, visit the Eau Claire Leader Telegram's Web site.

And don't forget to check for my Web page, The Spingola Files, that's coming soon. Visit http://www.badgerwordsmith.com/ for updates.
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Steven Spingola is a retired Milwaukee Police Department homicide detective and the author of The Killer in Our Midst: the Case of Milwaukee's North Side Strangler.

Copyright, Steven Spingola, Milwaukee, WI 2010