Local

MADISON–A Middleton man arrested Feb. 12 for Possession of Child Pornography was released from custody on Feb. 14 after the Dane County District Attorney declined to prosecute the case.

Steven R. Doll, 42, was arrested by Middleton police after a search executed at a residence in the 1800 block of Park Street. Police received a tip in December from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a Middleton resident who was possibly in possession of child pornography, according to Middleton police.

Asked why Doll wasn’t charged, District Attorney Ismael R. Ozanne said “The facts…as referred by the Middleton Police Department didn’t capture the spirit of the law.”

However, the case against Doll isn’t necessarily closed.

MT. HOREB–The Dane County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday afternoon that a suspect is in custody in the Jan. 15 homicide of Nicholas Day, 26, on CTH JG in the town of Blue Mounds.

Riley Berg, 21, of Mt. Horeb, was taken into custody by Dane County Sheriff’s detectives on Thursday evening, Feb. 13 in Mt. Horeb. He is currently being held in the Dane County Jail on a tentative charge of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide.

The motive for the killing is still unclear, and at this point, a connection between the victim and the suspect is unknown. This continues to be an active investigation and the Sheriff’s Office would like to hear from anyone who knows Berg and may have information on a connection to Day or on Berg’s activities/behavior before and after the homicide. Investigators can be reached through our tip line at 608-284-6900. Deputies and detectives will continue to have a presence in the area as they follow-up on information.

Doll Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

MIDDLETON–In December of 2019 the Middleton Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to a Middleton resident who was possibly in possession of child pornography. An investigation into the tip led to a search warrant that was served on Feb. 12.

Based on the investigation, Steven R. Doll, 42, of Middleton was arrested and jailed on one count of Possession of Child Pornography.

This incident is NOT related to the the investigation taking place at Middleton High School in which students were allegedly sharing nude photos.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Police Department (MIPD) began investigating an incident alleging Middleton High School (MHS)students shared nude photos of students under the age of 18. 

The investigation started on Feb. 11 after police were notified of the photo sharing. In a press release sent out by the department on Feb. 13, MIPD stated, “The Middleton Police Department is working directly with the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) to identify students who may have been victimized or were involved in sharing these pictures.”

In an email sent to MHS parents, the district attached the release sent by police. The MCPASD message is as follows:

On Tuesday, we were made aware of an investigation by the Middleton Police Department of some MHS students. Middleton Police issued a news release, which is below, earlier today.

MADISON–A Middleton man found guilty of sex assault of two young girls occurring about 10 years apart in Harbor Athletic swimming pools was sentenced Monday to four years in prison and four years extended supervision.

The sentence Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford imposed on Kevin D. Welton, 59, was less than half of what the prosecution or victims’ family members sought.

On 01/29/20, a Middleton resident reported receiving phone calls from two individuals claiming to be from the Middleton Police Department regarding misuse of her social security number.  The individuals, claiming to be Officer Marshall and Chief Troy Hellenbrand, told the victim that they were working on finding the people who used her social security number.  They told the victim to purchase two gift cards in case her account couldn't be accessed later and, in order to verify that her personal information wasn't compromised, she needed to send them pictures of the front and back of the gift cards. While there is not an Officer Marshall employed by the Middleton Police Department, Chief Troy Hellenbrand is the Chief of Police.

MIDDLETON–On Jan. 28 or 29 (weather dependent) the center lane of westbound Century Avenue at the approach to Allen Boulevard will be closed to allow for pavement repair near a manhole cover. Work will begin after 9:00 a.m. and the lane should be open to traffic within 3-5 hours. Please allow extra time for driving through this area or consider alternate routes during these two days.

MIDDLETON–The second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Forum was held at the Middleton Performing Arts Center and was sponsored by the school district, Dane County Equity Consortium, Madison365 and Unidec. Speakers included Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell Middleton, Madison’s East High School employee and spoken word artist Marlon Anderson, his son Noah Anderson also a spoken word artist and rapper, and keynote speaker Percy Brown, Director of Equity at Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District.

In Brown’s presentation he reflected on a progressive era in American history that occurred between 1890s and 1920s. During that time there was widespread social activism and political reform. The movement operated at local level but extended up to the federal level.

DANE COUNTY–Detectives with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office are working diligently to follow-up on any tips related to the homicide of Nicholas Day of Blue Mounds, whose body was found on the side of CTH JG. Investigators are reaching out to the public and asking to speak with anyone traveling in and around the area of CTH JG, Bergum Road, Stewart County Park and Bohn Road. The time frame of particular interest is between noon and 1:30 pm on Jan. 15.

Detectives have identified some vehicle descriptions and would like to talk to the occupants of:

• A small silver 2-door vehicle that was southbound on JG near Stewart County Park around 1:10 p.m.

• A red vehicle in the area between 12:50 and 1 p.m., traveling north on JG near Stewart County Park.

• A full-size dark colored pick-up truck in the area of CTH JG near Bergum Road in the general time frame of 12:30-1:30 p.m.

CROSS PLAINS–Citing an adage most cannot relate to, retiring Cross Plains Chief of Police Tom Janssen explained, “The life of a police officer is filled with seven hours of boredom, punctuated by five minutes of terror, followed by eight days of paperwork.”

In his experience, even in a village of a few thousand or throughout rural Wisconsin.

Janssen’s last day in the office will be Jan. 10. Recently he reflected on his 34-year career in law enforcement, and the changes he instituted throughout his tenure as chief.

When he moved from Manitowoc to Cross Plains in 2005, leaving behind roles as a SWAT sniper and on the scuba dive rescue and K-9 teams, Janssen welcomed the new challenges posed as police chief. The job also appealed to him because it wasn’t simply administrative, he said.

“I still got to do patrol work, and I really enjoy that,” he said. “What my officers got to do, I do too: vehicle lockouts, traffic stops, calls.”