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Homicide charged after heroin death

A 50-year-old woman died of a drug overdose in Farmington on Monday, March 26.

The man who allegedly gave her heroin the night before is now in custody on a $100,000 cash bond.

Matthew J. Mead, 36, New London, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide as party to a crime, felony possession of narcotics and two counts of felony bail jumping.

Shortly before 10:30 a.m. on March 26, an ambulance and law enforcement were dispatched to a home on the E2300 block of Parfreyville Road in the town of Farmington.

They found Sheila A. Behm lying dead on her bed with a cut straw, a piece of aluminum foil and a cellphone beside her.

Deputies also found numerous pill bottles scattered on the cabinet at the foot of the bed, another cut straw, a metal container with powder residue in it, Narcan nasal spray and an empty pill bottle in a purse.

Detective Sgt. Bryan Strobusch met with Behm’s husband who said Behm had a medical condition that caused her significant pain. When her prescription for pain medication expired, she began buying drugs, then heroin.

The husband identified Behm’s source for heroin as “Matt,” and showed Strobusch a number on the home phone’s call list.

Investigators later traced that phone number to Mead.

According to the criminal complaint, Behm’s husband was in bed around 10 p.m. Sunday, March 25, when Behm told him she was going to Oshkosh “to get some medicine.”

At 4:30 a.m. Monday, March 26, as the husband was going to work, he saw her on the sofa. He described her to police as “lethargic and groggy.”

At 5:30 a.m. on March 26, Behm called her husband and said she planned to go to bed.

Shortly after 10 a.m., Behm’s daughter called the husband and said she found Behm unresponsive. The husband immediately returned home.

The caller ID log on the Behms’ cordless home phone showed 11 calls to Mead’s phone between 2:19 p.m. and 9:18 p.m. Sunday, March 25.

After investigators identified Mead as the suspected source of the heroin, officers began conducting surveillance outside the Northridge Drive, New London, home where he lives with his mother.

At 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, officers observed a white pickup truck at Mead’s residence. They pulled it over after it left the house.

Tavin Matenaer and Erika Timm were in the truck. They were arrested after police found narcotics.

Officers also seized Matenaer’s cellphone and found text messages between Mead and Matenaer about finding heroin.

“Mead then tells Matenaer that the female he went to Milawaukee with the previous evening died of an overdose,” the complaint says regarding the the messages.

Mead reportedly said Behm had two bindles of heroin left after she shared some with Mead.

“Mead begs Matenaer not to tell anyone about his involvement with Sheila,” the complaint says.

Mead. Matenaer and Timm allegedly went to Milwaukee earlier in the day on Tuesday.

Officers then conducted a search warrant of Behm’s residence and reported finding heroin.

Mead faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of reckless homicide. He has been charged as a repeat offender and faces an additional six years in prison.

On April 11, 2014, Mead was convicted of felony possession of narcotics in Waupaca County and placed on two years of probation with 75 days in jail.

On Sept. 21, 2017, Mead was charged with possession of narcotics in Portage County and released on a $1,000 signature bond with the conditions that he not consume controlled substances and not associate with drug users.

On Jan. 16, 2018, Mead was charged with felony bail jumping and possession of drug paraphernalia in Ozaukee County and released after he posted a $500 cash bond.

On Feb. 22, Mead was charged in Wood County with felony identity theft, felony bail jumping and misdemeanor entry into a locked coin box. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 16 for the Wood County charges.

He is scheduled to appear in Waupaca County court on April 9.

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