A cold case no longer: Dennis Brantner charged in 1990 homicide of Berit Beck

FOND DU LAC (WITI) -- It is a cold case no longer. More than two decades after the body of 18-year-old Berit Beck of Sturtevant was found in a field in Fond du Lac County, a suspect has gone before a judge. 61-year-old Dennis Brantner's fingerprints were found inside the van Berit Beck was driving at the time of her disappearance. He has now been charged with first degree murder.

Berit Beck

Brantner was taken into custody on Friday morning, March 27th on an arrest warrant for first degree murder — a year after he was named a suspect in the 1990 murder of Berit Beck. He was arrested at the Kenosha County Courthouse.

Beck left her Sturtevant home headed for Appleton on July 17th, 1990 for a computer training class. She never made it there. Beck’s van was found in a Fond du Lac parking lot two days later.

Approximately five-and-a-half weeks later, her body was found in rural Fond du Lac County. Autopsy reports concluded that strangulation was likely the cause of death.

Dennis Brantner

For decades, Beck’s family experienced unthinkable pain as police continued to search for her killer.

In April of 2014, there was finally a lead. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office announced new evidence revealing Brantner was in the van Beck was driving when she disappeared.

According to the criminal complaint, Branter's fingerprints were on a number of items officials found in Beck’s van — including a Burger King cup and a bleach kit. Officials say Beck bought the kit at Walgreens the day she disappeared.  Earlier this month, additional fingerprints in the van were matched to Brantner.

In addition, Brantner's co-workers told authorities they thought it was strange that he kept pictures of teenagers on his tool box. One of those pictures was of Berit Beck.

On March 28, 2014, detectives interviewed Brantner in Kenosha. During the interview, Brantner denied having been in Fond du Lac at the time Beck disappeared and denied having ever seen the van Beck was driving or having been inside the van. When detectives asked Brantner if he killed Beck he first responded by saying "No, I did not. I don't know." He then stated "Okay, I did not. I did not kill her."

Later during the interview, detectives confronted Brantner about having been in the van Beck was driving and now having his DNA and Brantner stated, "I don't know how I got in the van." The complaint indicates that Brantner was, at times, emotional and would cry.

When asked if he helped dispose of Beck's body in Waupun, Brantner told investigators that he didn't remember, stating if "I did, I did," and "If I did, I don't remember."

"If you were going to ask me did I throw my arms up in the air and say 'yeah, we got our guy?' No.  And that's from the bottom of my heart.  I don't feel anything except that this was a tragedy. I have watched detectives struggle through the year with this.  Because it is a bold stranger abduction," Fond du Lac County Sheriff Mylan Fink Jr. said.

A possible motive for the murder of Beck or even how Brantner may have met her remain a mystery.

"What happened after 11:03, after the Walgreens, I don't know," Sheriff Fink said.

The criminal complaint issued against Brantner details his trouble with women.

In 1974, he was arrested for stealing a woman's clothes in a West Allis motel. He told authorities he thought he "needed a psychiatrist."

In 1989, he was arrested for stalking his ex-wife.

In 1994, he was arrested again for holding his second wife at knifepoint. Authorities believed then, if he was released, they would "have a homicide on their hands."

If convicted, Brantner could face life in prison. His bail has been set at $1 million cash.

Berit Beck’s family has been notified of Brantner’s arrest. Beck’s parents Dave and Diane, their son Ben, and the entire Beck family have issued the following statement:

Complicating this investigation is the fact that authorities say an individual told them another suspect confessed to Beck's murder. Just this month, that person admitted the story was made up.