Emily Rogers death: Nicholas Matzen guilty of reckless homicide

MILWAUKEE - Nicholas Matzen, the Milwaukee man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Emily Rogers, has been found guilty of 1st-degree reckless homicide by a jury on Friday, March 7. Sentencing for Matzen is scheduled for April 17.

Emily Rogers' homicide

The backstory:

An ordeal that began in May 2022 is finally coming to a close. 

Terry Rogers and Ammie Lyde drove from North Texas when they learned their daughter, 23-year-old Emily Rogers, was missing along with her infant daughter. The little girl was later found safe. 

Emily Rogers

Rogers was last seen alive by her on-and-of again boyfriend, Nicholas Matzen, on April 27, 2022. That same day, Matzen was released from jail. Rogers planned to break up with Matzen. 

Rogers' body was found behind a St. Francis business days later. 

The verdict

What we know:

The Milwaukee County jury took a little more than two hours to reach the guilty verdicts against Matzen on Friday, March 7. He was also found guilty of hiding a corpse. 

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It has been 1,045 days since Rogers died. With thousands of road miles logged from North Texas to Milwaukee, Rogers' family feels closer to putting painful memories to rest. 

What they're saying:

"A sense of relief. I’m so happy. Justice is finally – it’s been a long time coming. I didn’t think this day would ever be here," said Ammie Lyde, Rogers' mother. "These are tears of joy."

"We knew it was coming – it just took longer than we wanted," said Terry Rogers, Emily's father. 

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"There’s no more wondering. It’s over. I can move on with my life and close this chapter," Lyde said.

What's next:

Again, sentencing for Matzen is scheduled for April 17.