Victim's daughter, suspect's mother testify on first day of Paape trial

SHEBOYGAN (WITI) — The trial for Nathan Paape, one of two teens accused in the brutal murder of an elderly Sheboygan Falls woman officially began on Monday, June 17th.

Nathan Paape and Antonio Barbeau are charged with first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly bludgeoning to death 78-year-old Barbara Olson (Barbeau’s great-grandmother) at her Sheboygan Falls home on with a hammer and hatchet.

The boys are accused of ransacking Olson’s house and stealing money to buy marijuana and pizza.

Paape has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree intentional homicide.

Barbeau pleaded no contest to first-degree intentional homicide as part of a plea deal.

With the plea deal, Barbeau changed his plea from not guilty by mental disease or defect to no contest. Barbeau will be eligible for parole in 35 years.

He is also set to testify during Paape's trial.

Police say Paape has admitted to striking Olson with a hammer a few times, but mostly watched, as Barbeau -- a runaway from a shelter hit his great-grandmother, reportedly with an axe.

A criminal complaint says the two then stole jewelry and Olson's car -- before going to buy Clorox wipes to clean off their finger prints.

The crime happened on September 17th of 2012. Two days later, Olson's daughter came to check on Olson, and discovered her mother's body wrapped in a blanket in the garage.

"As I walked closer to the blanket, I saw that her lower legs were sticking out of the blanket. I had called out to her three times and I was looking for my cell phone and didn't have it," Olson's daughter, Judy Offut said in court on Monday.

Offut said she ran from house to house until she found a neighbor to call 911.

Police raced to the scene, but it was clear Olson had been murdered.

Paape's mother testified on Monday, saying she dropped the boys off in Sheboygan Falls on September 17th and when she came home later that night, the boys were back home.

Paape's mother described her son as a follower, but not a leader.

"He always tried to fit in with his peers," Bobbie Paape said.