Matthew Brennecke, charged in the hit-and-run death of an 87-year-old Oconomowoc man one year ago, will spend the next 11 years in prison.
Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Ramirez handed down the sentence, along with 10 years of extended supervision, after Brennecke, 50, of Dousman, pleaded no contest to felony hit-and-run causing death on July 27.
Allan Eighmy, 87, of Oconomowoc, was found badly injured at Orchard Circle and Allen Road in the City of Oconomowoc at about 1 p.m. July 14, 2025. He was riding his Kubota lawn tractor on Allen Road, on the way to mow the grounds of Dr. Martin Luther Church on Main Street in Oconomowoc, when the collision occurred.
Brennecke, behind the wheel of a black SUV, drove off without stopping after colliding with Eighmy’s lawn tractor, authorities claimed in a criminal complaint. Eighmy, who sustained severe head injuries, died two days later at Aurora Medical Center in Summit.
After a three-day search aided by tips from the public and surveillance cameras, Brennecke was arrested July 17, one day after he was charged in absentee and was subsequently bound over for trial following an Aug. 6 preliminary hearing.
He originally pleaded not guilty to the sole felony count, but agreed to a plea deal in which he would not contest the evidence against him, acknowledging it was enough to convict him, according to online court records. Ramirez entered a judgment of conviction following Brennecke’s plea.
The case took nearly a year to bring to a close after Brennecke’s initial attorney, Amanda Marie Nimmer, withdrew as his public defender in March. Attorney Pablo Galaviz was later appointed and, in April, asked for time to review the evidence.
Before sentencing, two victim impact statements were entered into the record; court officials indicated both of those were marked as sealed. They were not immediately available to the public following the July 27 hearing.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brennecke sentenced to prison in hit-and-run death of Oconomowoc man
Reporting by Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
