The 20-year-old Wausau man charged as one of the suspects in the June 18 death of 49-year-old Kerby Kniess has pleaded not guilty.
Warren Krohn along with Zachary Froehlich, 18, are both charged with the man's death.
Krohn is facing five charges including 1st degree reckless homicide. The Kniess' body was found beaten to death in a garage on the 100 Block of North 7th Avenue in Wausau. Police recovered baseball bats they believe were used as the murder weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, Froehlich admitted to police he was the one who swung the fatal blows to Kneiss and that he was encouraged to do so by Krohn. Froehlich also told police the pair went to Kneiss' home with the intention of hurting him in order to rob him of alcohol, cigarettes and cash. They reportedly stole the $21 Kneiss has on him. The two suspects were acquaintances with Kniess, and had stolen cigarettes from Kneiss' residence in the past.
According to the criminal complaint, a friend told officers Froehlich beat up the victim to "work his way into" Warren's [Krohn] crew. The criminal complaint also states Froehlich said he wanted to keep the murder weapon as a trophy.
Froehlich is charged with 13 counts including 1st degree reckless homicide, armed robbery, and armed burglary. He'll return to court October 19.
Both men remain behind bars on $250,000 bonds.
Froehlich is also being charged with suffocation and strangulation after police say he beat up another man just hours after the murder. According to the complaint, Froehlich "jumped" the young man and put him in a choke hold, as another unidentified suspect hit him with a baseball bat.
