Five charged in connection with Amherst standoff make appearances in Portage County Court

STEVENS POINT − Five people arrested Thursday in connection with an almost 24-hour standoff between law enforcement officers and a man wanted for the attempted homicide of a Sauk County deputy made court appearances Wednesday in Portage County.

The five each face a charge of being a party to the crime of harboring or aiding a felon for helping Jeffrey E. Miller, 32, who was charged Friday in Sauk County Circuit Court with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Miller also faced a charge of intentionally pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm as a felon, reckless use of a firearm and criminal damage to property. The charges filed against Miller were dismissed Monday after it was learned Miller had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during the standoff at 450 Mill St. in the Portage County village of Amherst.

Edward J. Deyo, 61, of Amherst, told Portage County Circuit Judge Louis Molepske Jr. that he didn't qualify for a public defender. Deyo also said he didn't have a copy of his criminal complaint. Molepske told Deyo he could apply for a court-appointed attorney. Molepske postponed Deyo's appearance to Aug. 5 to give him time to see the criminal complaint. Deyo is being held on a $75,000 cash bail set by Portage County Circuit Judge Thomas Flugaur Friday.

Thomas J. Decarlo, 20, of Ashland, is being held in the Portage County Jail pending a $5,000 cash bail previously set Friday by Flugaur. Decarlo told Molepske he wants a public defender. Molepske postponed Decarlo's initial appearance until Aug. 5.

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Brandon J. Laux, 34, of Plover, is free on a $5,000 cash bail previously set by Flugaur Friday. Molepske scheduled Laux's preliminary hearing for Aug. 19.

Brodee T. Voelker, 30, of Gurnee, Illinois, is in the Portage County Jail pending a $5,000 cash bail set Friday by Flugaur. Voelker, who did not have an attorney Wednesday, told Molepske he is living in a recovery home and has no address at this time. Molepske rescheduled Voelker's initial appearance on the charge for Aug. 5.

Chrissy A. Miller, 43, of Amherst, is free on a $20,000 cash bail Flugaur set Friday. She filed a petition for a court-appointed attorney. Portage County Circuit Judge Patricia Baker rescheduled Miller's initial court appearance for Aug. 7.

According to the criminal complaints in the five cases, on July 23, Jeffrey Miller was involved in a high-speed chase on State 113 outside of Baraboo. The chase ended when Jeffrey Miller crashed his vehicle. When deputies approached the vehicle, Jeffrey Miller opened fire on deputies with a rifle. One deputy was hurt in the shooting. Jeffrey Miller fled the scene.

Investigators were able to trace one of Jeffrey Miller's social media accounts to a home at 450 Mill St. in the village of Amherst. They checked the address and learned the home belonged to Deyo, according to the complaint.

A witness reported to police seeing Jeffrey Miller and another man in a black BMW at a BP gas station in Coloma. Investigators checked video from the gas station and were able to identify the man Jeffrey Miller was with as Deyo.

Law enforcement officers, including U.S. Marshalls, watched Deyo's home and saw each of the five defendants talking with Jeffrey Miller outside the home, according to the complaint. Three vehicles that arrived at the home each brought one of the defendants. Other people were in the vehicles who were not identified.

At no time while the house was being watched did any of the five defendants reach out to law enforcement officers to tell them Jeffrey Miller was in the home, according to the complaint.

Law enforcement officers got a "no knock warrant" for the home and, on the evening of July 25, multiple agencies got together to serve the warrant, according to the complaint. The officers encircled the house and approached it using an armored vehicle, according to the complaint. They gave orders for the people to leave the house, and the five defendants came out. Jeffrey Miller barricaded himself inside the house, according to the complaint.

Police entered the house on Friday and found Jeffrey Miller's body with a firearm lying nearby. Officers never shot at Miller in the home, according to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com . Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Five charged in connection with Amherst standoff make appearances in Portage County Court