Anthony Michael Trebesch got a second chance — and did not take advantage of it.
As a result, one person is dead, and Trebesch was sent to prison following a sentencing hearing held Tuesday, Aug. 13 at the Isanti County Government Center in Cambridge.
At the recommendation of Isanti County Attorney Jeff Edblad, Judge Jesse Seabrooks II sentenced Trebesch to four years for felony criminal vehicular homicide that led to the death of Lily Rae Wilson.
“I don’t believe you are a bad person, Mr. Trebesch, but you did a bad thing that is irreversible,” Seabrooks said in making his ruling. “I believe you are remorseful. I have watched your remorse, and while it is compelling, it is not substantive.”
The sentence for four years is the maximum sentence allowed by Minnesota state sentencing guidelines.
“It is frustrating to me that Minnesota cases set the maximum sentence at 48 months; frankly, I feel that is too low,” Edblad said during the court proceedings. “But no sentence will bring back a life.”
What happened
Tuesday’s hearing was not Trebesch’s first brush with the law because of drunken driving.
According to court documents, in May of 2021, Trebesch, who lives in Cambridge, was stopped by Isanti police along Highway 65 after crossing over the center lane divider multiple times. Trebesch submitted to a preliminary breath test and registered a .19.
He was found guilty of third-degree DWI and was placed under supervised probation for two years, with the term to end on Jan. 6, 2024.
Unfortunately, that sentence did not keep him from driving drunk — and led to much more dire consequences.
Police records indicate that on Oct. 28, 2023 two officers from the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the area of County Road 6 and Blackfoot Street Northwest in Springvale Township. There they found a small silver sedan rolled over, with a female lying on her back unresponsive.
Despite life-saving measures taken by the Dalbo Fire Department and paramedics who arrived on the scene, the 34-year-old Wilson, who lived in Cambridge, was pronounced dead. The police report stated that “a strong odor of alcohol emitted” from Trebesch, the driver of the vehicle, and he later admitted to drinking five beers and multiple shots of alcohol.
The 30-year-old Trebesch pleaded guilty in April to criminal vehicular homicide-operate motor vehicle with alcohol concentration of .08 or more—which led to the sentencing on Aug. 13.
The attorneys spoke
At that sentencing hearing Zachary Smith, Trebesch’s attorney, said he and his client were not in court to “minimize a completely tragic circumstance that could have been avoided.”
“But not once — when he was on the side of the road talking to officers, when he was put into custody, or during any court proceedings — did my client try to minimize his involvement in a tragic and avoidable situation,” Smith said.
He instead made a case that Trebesch was a candidate for a downward dispositional departure. He listed the six elements necessary for such a ruling and said Trebesch fit all six elements.
“One is age; my client is not 30, and he is the father of young children,” Smith said. “As to prior record, he has no felonies and one DWI. When it comes to showing remorse, given the specifics of the case, a lot of people would not take the stance my client has: a number would assign some blame to the victim, but my client did not.
“He has cooperated at every stage of this ordeal, and his attitude to the court has been good. And as for a social support system, my client has large and supportive family and network.”
Edblad countered that Trebesch did indeed try to make excuses for the incident.
“[Trebesch] said Lily Wilson was not willing to wait for a sober cab, and he said he was the one who was more sober,” Edblad said. “While he said he realized that people should not drink and drive, he also said that he believes that was not what caused the accident.
“His argument was that she struck him with a closed fist while he was driving, and that he became unconscious — that the accident occurred because of her attack on him. But in his booking photo, the abrasions are on the left side of his face. That is the side that is farthest away from the passenger.
“Those words are inconsistent with his position that he did not assign blame.”
Edblad continued that Trebesch deserved the full 48-month sentence.
“Because of the choices that Trebesch made on Oct. 28, 2023, Lily Wilson lost her life. He made a choice to drive despite a blood alcohol content of 0.16; no one forced or compelled him to do so. He was on probation for his DWI, and at any point prior to this the defendant could have made himself available for treatment.
“This was totally, completely and 100% avoidable, and because of his choices, Trebesch is 100% responsible for her death. He has earned every second of those 48 months.”
The public spoke
After Edlbad spoke, Seabrooks heard aloud three of the 14 victim impact statements that were presented; Seabrooks made it clear that he had read all 14 of the statements.
Brenda Skoglund, the victim services coordinator in the county attorney’s office, read the three statements, which came from Lily Wilson’s sisters, Alicia Olson and Autumn Wilson, as well as from their mother, Patricia Wilson.
“I lost a sister and a best friend,” Alicia wrote. “I would talk about things with her every day … We should not have to live without her, and her son Lucky should not have to live without his mother.”
Autumn echoed those sentiments, then added, “[Judge Seabrooks], you don’t have the power to bring my sister back. But you do have the power to serve justice and give him the maximum sentence.”
Patricia also pushed for the maximum sentence, then added, “We all have to live with it; nothing will change.”
Following those statements, Trebesch was given a chance to speak.
“I apologize, because I did not want this to happen,” he said. “I think about those events every single day. To Lily’s family, I want to say that I’m truly sorry; you have my sympathy.”
Immediately after Trebesch spoke, Seabrooks announced his ruling for the maximum sentence for Trebesch.
Seabrooks noted that at least two-thirds of the sentence, or 32 months, must be spent in prison with the opportunity for the final 16 months to be spent in supervised release. Trebesch is currently incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud with an anticipated release date of June 29, 2026.
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