Charges dropped against 3 of 5 defendants in connection with Amherst standoff

STEVENS POINT − A judge has dismissed charges filed against three of five defendants in connection with a standoff July 25 and 26 in Amherst .

The Portage County District Attorney's Office filed motions Friday to dismiss the charges against Thomas J. Decarlo, 20, of Ashland; Brodee T. Voelker, 30, of Gurnee, Illinois; and Brandon J. Laux, 34, of Plover. Portage County Circuit Judge Michael Zell dismissed the charges against the three men after the motions were filed Friday, according to online records.

Edward J. Deyo, 61, of Amherst, and Chrissy A. Miller, 43, of Amherst, are still charged with being a party to the crime of harboring a felon. Deyo has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 19 and Miller, who currently is free on a $20,000 cash bail, is scheduled to make an initial appearance Thursday. Deyo remains in jail pending a $75,000 cash bail.

According to the criminal complaints, on July 23, Jeffrey Miller, 32, 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 Miler 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, who lives there with Chrissy Miller, according to the complaint.

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

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 five people, including Chrissy Miller and Deyo, came out. Miller barricaded himself inside the house, according to the complaint.

Police entered the house on July 26 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: Charges dropped against 3 of 5 defendants in connection with Amherst standoff