By Shereen Siewert
A 50-year-old Green Bay man convicted of beating, tying up and kidnapping a Langlade County woman, forcing her into his truck, then fleeing from police in a chase that ended on Hwy. 51 in Wausau will spend four years in prison after his attorney withdrew an insanity plea in the case.
Brian Storzer was convicted in June of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, false imprisonment and fleeing an officer. Additional charges, filed Aug. 20, 2020 in Marathon County Circuit Court, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. The judge in the case ordered a presentencing investigation before determining an appropriate sentence.
On Thursday, Circuit Judge Greg Strasser sentenced Storzer. In addition to the prison term, Storzer will spend an additional four years on extended supervision and will be subject to GPS monitoring, according to online court records.
In December, Storzer entered an insanity plea, referred to as an NGI, and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. But in June, Storzer’s attorney withdrew the NGI plea and the case moved forward.
According to reports from the Langlade County Sheriff’s Department, in the afternoon of Aug. 15, 2020 Storzer drove to the victim’s home and began arguing with her about their past relationship. He then bound the woman’s wrists together with duct tape, took her phone, threw her shoes out of the home and physically attacked her, throwing her into a living room wall.
The woman told police she eventually escaped the home and ran, but Storzer caught her before she could find help and forced her into his truck. Then, according to court documents, Storzer drove to the Wausau area. While he was stopped at a red light on Rib Mountain Drive, the victim escaped the vehicle and ran to a nearby truck, begging for help.
But Storzer told the men inside the truck that he and the woman had a misunderstanding about money, and the men told the woman she had to leave their vehicle because it was a work truck. That’s when Storzer grabbed and punched the woman, forced her back into his vehicle and drove to Hwy. 51, where deputies from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department were actively pursuing him.
Storzer fled, but when he slowed down after hitting a tire deflation device the victim opened the door and jumped out of the moving vehicle to escape.
The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and Storzer was taken to the Marathon County Jail.
Court records show Storzer is facing charges in Langlade County Circuit Court filed July 21, 2020 of burglary, attempted arson and criminal trespassing at the same woman’s home. He appeared July 22, 2020 in Langlade County and was released on a $10,000 cash bond after being ordered to have no contact with the woman, who is a former girlfriend.
Storzer also has an open case filed April 28, 2020 in Langlade County where he faces charges of first degree recklessly endangering safety, possessing a firearm after an out-of state felony conviction and disorderly conduct. In that case, he was freed after posting a $1,000 cash bond. Both Langlade County cases are pending.
Judge Strasser allowed Storzer 411 days credit for time served while awaiting trial.
