DODGEVILLE, Wis. (WKOW) — A man has been formally charged with killing a Dodgeville woman who had been reported as missing and endangered earlier this week.
Gavin Thompson, 23, of Dodgeville, is charged in Iowa County with first-degree intentional homicide, armed burglary, operating a motor vehicle without consent and hiding a corpse.
Thompson is accused of going to the home of Dorinda Segebrecht, 67, and killing her with a knife.
According to the criminal complaint, Thompson told investigators he needed money and a car because he recently lost his job.
He chose Segebrecht's house because it "appeared to be a calm place."
According to the criminal complaint, Thompson admitted to entering the home uninvited through an unlocked door and that a confrontation resulted in "a death."
When asked how the death occurred, Thompson replied, “By knife, I believe,” the complaint stated. He confirmed to investigators that a knife he brought was used in the attack.
According to the complaint, Thompson said he stabbed Segebrecht in the stomach. Thompson told investigators he "was just trying to get the car."
After the stabbing, Thompson admitted to pulling her body into the car, a black 2020 Hyundai Kona belonging to Segebrecht.
Thompson then drove south to Illinois, west into Iowa and then into Nebraska, he told investigators. That's where he encountered the Nebraska State Patrol on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.
A Nebraska State Trooper attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which led to a pursuit.
The driver, identified as Thompson, crashed down a steep embankment and ran on foot. After a manhunt lasting four hours, he was arrested and taken to the Lancaster County Jail in Nebraska.
Segebrecht's body was recovered from the car. A black-handled knife, green latex rubber gloves, and a blood-soaked shirt were also found in the car.
According to Coroner Bill Ovren of Nebraska, preliminary documentation provided by the Nebraska Medical Examiner’s Office lists the cause of death as “sharp force injuries to the head, neck, torso, and extremities.”
Thompson was given a $5 million bond in a Nebraska courtroom Friday afternoon.
He appeared via video in Lancaster County Court in Nebraska. He faces charges in that state of operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, removing, concealing or abandoning human skeletal remains and theft by unlawful taking.
Dodgeville Police Chief Brandon Wilhelm said Friday during a news conference he anticipates Thompson will be extradited to Wisconsin within a week.
The investigation remains active, and law enforcement is still seeking information on the case. Thompson was wearing a camouflage-style jacket, a blue shirt and bright yellow shoes on the day Segebrecht went missing. He was seen walking around the southeast area of Dodgeville at various times throughout the day on July 15.
Thompson was seen on video camera walking in the 400 block of East Division Street around 2:23 p.m., and by 2:33 p.m., Segebrecht's car was seen driving away from the home.
Anyone with video or other tips from the date of the incident on July 15 can send them via email to policetip@dodgevillewi.gov.
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