An Outagamie County jury has found 40-year-old Samantha Krebs guilty of intentionally stabbing and killing her fiancé, a 35-year-old Appleton man, after more than five hours of deliberation. The verdict for first-degree intentional homicide was delivered on Sept. 11, following five days of testimony that laid out conflicting accounts of what happened inside the couple’s North Park Drive Lane apartment.
Prosecutors argued that Krebs stabbed her fiancé during an argument while under the influence of methamphetamine, delivering a wound that punctured his heart. They said she then spent several days attempting to cover up the killing before authorities became involved. The victim died on July 18, 2024, on the kitchen floor of their shared home.
Read Also: Wisconsin Mom Who Left 5 Kids Alone All Night Charged in Death of 3-Year-Old Son Beaten to Death
Throughout the trial, Krebs maintained that the fatal injury was self-inflicted. Her defense team suggested the victim had been “deteriorating mentally” in the period leading up to his death, claiming that his behavior had become increasingly unstable. Krebs took the stand to testify in her own defense, insisting that she had not harmed him, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The prosecution countered that her account did not align with physical evidence or witness statements. In closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Grode urged jurors to consider whether Krebs’ version of events made sense. He told the court that her explanation was “more full of holes than a cheese grater,” underscoring what he described as a series of inconsistencies and implausible details in her testimony.
Jurors ultimately sided with the prosecution, concluding that the evidence clearly pointed to an intentional act of violence rather than an accidental or self-inflicted injury.
With the conviction now entered, Krebs is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 25 for sentencing. First-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence in Wisconsin. However, Circuit Court Judge Vincent Biskupic will determine whether Krebs will have the possibility of parole at any point in the future.
The case has drawn considerable attention in the Appleton community, not only because of its tragic circumstances, but also due to the dramatic contrast between the prosecution’s portrayal of a violent confrontation and the defense’s depiction of a household unraveling under stress. The sentencing hearing is expected to bring additional clarity as the court weighs the details presented during trial and hears statements from those affected by the crime.
As of now, Krebs remains in custody awaiting her November court date, where the final outcome of the case will be determined.
READ NEXT
- Trump ally in Indiana resigns from leadership role after redistricting fight divides party
- Trump regret grows louder as voters say the economy is worse than when he took office
- “I Was an Idiot” Trump Voter Breaks Down After ICE Arrests His Wife Despite His Support
- ‘Cost of Living Is Killing Us’: Voters Signal Trouble for Republicans in the 2028 Presidential Race
- Inside the COVID Fraud Case where Taxpayer Money funded Private Villas and Cash Stacks