Man enters not guilty plea in drug overdose death
Aug. 3—EAU CLAIRE — An Onalaska man who authorities say helped provide the fentanyl that led to the December drug overdose death of another man pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony count of first-degree reckless homicide.
Trenton J. Wik, 33, also pleaded not guilty to a felony count of assault by prisoner.
In that case, authorities say Wik was involved in a fight at the Eau Claire County Jail that left another inmate with a severe concussion.
Wik returns to court Oct. 1.
Wik's co-defendant in the drug overdose case, Noah R. Beckstead, 20, of Eau Claire, returns to Eau Claire County Court the same day.
According to the criminal complaint in the drug overdose case:
Eau Claire police were sent to the 500 block of Cochrane Street Dec. 6 on a report of a deceased man found at that location. The man was found slumped over in the driver's seat of a car.
In searching the car, officers found an orange syringe cap on the floorboard of the driver's side compartment and a used syringe with a bent needle on the floorboard of the front passenger side.
An autopsy concluded the man had experienced acute fentanyl toxicity.
Two days later, officers learned from the man's friend that the man had been with Beckstead the day he died.
On Dec. 9, the man's stepmother provided police with a recorded phone call between Beckstead and a woman where Beckstead had admitted being with the man when he overdosed on drugs. Beckstead said he and the man had gone to Wik's house. Beckstead said Wik was his drug source.
Beckstead said the man had been driving up the Birch Street hill and was swerving as he drove.
The man then pulled over, became unresponsive and fell asleep. Beckstead said the man was still breathing but would not wake up. Beckstead was crying and distressed during the call, repeatedly apologized and asked the woman if she was mad at him.
During a Dec. 15 interview, Beckstead told police he was with the man between 9 and 10 p.m. on Dec. 5. They drank alcohol, smoked marijuana and used LSD.
Beckstead said they then drove to Wik's house, where they smoked methamphetamine with Wik.
The man then bought what Wik described as heroin from Wik. They then injected themselves with the drug inside the car. A short time later, the man then had difficulty driving and eventually became unresponsive, Beckstead said.
According to the criminal complaint in the jail fight case:
Jailers discovered that Wik and a second inmate were engaged in a fight at 3:30 p.m. June 1 in the program room of the special needs housing unit.
The incident was captured on the jail's camera.
Wik and the other inmate were sitting around a table playing cards with two other inmates when Wik pushed the table toward the other inmate and abruptly stood up.
Wik appeared to be animated and yelling at the other inmate as he moved toward him.
Wik walked toward the other inmate and punched him in the head.
The pair grappled with each other until Wik forced the other inmate into a wall. Wik then repeatedly punched the other inmate. Wik shoved the other inmate, which caused his head to strike the wall.
The other inmate was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, where he was treated for a severe concussion and an injured nerve in his back.
