ANTIGO, WI (WSAU) — Derek Goplin was handed the mandatory sentence of life in prison on Thursday for killing Susan Reese, his mother, in October 2021.
The decision came after a two-hour-long sentencing hearing in Langlade County Court where four people provided victim impact statements. Judge John B Rhode then determined that Goplin will be eligible for parole after his 80th birthday in 2063. He will not be eligible for prison programming.
Should he successfully apply for parole in 2063 he is to have no contact with listed family members, many of whom were identified only by their initials, unless he is given prior approval.
Reese was found dead in her Antigo home during a welfare check on November 1st. Officers determined that she had been stabbed multiple times the day before, and immediately named Goplin as a suspect. He had long fled the scene by the time officers arrived and wasn’t arrested until a few days later when police caught up to him in Racine.
His son, who officers said was present at the time of the killing, was found alone in a hotel in the Milwaukee area.
It was the first homicide in Antigo in more than 30 years.
Goplin is also facing charges in Waukesha County for exposing his genitals to a child and child neglect. That case was brought forward shortly after the homicide charges but was sealed by the judge to avoid potentially tainting the jury pool in Langlade County. He’s scheduled for a plea and sentencing hearing on those counts on May 17th
