March 18 – EAU CLAIRE – A former Eau Claire man will be sentenced June 13 for his role in providing the fentanyl that led to the death of a man in Eau Claire by overdose in December 2020, and a fight in the Eau Claire County Jail.
Trenton J. Wik, 35, pleaded guilty Friday in Eau Claire County Court to felonies of reckless first-degree homicide by drug delivery and substantial battery.
Judge Sarah Harless ordered a pre-sentencing investigation by the State Department of Corrections.
Wik can be sentenced to a maximum of 26 years in prison.
Wik’s co-defendants in the overdose death and prison sentences, Noah R. Beckstead and Adam M. Miller, respectively, were previously convicted. Beckstead and Miller are both from Eau Claire.
According to the indictment in the drug overdose death case:
Eau Claire Police were dispatched to the 500 block of Cochrane Street on December 6, 2020 based on a report of a deceased man found at that location. The man was found slumped in the driver’s seat of a car.
Searching the car, officers found an orange syringe cap on the floorboard of the driver’s compartment and a used syringe with a bent needle on the floorboard of the front passenger’s side.
An autopsy concluded that 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 December 9, 2020, the man’s stepmother provided police with a recorded telephone conversation between Beckstead and a woman who Beckstead had admitted was with the man when he overdosed on drugs. Beckstead said he and the man went to Wik’s former Eau Claire home. Beckstead said Wik was his drug source.
Beckstead said the man drove up the Birch Street hill and swerved as he drove.
The man then stopped, became unresponsive and fell asleep. Beckstead said the man was still breathing but wouldn’t wake up. Beckstead cried and was upset during the conversation, apologizing repeatedly and asking the woman if she was mad at him.
During an interview on December 15, 2020, Beckstead told police that he was with the man between 9 and 10 p.m. on December 5, 2020. 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 in the car. A short time later, the man had trouble driving and eventually became unresponsive, Beckstead said.
Knowing he had an active warrant, Beckstead became fearful that the police would show up. He said his phone died when he tried to call 911.
Beckstead said he walked to a nearby gas station and a passerby gave him a ride to Chippewa Falls. Beckstead said he had never seen anyone overdose on drugs. He thought the man would eventually wake up and be okay.
During an interview with police in February 2021, Wik said that on December 5, 2020, Beckstead came alone to his home and traded fentanyl to Beckstead in exchange for LSD. Wik said he discovered the man died a few days later. He said he did not know the man and had never met him.
Wik said the fentanyl he received from his supplier was extremely potent. Wik said he refused to inject it and would only smoke it because of overdose concerns.
Wik said he understood that the fentanyl he gave the man led to his death and that Beckstead was very upset about the man’s death.
Wik said he recommended that Beckstead tell police he did not know who gave the man the fentanyl that killed him.
According to the criminal charge in the jail fight case:
Inmates found Miller and Wik arguing at 3:30 p.m. on June 1, 2021, in the programming room of the special housing unit.
The incident was captured on prison camera.
Miller and Wik were sitting around a table playing cards with two other inmates when Wik pushed the table toward Miller and stood up abruptly.
Wik seemed animated and yelled at Miller as Wik walked over to him.
Wik walked over to Miller and hit him on the head.
Wik and Miller wrestled each other until Wik forced Miller into a wall.
Miller tried to hold onto Wik’s arms and legs as Wik repeatedly tried to punch Miller in the head and body.
Miller briefly broke free and threw several punches at Wik. But Wik grabbed Miller again and kept hitting him repeatedly.
Wik pushed Miller, causing the back of Miller’s head to hit the wall.
Miller slid to the floor and appeared to be unconscious for several seconds.
Miller came to and then seemed to yell at Wik. Miller thrust his head forward and appeared to spit at Wik.
Miller then threw a chair at Wik. Guards then opened the door and removed Wik from the room.
Miller told authorities the next day that Wik was angry with him for losing the card game. Miller had bruises and swelling on his forehead, temples and upper lip. He also had a chipped tooth.
Miller was taken to the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, where he was treated for a severe concussion and an injured nerve in his back.
Wik told authorities on June 4 that Miller was abusive and disrespectful to him.
Wik admitted to punching Miller several times, but had no recollection of pushing him against a wall.
Wik said he got blood spattered on his prison uniform when Miller spat at him.
