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Athens Man Sentenced for the Death of Stanley Woman

Friday, April 19th, 2024 -- 11:01 AM

(Karen Madden, Marshfield News-Herald) A 51-year-old Athens man was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for starting a fire that killed a Stanley woman.

According to Karen Madden with the Marshfield News-Herald, Matthew J. Zarins pleaded guilty Jan. 31 to homicide by negligent handling of dangerous explosives causing the death of Jennifer K.

Johnson, 51. He also pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug trafficking place. On Thursday, Taylor County Circuit Judge Ann Knox-Bauer gave Zarins five years on extended supervision to follow his five-year prison sentence.

According to Taylor County Sheriff Larry Woebbeking, at 12:11 a.m. Jan. 11, 2023, a caller reported a fire with injuries at N44 Clark Drive in the Taylor County town of Maplehurst, about 49 miles north of Marshfield.

Taylor County deputies, along with fire and ambulance services, responded to the fire, which was in a homemade structure built from an old camper frame. Zarins, the owner of the structure, hurt himself while escaping the structure.

He was burned, along with other injuries, Woebbeking said. Johnson also got out of the structure, but she was severely burned. Ambulances took Zarins and Johnson to a hospital for treatment, but Johnson died from her injuries, Woebbeking said.

Zarins recovered. As part of a plea agreement, additional charges of conspiracy to manufacture amphetamine, methamphetamine precursor possession and methamphetamine waste possession were all dismissed but considered during sentencing.


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