Wisconsin Rapids Man Appears in Wood County Court for Kidnapping, Battery, and Other Charges

Thursday, May 8th, 2025 -- 10:01 AM

(Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune) A 42-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges connected to beating another Wisconsin Rapids man and holding him prisoner in a basement overnight.

According to Karen Madden with the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, three co-defendants have also entered pleas in connection with the case. Matthew A. Pehrson is charged with kidnapping, felony battery, robbery with use of force, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of a firearm by an out-of-state felon, pointing a firearm at another and misdemeanor bail jumping.

Pehrson is being held in the Wood County Jail pending a $250,000 cash bail set April 14 by Wood County Circuit Judge Gregory Jerabek. Robert G. Smith Jr., 46, of Wisconsin Rapids, pleaded not guilty May 6 to being a party to the crimes of kidnapping, felony battery, false imprisonment, strangulation, two felony counts of bail jumping and one misdemeanor count of bail jumping.

Smith is being held in the Wood County Jail pending a $100,000 cash bond set April 14 by Jerabek. His next appearance is scheduled for Aug. 7. Tim A. Guldan, 60, of Wisconsin Rapids, pleaded not guilty May 2 to being a party to the crime of false imprisonment.

Wood County Judge Todd Wolf scheduled Guldan's next appearance for July 25. Wolf also lowered Guldan's bond from $5,000 cash to $2,500 cash. Guldan remains in the Wood County Jail.

Tamra B. Daugherty-Wilson, 47, pleaded not guilty May 7 to the charge of being a party to the crime of false imprisonment. Daugherty-Wilson waived her right to a hearing. She currently is being held in the Wood County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond, but has another bond appearance on May 15.

On May 7, Wisconsin Rapids Police Officer Ryan Schumacher testified during Pehrson's hearing. He said on April 4, he responded to a report of a disturbance at a Wisconsin Rapids home.

The woman said Smith had come to her door and told her he was going to kill people. Schumacher said he talked to the victim, who told him he went with Smith to a Wisconsin Rapids home and entered the garage, which had several people in it.

Schumacher said Pehrson asked Smith for a "pass," which the victim said was proper behavior before starting a disturbance or fight at someone else's house.

Smith said yes and Pehrson said he thought the victim was an officer. Pehrson then began to hit the man in the face numerous times for more than four minutes, Schumacher said.

Pehrson stopped hitting the man for about three minutes, then started again. The man said Smith then put him in a chokehold while Pehrson hit the victim for another four minutes, Schumacher said.

The man said he felt the bones in his face breaking. The victim had multiple broken bones on each side of his jaw, Schumacher said. Schumacher said the men put the victim in zip ties to restrain him.

Pehrson went through the victim's pockets and took $74 and what the victim said was a small amount of heroin, Schumacher said. Pehrson then left the garage for a short time to use the heroin.

Pehrson told Daugherty-Wilson and Guldan to watch the victim while Pehrson was out of the room. The victim said Smith asked him if he was "going to be a problem with the cops," Schumacher said.

The man said no out of fear for his life, he told police. Smith then undid the zip ties as Pehrson returned. Pehrson returned, pulled out a gun, pointed it at the victim and told him to go into the basement.

Pehrson sat at the top of the stairs all night, keeping the victim from leaving, Schumacher said. Pehrson was in the basement 8-10 hours, Schumacher said.

The next morning, Smith went to the basement and again asked the victim if he was going to tell the cops what happened, Schumacher said. Out of fear, the victim answered no.

Wood County Circuit Judge Timothy Gebert found enough evidence to continue the case. Gebert also found enough evidence to continue a second case filed against Pehrson.

Pehrson is charged with possessing a firearm as an out-of-state felon, narcotic drugs possession, illegally obtained prescription possession and misdemeanor bail jumping in the second case.

According to the criminal complaint in the second case, two officers were watching for Pehrson to arrest him for the charges in the first case. They saw Pehrson driving a vehicle and stopped it.

The officers searched the vehicle and found some pills, which Pehrson identified as prescription pills. The officers also found a gun in the car's center console that had one bullet in the chamber.

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