Opening statements mark day one of Sypher murder trial

By Patrick Lynn

The trial of a Portage Co. man suspected of murdering his wife and hiding her body began on Monday afternoon.

Jason Sypher, 43, was in court on Oct. 14 for the start of a two-week trial with his defense attorney Gary Kryshak. Prosecutors say they believe Sypher murdered his wife, Krista, and disposed of her body, before reporting her as missing in March of 2017.

In his opening statement, Portage Co. District Attorney Louis Molepske said GPS tracking data, evidence collected by a cadaver K9 dog, and evidence that Jason Sypher threw away many of his wife’s belongings all point to his hand in her murder.

Molepske also referenced the box of heavy-duty black trash bags Jason Sypher was captured purchasing at Menard’s in Plover on the day his wife went missing, which police believe he used to dispose of her body.

“We’ll use these to prove the defendant’s guilt, and that it was ‘guilt with intention’ to cause Krista’s death,” Molepske said. “It was guilt and intention to conceal her body so that no one would ever find her.”

Molepske also said Jason Sypher waited until his wife had been missing for a week before he reported it to police—and then, he only filed a missing person’s report at the prodding of his father-in-law.

Kryshak argued “no body, no blood,” and said Krista Sypher could be alive. She was talking about going on vacation before she went missing, Kryshak said, and said Krista took $30,000 in cash Jason was saving in the couple’s bedroom closet. She could have used that money to leave, Kryshak said.

The trial resumes on Tuesday at 8:15 a.m.