A missing-person case in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, took a devastating turn when authorities discovered the body of 16-year-old Payton Vertz floating in a local marina. Investigators allege that two people, including a 15-year-old boy who knew him, planned and carried out the killing before attempting to conceal what happened.
Nathan Reichard, 15, and Dominic Pilgreen, 26, face multiple felony charges in connection with Vertz’s death, including first-degree intentional homicide, physical abuse of a child, hiding a corpse, theft from a corpse and false imprisonment.
According to the criminal complaint, Vertz was last seen by his family on October 5, 2026. Because he had reportedly left home before and returned days later, his disappearance was initially treated as a possible runaway situation.
Eleven days later, on October 16, his body was discovered in a marina in Two Rivers. The discovery prompted investigators to examine his final movements and interview people who may have known what happened to him.
The investigation soon led authorities to Reichard and Pilgreen, with statements from students and details allegedly provided by the suspects helping detectives piece together the events surrounding the teenager’s death.
A disturbing statement drew police attention
One of the early leads came from a student at Two Rivers High School who approached police with information about Reichard.
According to the complaint, the student said Reichard had asked whether he knew Vertz. When the student confirmed that he did, Reichard allegedly replied, “He’s dead. I killed him.”
The witness also reportedly noticed that Reichard’s hand appeared bruised.
Investigators subsequently spoke with a female student who had dated Vertz when they were in middle school. She told detectives that Reichard had appeared angry with Vertz before his disappearance.
Around the time Vertz was reported missing, Reichard allegedly told her, “It’s happening.” The girl said she believed he was referring to a plan to kill Vertz.
She also told police that Reichard later visited her home during the night and said, “It’s done.”
According to the complaint, Reichard then allegedly described how he and Pilgreen had tied Vertz to a tree, killed him and disposed of his body. He reportedly told her that they had also burned the teenager’s clothes.
These statements became significant leads as investigators worked to determine whether Vertz’s disappearance had been connected to a planned attack.
Investigators allege the killing was planned in advance
Reichard eventually went to the Two Rivers Police Department and allegedly described his involvement in Vertz’s death.
Pilgreen was also questioned by investigators. According to the complaint, he said that he and Reichard had discussed how much Reichard hated Vertz.
The complaint alleges that on October 4, the day before Vertz was last seen by his family, Reichard and the female student visited Pilgreen at an encampment in Zander Park, where Pilgreen was living.
During that visit, the three allegedly discussed Vertz, and Reichard and Pilgreen decided that the teenager needed to be killed, according to investigators.
Prosecutors later described the alleged crime as a planned attack rather than a confrontation that suddenly escalated.
At Reichard’s first court appearance, Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said the defendants had allegedly discussed how to incapacitate Vertz and make him easier to control. She also said the original plan involved holding him for several days before the alleged killing was carried out in one evening.
The allegations suggest investigators believe the preparation and events leading up to the killing are central to understanding the case.
Alcohol allegedly used to lure the teenager
According to the criminal complaint, Pilgreen purchased vodka and beer that he and Reichard allegedly intended to give Vertz to make him intoxicated before the planned attack.
Investigators say Reichard persuaded Vertz to accompany him to Zander Park.
Once Vertz was intoxicated, the two defendants allegedly encouraged him to walk with them along the Ice Age Trail in the park. The teenager reportedly went with them willingly before the situation turned violent.
The complaint alleges that Pilgreen and Reichard began beating Vertz. When he resisted, they allegedly restrained him against a tree and continued the assault, including whipping him with his own belt.
According to investigators, Pilgreen told police that the original plan was to leave Vertz tied to the tree for two or three days so the pair could continue torturing him.
However, the complaint says the defendants became concerned that Vertz might escape. Reichard allegedly expressed worry about whether their knots were secure enough to keep him restrained.
Investigators allege that the pair ultimately abandoned the plan to hold him for several days and decided to kill him that night.
Police describe how the body was transported
According to the complaint, Pilgreen told investigators that he used Vertz’s belt to strangle the teenager.
The defendants allegedly removed most of Vertz’s clothing, leaving him in his boxer shorts, before placing his body in a wagon. A red towel was used to cover the body during transport.
Pilgreen reportedly told police that part of the towel had also been used to muffle Vertz’s screams during the alleged attack.
The complaint further alleges that the defendants took the body to the river and disposed of it before burning Vertz’s clothing in an effort to conceal evidence.
Vertz’s body was ultimately discovered floating in the Two Rivers marina on October 16.
Investigators have used the alleged statements, witness accounts and circumstances surrounding the body’s discovery to build the case against the two defendants.
Judge calls the alleged crime brutal
The accusations prompted a strong response during Reichard’s initial court appearance.
Judge Jewel Scharenbroch described the alleged crime as “brutal and depraved” and set Reichard’s cash bond at $500,000.
The seriousness of the allegations is also reflected in the decision to charge Reichard as an adult. Wisconsin law allows certain juvenile cases to proceed in adult criminal court under specified circumstances, depending on the alleged offense and the applicable legal requirements.
Because Reichard is 15, the decision to prosecute him as an adult carries significant implications for how the case proceeds and the potential penalties if he is convicted.
Pilgreen, who is 26, remains in custody at the Waukesha County Jail, according to the reported court records.
Both defendants are scheduled to appear in court on November 2.
What the charges mean
First-degree intentional homicide is among the most serious offenses under Wisconsin law. Prosecutors must prove the required elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can be entered.
The additional charges reflect separate allegations involving the reported abuse and restraint of Vertz, the concealment and handling of his body, and the alleged efforts to prevent authorities from discovering what happened.
The case is still moving through the court system. Statements described in a criminal complaint represent allegations and investigative accounts, not a final determination of guilt.
As the proceedings continue, prosecutors are expected to rely on witness testimony, the defendants’ alleged statements and other evidence to establish their account of the events.
A community left seeking answers
Vertz’s death has left a community confronting the loss of a teenager whose disappearance initially appeared to be another case of a young person leaving home.
The discovery of his body transformed that search into a homicide investigation involving allegations of advance planning, prolonged abuse and efforts to hide the crime.
For investigators, the central task is now to establish what happened on October 5 and determine each defendant’s responsibility through the legal process.
For Vertz’s family, the case represents the loss of a 16-year-old whose disappearance ended in circumstances far more devastating than anyone initially feared.
The upcoming court appearances will mark another stage in the effort to resolve the allegations and bring the case through Wisconsin’s criminal justice system.
