WI Court of Appeal Denies Appeal News | January 14, 2026 | 0 | by Morgan McCarthy The case against an Eau Claire man accused of killing a neighbor is moving forward. Shane Helmbrecht is charged with intentional homicide in the fatal shooting of neighbor Jenn Ward in 2016. Helmbrecht had previously been found incompetent to stand trial, and was sent to a group home that he later walked away from — only to later be found in Mexico. He has been appealing a September ruling that he is now competent to stand trial but that claim has now been denied by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE WITH WEAU 13 NEWS.