A Wisconsin killer already serving life for a brutal double murder is back in the headlines after being convicted once more, this time for savagely attacking a prison guard.
Richard Sotka, 50, was found guilty Wednesday of felony battery by a prisoner following a swift one-day trial in Brown County. Judge Beau Liegois tacked on an additional three years to his existing dual life sentences without parole, ensuring that Sotka will remain behind bars until his dying days.
Sotka first made national news in 2023 when he “snapped” in a jealous rage and butchered his girlfriend, 58-year-old Rhonda Cegelski, and her best friend, 53-year-old Paula O’Connor. He told investigators he felt “humiliated” after stepping out of the shower and catching the two women being intimate. His jealous fury turned deadly when he grabbed an eight-inch knife and repeatedly stabbed them.
Convicted killer Richard Sotka found guilty of assaulting corrections officer https://t.co/2ZZFRikNsq
— Green Bay Press-Gazette (@gbpressgazette) August 22, 2025
According to police reports, O’Connor’s body was found near the front door with a knife still embedded in her neck, while Cegelski’s body was discovered in the kitchen. Both women had been stabbed multiple times in the face and neck. The murders left a Green Bay community stunned and Cegelski’s family devastated, especially her daughter, who made the grim discovery and called 911.
Sotka was quickly identified as a prime suspect. He was already out on bond from an unrelated stalking and harassment case but had cut off his GPS ankle monitor, leaving it on the side of Interstate 41 before fleeing the state. Authorities tracked him down hours later in Arkansas, where he was arrested carrying $4,000 in cash and a passport. Confronted by investigators, he admitted to the killings, saying he “just lost it.”
Now, even behind bars, Sotka’s violent streak hasn’t dimmed. According to testimony, the convicted killer lashed out at a correctional officer who had removed contraband from his cell. “Sotka screamed something, and that is when he struck me with his fist,” the guard recalled. “The first hit landed on my left ear. I saw stars.”
👿Richard Sotka, ‘Snapped’ After Seeing His Girlfriend Kiss Her Female Friend Convicted of Double Murder#ThemFolks#FacesOfcrimehttps://t.co/rnTTqrORsO pic.twitter.com/i0SmYR62ZC
— J.B. Freedmen (@JayeB62620916) March 15, 2024
The officer said Sotka pummeled him with a flurry of close-fisted blows to the head, forcing him to go into a defensive crouch. Backup eventually arrived, and only then did Sotka’s tension “drop.” The jury needed little convincing, handing down a guilty verdict after just a day of testimony.
Sotka’s record paints the portrait of a man who has been dangerous for decades. Long before the double murder, he allegedly “snapped” on another woman he was dating about 20 years ago, knocking out her teeth, breaking her leg, and fracturing her skull. That victim testified during Sotka’s murder trial, highlighting a disturbing pattern of violent outbursts.
Despite his repeated denials of the older stalking charges, Sotka has never shied away from confessing to the killings of Cegelski and O’Connor. “I’m guilty of killing these girls,” he admitted, though he tried to distance himself from his earlier criminal case.
With his latest conviction, Sotka’s time behind bars has only been lengthened. Already condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison, he now has an additional three years stacked on top.
For the families of his victims, it’s a grim reminder that the man who destroyed their loved ones’ lives is still proving dangerous, even inside maximum security walls.
