Arrest in Homicide of Nicholas Day

February 14, 2020
Elise Schaffer, PIO, (608) 284-6142
Sheriff's Office

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is announcing that a suspect is in custody in the January 15th homicide of 26-year-old Nicholas Day on CTH JG in the town of Blue Mounds. 

Riley Berg, age 21 of Mt. Horeb, was taken into custody by Dane County Sheriff’s detectives on Thursday evening, February 13th in Mt. Horeb. He is currently being held in the Dane County Jail on a tentative charge of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide.

The motive for the killing is still unclear, and at this point, a connection between the victim and the suspect is unknown. This continues to be an active investigation and the Sheriff’s Office would like to hear from anyone who knows Riley Berg and may have information on a connection to Nicholas Day or on Berg’s activities/behavior before and after the homicide.  Investigators can be reached through our tip line at (608) 284-6900. Deputies and detectives will continue to have a presence in the area as they follow-up on information.

Nicholas’s body was discovered by a passerby in the early afternoon of January 15th.  An autopsy by the Dane County Medical Examiner revealed that he had suffered a gunshot wound and had sustained several lacerations to his neck.  “Nicholas was a son, a loving father and a U.S. Veteran.  This is a tragic event, that will live on for some time, especially for the two families whose lives have been torn apart,” said Sheriff David Mahoney.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Mt. Horeb and Blue Mounds communities for their cooperation and willingness to help law enforcement during this investigation. We have worked closely with Blue Mounds Police and Mt. Horeb Police and Fire Dept. and thank them for their partnership in this investigation.  The Sheriff’s Office has dedicated every resource at our disposal to bring justice for Nicholas. We are very proud of the hard work and dedication by our deputies and detectives who have been working around the clock to solve this violent crime, and restore a sense of safety to the citizens of Mt. Horeb and Blue Mounds.