UPDATED Friday, January 7, 2011---1:35 p.m.

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (AP) -- A judge has ruled an Iowa man who recently confessed to strangling his girlfriend in Wisconsin in 2006 is incompetent to stand trial.

Michael Burroughs was committed Thursday to the state and will be treated for a disorder that causes him to believe he's being poisoned.

If treatment is successful the 26-year-old from Marquette, Iowa, will again face charges of first-degree reckless homicide and hiding a corpse.

He's accused of killing Shannon Fischer in Prairie du Chien after he thought she stole his meth and then stuffing her body in the trash in December 2006. Last fall, Burroughs allegedly went to police and confessed.

The La Crosse Tribune reports a psychiatrist testified that with medication Burroughs should be well enough to aid in his defense within 12 months.

Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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UPDATED Monday, October 18, 2010 --- 1:55 p.m.

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (AP) -- Prosecutors have charged an Iowa man with strangling his girlfriend to death four years ago in Prairie du Chien and hiding her body in the garbage.

Twenty-six-year-old Michael J. Burroughs of Marquette, Iowa, faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide and one count of hiding a corpse.

According to a criminal complaint, Burroughs strangled 23-year-old Shannon Fischer to death in his apartment in December 2006 in a dispute over methamphetamine. He kept Fischer's body in the apartment for several days, then dumped it in the trash after it began to smell.

Fischer's disappearance had gone unsolved until Sunday, Oct. 10. The complaint says Burroughs walked into the Prairie du Chien police station that morning and told a dispatcher he had killed her.

Online court records didn't list a defense attorney for Burroughs.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Monday, October 11, 2010 -- 5:30 p.m.

By NBC15's Dana Brueck

"It has been over 3 1/2 years... but it's almost like it happened yesterday," Diane Bouzek says.

A big break in a 2006 missing person case: a man stuns investigators by confessing to murder.

The mystery surrounding what happened to a Crawford County woman almost four years ago could be put to rest.

The woman's boyfriend at the time is in the county jail tonight, facing a murder charge. He surprised those closest to the case Sunday morning with, police say, a confession.

"I cried 'cause it's almost like being hit all over again... right in here... It's hard."

Diane Bouzek has kept the memory of her daughter, Shannon Fischer, close to her heart since the 23-year-old disappeared from Prairie du Chien in December of 2006.

"The not knowing is gone... big load off of your shoulders... but there are a lot of unanswered questions that I deserve answers to."

Now, after almost four years of investigation -- a bombshell break in the case!

"At approximately 9:30 Sunday morning, October 10th, 2010 ... a 26-year-old male entered the Crawford County Jail and confessed to the murder of Shannon Fischer," Police Chief Chad Abram says.

Court records indicate this man -- Michael Burroughs, Fischer's boyfriend at the time -- told police he put her into a choke hold during an argument at his apartment in December of '06.

When he released the hold, he reportedly told police she was no longer breathing.

The statement says Burroughs then kept Fischer in a closet for three days before dumping her body in a garbage bin behind his downtown apartment.

"I was actually the initial officer that investigated this case in 2006. It's been on my plate for a long time and it's always been bothersome to me," Abram says.

Bouzek says she had no contact with Burroughs other than a phone with him Christmas Eve day, 2006 -- a phone call she never could forget.

"When he said to me she was annoying, and I got rid of her. That's always stuck in my mind... poor choice of words.... to a mother, looking for her daughter," Bouzek says, "And, I want to know why... What did my daughter do that was so horrible that someone decided they had to take her life?"

But Bouzek knows this is only the beginning -- a new start toward justice for Shannon.

"She's in her resting place, but I'm here. And I'm gonna be her voice and we're gonna get the full justice for her. That's what I want," she says.

Police emphasize this investigation is far from closed.

The court gave Burroughs a 250-thousand dollar cash bond. He's due back in court Monday.

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UPDATED Monday, October 11, 2010 --- 3:16 p.m.

Information from NBC15's Dana Brueck:

Court records indicate Michael John Burroughs told police that in December of 2006, he and Shannon Fischer got into an argument and he put her in a choke hold.

When he released her from the hold, she had stopped breathing. He then put her in his closet for three days before putting her in a garbage bin the back of his apartment.

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UPDATED Monday, October 11, 2010 --- 2:33 p.m.

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (AP) -- Police in southwestern Wisconsin say a man has confessed to killing his girlfriend, who disappeared in 2006.

At a news conference Monday, Prairie du Chien Police Chief Chad Abram says the 26-year-old man showed up at the police department Sunday morning and told officers he killed Shannon Fischer. She was last seen Dec. 18, 2006 at her apartment in Prairie du Chien.

WXOW-TV reports the man is expected to appear in Crawford County Circuit Court Monday afternoon.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Monday, October 11, 2010---12:30 p.m.

Authorities tell NBC 15's Dana Brueck that on Sunday, October 10, 2010, 26-year-old Michael John Burroughs walked into the Crawford County jail and confessed to killing Shannon Fischer. Authorities declined to answer questions about the cause of death, a crime scene or a body. Stay with NBC 15 News at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. for the latest details on this case.
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UPDATED Monday, October 11, 2010---12:18 p.m.

The boyfriend of Shannon Fischer, Michael John Burroughs, is expected in court today on a homicide charge. Stay with NBC 15 News at 4,5 and 6 p.m. for the latest details on this case.
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Posted Monday, September 14, 2009 --- 10:00 p.m.

"You know, if you don't want to rat somebody out, at least tell us where to find our daughter," Diane Bouzek says.

A new plea for answers to the mystery of what happened to a local woman.

Investigators believe she is the victim of a murder. But, years after her disappearance, they're still working almost every day to determine who's responsible.

At a Prairie du Chien truck stop, the smiling face of a young woman looks out from a blank wall in a back lounge.

"I've been asked numerous times within the last week... did you ever solve that missing person case," Det. Terry Sprosty says.

"I always say 'Good morning, Shannon!' It's how I get through."

At Diane Bouzek's place outside of the city...

"And at night, I say good night... and tell her I love her, miss her."

... a Christmas gift sits wrapped for almost three years.

"They're waiting for her, but I know we'll never get a chance for her to see them," Bouzek says.

Both tell the story of a young woman who vanished from the streets of this quaint, river community.

"This is Blackhawk Avenue. And Shannon spent a lot of time out here on Blackhawk Avenue. She knew a lot of people," Bouzek says.

But no one seems to know what happened to the 23-year-old.

"My gut instinct told me right away something's wrong," Bouzek says.

It was December 2006.

"December 16th is the last time I talked to her," Bouzek says.

The mother and daughter talked about when they'd see each other for the holidays.

"That's when she asked about spending Christmas with the boyfriend and his family, and matter of fact, I had to put her brother on the phone because she had his name for a gift exchange."

Two days later, in downtown Prairie, is the last time anyone would report seeing Shannon Fischer.

"There's apartments above there, and that's the last known place that Shannon was living at the time of her disappearance."

"It was determined she had a falling out with her boyfriend at the time. And then... had gone missing after that," Sprosty says.

Investigators say some of the boyfriend's initial comments raised suspicions.

"I believe his exact words were "She's annoying, and I got rid of her," which is a poor choice of words, which obviously made him an immediate person of interest," the local police chief, Mike King, has said.

But today, police say there's still a number of people of interest.

"There's always chatter about it, no matter where you go," Sprosty says.

And after three years of countless interviews, Det. Terry Sprosty describes a roller coaster of an investigation.

"We're still, um, looking for the so-called golden ticket to find out exactly what happened to Shannon."

What began as a wide open missing person case, is more focused. But part of what makes it difficult - a lack of physical evidence. No crime scene, no body. Shannon Fischer could be anywhere.

"We have done so much ground searching, looking for anything. We've trucked through woods. You would not believe where we've been trucking through," Bouzek says.

But Bouzek is realistic - She knows what police expect to find.

"If someone would say, hey, I heard so and so... say this is possibly where you need to look, please come forward. At least give us that much."

Bouzek used to look forward to her daughter's phone calls...

"I miss her phone calls 'cause she'd call... and go, "Mom, pick up."

"If I could just hear that one more time, "Mom, pick up."

Instead, she holds out hope someone else will call with information ...

"Any little bitty thing could be the big thing."

...to put the case to rest.

"Do I think that there are people out there that just haven't come forward yet and provided information? Yeah, I do," Sprosty says.

...information to put Shannon at peace.

"We won't quit until someone tells the truth because we know this person's out there...and they know exactly what happened to our daughter. And if they think they're going to get away with it, they're wrong 'cause we wont quit until this is solved."

Det. Sprosty says until he has more information, he cannot say if this is a random murder. The Division of Criminal Investigation in the Department of Justice is assisting local police.

If you have any information, contact Prairie du Chien Police or Crime Stoppers.

Prairie du Chien Police
(608) 326-2421
Crawford County Crime Stoppers
(866) 779-PAYS