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Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  September 28th, 2020: Gerson V. Alvarez-Franco, Age 37 and Jaime A. Lemus Age 30, Green Bay Police say the man charged with slashing a Green Bay police officer’s face Tuesday morning also shot two men to death on the city’s east side. Police arrested Oscar F. Lemus-Franco, 28, of Green Bay, after a chase Tuesday morning on suspicion of killing two of his relatives, Gerson V. Alvarez-Franco, 37, and Jaime A. Lemus, 30, according to Green Bay police. Officers found Alvarez-Franco and Lemus dead from gunshot wounds around 8:30 p.m. Monday at 541 Clement St. Green Bay police are recommending the Brown County District Attorney’s Office charge Lemus-Franco with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted homicide in connection with the men’s deaths. Prosecutors already charged Lemus-Franco on Tuesday with first-degree recklessly endangering safety, mayhem, battery to an officer, fleeing police and resisting arrest following a chase that left two officers and Lemus-Franco injured. According to police and a criminal complaint, officers spotted Lemus-Franco around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday driving on the east side of Green Bay on Humboldt Road. Police had already identified him as a suspect in the deaths of Alvarez-Franco and Lemus. Officers attempted to stop Lemus-Franco, but he drove away. Police chased him, with speeds reaching 100 mph at times and tried to stop the vehicle with spike strips and pursuit intervention technique maneuvers, according to the complaint. Lemus-Franco eventually crashed into a concrete barrier on Dousman Street at Broadway, according to the criminal complaint. According to the criminal complaint, an officer yelled for Lemus-Franco to show his hands, but he looked at him “with a thousand-yard stare” and charged. Lemus-Franco swung at the officer and ran away. Several officers chased him, saw he had a knife and stopped him with Tasers. Police then realized the officer Lemus-Franco had swung at had been stabbed in the face. Another officer said the officer was bleeding profusely from the face and jaw and it was evident he was in shock. A third officer said the cut extended from his right eye, across his face, through his lips and down to his collarbone. Officers found two knives near Lemus-Franco when he was arrested. Officers also treated Lemus-Franco for self-inflicted wounds to his wrist. He was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to a Milwaukee hospital for additional treatment, police said. The officer who was stabbed had surgery and was released from the hospital. Another officer was also hospitalized for a head and neck injury suffered during the incident.  September 29th, 2020: Cindy Bennett, Age 62, Superior Obituary Superior police have arrested a man in connection to the death of his mother in the city’s Central Park neighborhood. Authorities responded to a home in that area just before 7 a.m Tuesday. They were responding to a 911 call reporting a person in need of medical attention. Once on scene, they found Cindy Bennett had sustained “significant trauma.” She died at the scene. Police arrested Cindy’s 39-year old son. Authorities say the two got into a fight and she died from injuries she got during the altercation. The son is currently being held at the Douglas County Jail. Superior Police say there is no danger to the public at this time.  October 3rd, 2020: Olivia T. Licato, Age 24, Milwaukee Police are investigating a domestic violence-related homicide that happened near N. 76th Street and W. Locust Street around 2:20 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. A 25-year-old male suspect shot his 24-year-old girlfriend, according to police. She was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries. Police are still investigating the situation, but say there is “evidence of alcohol use.” The suspect was taken into custody. Police are not releasing any more details at this time.  October 21st, 2020: Melissa Matz, Age 36, and Lavar Wallace, Age 40 Omro Melissa’s Obituary A 52-year-old Omro man has been charged with two counts of homicide in connection with the deaths of two people last week. Andrew Clark made his initial appearance in court Wednesday afternoon in Winnebago County, where Court Commissioner Bryan Keberlein set his cash bond at $2 million, according to court records. Police found two people dead about 7:30 a.m. Oct. 21 at a home in the 2800 block of Elo Road. They have been identified as Melissa Matz, 36, of Omro, who had previously been identified as Melissa Clark, and Lavar Wallace, 40, of Appleton, according to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. Clark made the initial 911 call and reported that his house was on fire, that someone had broken in and that his wife, Melissa Matz, was not breathing, Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz said at a virtual press conference Wednesday afternoon. “When officers arrived, they detected a heavy odor of gasoline, or a similar accelerant, in the air,” Matz said. Police found burned rags that appeared to have been soaked in an accelerant near one of the victims, along with a candle that “appeared to have been used as a makeshift fuse,” he said. A different man, Michael Draine, 33, of Hudson, Iowa, was arrested earlier this week and charged with harboring or aiding a felon, according to court records. His initial court appearance took place Monday and another hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 9. Police determined that Clark, Matz, Wallace and Draine were together Oct. 20 at “various establishments” and Clark and Matz began to argue about money, the sheriff said. When they got back to the home on Elo Road, Clark shot and killed Matz and Wallace, then Clark and Draine tried to start a fire and left “in an attempt to create an alibi,” he said. Clark is scheduled to appear in Winnebago County court Nov. 4.  October 21st, 2020: Ryelee Manente-Powell, Age 18, Waupaca Obituary A fight over stolen exotic reptiles–some of them poisonous–ended in murder in Waupaca County, according to documents obtained by Action 2 News. These documents name the 18-year-old victim’s mother as one of the suspects. Investigators estimate the reptiles stolen from a home in the Town of Dayton to be worth more than $27,000. However, it was humans in this case that proved more deadly than the animals, according to the court documents. Family have identified the victim as Ryelee Manente. A GoFundMe has been set up for funeral expenses. Charges of 1st Degree Intentional Homicide have been filed against William C. Zelenski, 44, and Tiffany R. Powell, 34. Powell was the victim’s mother. October 26th, 2020: Daniel Sullivan, Age 76, Amherst
Obituary A 44-year-old man is in custody in the Portage County Jail on $500,000 cash bond after investigators said he is the suspect in his father’s death. According to a news release, around noon Monday, dispatch received a report of an incident on Fountain Grove Road in Amherst. Upon arrival, deputies said Daniel Sullivan, 76, was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle driven by his son, Daniel Sullivan Jr., 44. Investigators said Sullivan Jr. intentionally struck his father with the vehicle. He’s currently in custody at the Portage County Jail. Authorities are recommending he be charged with first-degree intentional homicide. An initial appearance is scheduled for Nov. 9. A criminal complaint has not yet been filed.
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Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  September 1st, 2020: Symone Hughes, Age 20 Obituary Twenty-year-old Symone Hughes of Menomonee Falls was supposed to be a nurse — a career that fit her nurturing personality, her sister, Claudria, said. She had just started nursing clinicals and was supposed to graduate from Milwaukee Area Technical College in 2021, said Claudria, who declined to provide her last name for this story. Hughes was stabbed to death Sept. 1. Her ex-boyfriend, Hasani Monroe, 20, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide Sept. 4 in Waukesha County Circuit Court. The two had dated for about 2½ years. They broke up just hours before Hughes’ death, Claudria said. Claudria and Hughes’ aunt Briann Morris want people to be aware of domestic violence. Morris raised $1,648 through a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses. The campaign has since been closed. “It (the GoFundMe campaign) was also to share her story and to create awareness,” said Morris. “My message would be to seek out help if you are in a domestic violence relationship.” “She was silently crying for help,” Morris said of Hughes. One in three women and one in four men have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. ‘I keep looking for signs’ While Claudria said Hughes and Monroe’s relationship may have had challenges, she never thought Hughes’ life was in danger. “I was in disbelief,” said Claudria. “I don’t think I really processed it (Hughes’ death).” Hughes did not talk much about the relationship, her first serious one, said Claudria. At least 56% of the victims of domestic violence in the state are reportedly killed when a relationship ends or when one person begins taking steps to end the relationship, according to the 2019 Wisconsin Domestic Violence Homicide Report. “It is not uncommon for the homicide to be the first, only and last act of physical abuse,” said President and CEO Carmen Pitre of Sojourner Family Peace Center, an agency that offers violence support services and a crisis line. “Also, many times, domestic violence homicide victims had been isolated from friends and family — which contributes to the surprise or suddenness expressed by other people.” Claudria said it seemed in recent months that Hughes was calling her more frequently and wanting to meet with her more. Since her sister’s death, Claudria has asked herself whether this could have been a way of reaching out because of problems in the relationship. Looking back now, she wonders whether she should have somehow known. Claudria said she sensed there was stress in the relationship. At times, Claudria said, Hughes seemed drained. “There were signs that she was dealing with a lot, and it has taken a toll,” Claudria said. “She tried to do everything on her own. We did not know (Hughes was in danger) but maybe we should have. I keep looking for signs.” Breaking up with her boyfriend Claudria said she last saw her sister at about 8 p.m. Sept. 1, when they met for dinner. She said Hughes had just broken up with Monroe. “She said she did not want to talk about it,” said Claudria. “She seemed tired and more soft-spoken. She seemed like she wanted to cry.” Claudria said she did not press her to talk. “I gave her a hug,” Claudria said, thinking she would ask her about the breakup later. When Claudria called Hughes at 11 that night, Hughes was in bed. Claudria said Hughes said she was tired, but everything seemed OK. “I think she was trying to reach out to me, but Symone is someone to not want to need help,” said Claudria. The Menomonee Falls Police Department received a call at 11:45 p.m. from Monroe for a potential domestic violence incident. When police arrived, Hughes was non-responsive on the ground and not breathing. She had a stab wound in her upper chest and there was a large bump on the right side of her head. Claudria said she wishes her sister had reached out, that she had disclosed more about the insecurities of the relationship. She would have been there to support and help her sister, she said. “I wish she said that she is scared and does not feel safe,” she said. “I would have told her that it is OK if things do not work out. We should have these uncomfortable conversations.” Domestic violence by the numbers Domestic violence claimed 72 lives in Wisconsin in 2019, compared to 47 in 2018, according to the Wisconsin Domestic Violence Homicide Report, compiled by End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin. In the Milwaukee area, the Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee helps more than 11,800 clients a year, according to its website. The agency offers a crisis line, advocacy to survivors and domestic violence support services. The Women’s Center in Waukesha helped 650 adults and children in 2019 through its domestic abuse advocacy program, which facilitates safety planning, connecting to legal resources and developing coping skills. Its awareness and advocacy programs reached about 17,566 individuals, according to its annual report. Telling a person in a domestic violence situation that they should leave, should call the police or should handle a situation differently is not helpful, said Angela Mancuso, executive director of The Women’s Center.” ‘Should’ is the least supportive language,” said Mancuso. Telling someone what they should do can alienate them, she added. Mancuso said she encourages others to be nonjudgmental. Being authentic, sincere and nonthreatening is a better approach, she said. “They know themselves better and know when the right time is to leave. You can’t force it,” she said, although she acknowledged that can be frustrating “It can take a lot of patience, and there is nothing easy about it. It is difficult to navigate their safety,” Mancuso said. “It is a complex dynamic.” Pitre said it is important to check in with friends and family. “We need to normalize checking in on each other regularly and not just in times of crisis or concern,” she said. “Let them know the abuse is not their fault, that they are not alone and that help is available,” she added. “Be sure to get emotional help for yourself, too.” Calling for help Mancuso encourages people to take advantage of 24-hour crisis lines, even if it’s just to talk over a situation. “We encourage people to call with general questions,” said Mancuso. “It is healthy to talk it through, move forward and making sure no one is in imminent danger.” If a situation escalates, Menomonee Falls Police Capt. Eugene Neyhart said officers are trained in situations related to domestic violence, including de-escalation tactics, legalities and more. Much of their training — even training not directly labeled as domestic violence training — can be useful to officers responding to those kinds of calls, he noted. If you need help The Women’s Center offers a 24/7 crisis line at 262-542-3828 and provides emergency shelter, legal advocacy, transitional living and housing assistance, and employment coaching. In the Milwaukee area - Sojourner Family Peace Center offers a 24/7 crisis line at 414-933-2722 and domestic violence supportive services. For domestic violence resources statewide, visit endabusewi.org/get-help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline number is 800-799-7233. Hope House of South Central Wisconsin number is 800-584-6790  September 11th, 2020: Pastor Michelle Blackmon, Age 52 Obituary The gunshots that killed a woman were overheard by students on a virtual school class. The homicide happened last Friday morning at a home in the 6800 block of West Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee. According to a criminal complaint, Mario Stokes, 45, of Milwaukee, admitted to fatally shooting his sister in their home. Police said Michelle Blackmon, 52, of Milwaukee, was found dead in the kitchen. An autopsy showed she had two gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators said the shooting happened a day after an argument between the brother and sister. Another sister told police she heard the gunshots and saw her brother leaving the house. He told her, “I’m on my way to the police to turn myself in,” the complaint said. According to an incident report by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, a child was home at the time of the shooting and in a virtual class. The gunshots were overheard by classmates and a teacher. The teacher called 911 to send officers to the student’s home. Stokes walked into District 4 police headquarters and told the desk sergeant “his sister no longer existed, that he did it and that he used a .380,” the complaint said. A gun was found in the home. Stokes was arrested and charged with one count each of first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm. In 2014, he was found not guilty due to mental disease or defect to charges of disorderly conduct and possessing a gun by a felon. A judge ordered Stokes to undergo mental health treatment. Stokes appeared in court Tuesday via video conference. A judge ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation. A doctor’s report was scheduled to be reviewed by the court on Oct. 5. If he is found competent to stand trial and is convicted, Stokes faces up to 60 years in prison.  September 20th, 2020: Garrett Macone, Age 24 Obituary A Rice Lake man has been charged with homicide in Barron County after the death of a 23-year-old Chetek man. Court records show Andrew Brunette, 25 of Rice Lake, has been charged with first degree intentional homicide. Brunette was arrested Sept. 20 in connected to the death of Garrett Macone, 23 of Chetek. According to the investigation, Macone was in a relationship with Brunette’s wife. Brunette and his wife were separated. The criminal complaint says a 9-1-1 call was made to the Barron County Dispatch Center on Sept. 20 from Macone’s mother saying she had found her son dead on the front patio outside her Chetek residence. The document goes on to say law enforcement found his death to be suspicious. It appeared that Macone had two gunshot wounds to the back of his head and his bedroom “was in disarray”. When speaking with detectives, Brunette told them he had come back home the morning of Sept. 20 to get more clothes. He grabbed his gun and headed to the residence where Macone was sleeping in bed. Brunette went on to say he aimed the gun at Macone’s head before contemplating his options and backing away. He said he then reconsidered his options and decided to go through with it and pulled the trigger. He stated he shot a second time to make sure he was dead and then also found his cell phone, smashed it and threw it in the woods behind the house. Macone’s cause of death was the gunshots to his head. A $1,000,000 cash bond has been set for Brunette and he is scheduled to appear in court next on Sept. 28. September 29th, 2020: Cindy Bennett, Age ?
Superior police have arrested a man in connection to the death of his mother in the city’s Central Park neighborhood. Authorities responded to a home in that area just before 7 a.m Tuesday. They were responding to a 911 call reporting a person in need of medical attention. Once on scene, they found Cindy Bennett had sustained “significant trauma.” She died at the scene. Police arrested Cindy’s 39-year old son. Authorities say the two got into a fight and she died from injuries she got during the altercation. The son is currently being held at the Douglas County Jail. Superior Police say there is no danger to the public at this time. Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  August, 4th 2020: James Gruettner, Age 59
Obituary OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) – Charges have been filed against a man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend and killing her father in Oshkosh. Joshua W. Aide, 39, is charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide and two counts of Attempted 1st Degree Intentional Homicide. On Aug. 4, police were called to a shooting at a home in the 1700 block of Minnesota Street. Investigators located three gunshot victims. A criminal complaint states 59-year-old James Gruettner had been shot in the forehead. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers located survivor 57-year-old John Miller. He had been shot in the side of the face. Officers said he was bleeding and having trouble talking due to his injury. Gruettner’s daughter, Rebecca Borkowski, had been shot in the ear. The bullet traveled into the back of the 33-year-old woman’s head. She suffered a fractured skull. The bullet was sitting in “the soft tissue area.” Miller told police he was at the home on Minnesota Street to fix Borkowski’s vehicle. As he finished, he saw Joshua Aide and heard “pop” noises. Miller stated Aide had threatened him earlier in the day by saying “you better not touch the car” and told him not to be at Rebecca’s home.On officer found James Gruettner on the ground. He was dead. Another officer spoke with the injured Rebecca Borkowski. She said she was in “tremendous amounts of pain.” She told officers that her ex-boyfriend, Joshua Aide, had shot her. Rebecca said she had been working on the vehicle with her father and Miller. She co-owns the vehicle with Aide. She remembered speaking with Aide on the phone earlier in the evening. They talked about their relationship being “done for good.” She told him that Miller was doing some mechanical work on their vehicle. “The defendant became upset over the fact that someone was going to be working on his vehicle,” reads the complaint. Aide showed up at the home. He walked toward Rebecca with a small black handgun with a red laser at the end of it, according to the complaint. He pointed the gun at Rebecca’s head. She said, “Joshua, what the f—?!” Police found a .380 caliber shell casings at the scene. Aide was known to have a .380 handgun. Borkowski said she had known Aide for about 14 years. They had been dating for about five years before breaking up in March. Aide fled the scene after the shooting. He was located about 11:37 p.m. that night in Green County. He was near his home in Monticello. Deputies noticed that he had a firearm in his holster. They found a .380 handgun and .380 ammunition, according to the criminal complaint. Aide told officers he had no idea why he was under arrest. Officers said he had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. He refused to submit a blood test. Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you. July, 12th 2020: Matthew J. Ness, Age 46 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — A 24-year-old man from Greenfield has been charged with felony murder in connection to a beating death that happened at Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach on Sunday, July 12. Joseph Sharp has been charged with one count of felony murder, battery. According to a criminal complaint, just before 9:30 p.m. on July 12, deputies were called to Bradford Beach for a reported battery. They located a male in the parking lot with visible trauma to his head and face. Deputies determined the man was not breathing and pulseless. Members of the Milwaukee Fire Department attempted lifesaving measures but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman who was helping the victim after he was hurt, told investigators the victim is a new friend of hers and the person who beat him up was her ex-boyfriend, Joseph Sharp. The woman told investigators Sharp approached the two, who were sitting at Bradford Beach listening to music, and within a few seconds Sharp was “on top of [the victim] wailing on him, he was wailing on his face.” Investigators say the woman reported Sharp punched the victim more than seven times while he was on top of him. When he finally stopped, the woman told officials she heard the victim gasping for air. Sharp reportedly then stated to the woman, “I should have done this a long time ago to you.” Authorities ruled the victim’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and ruled a homicide. July, 18th 2020: Unnamed Woman, Age 68 CUDAHY, Wis. (AP) — Police have arrested a 64-year-old Cudahy man after his 68-year-old sister was found dead in the home they shared. Cudahy Police Chief Thomas Poellot says the death is being treated as a homicide. Police were called early Saturday about a person armed with a shotgun. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports when officers arrived, they found the woman dead and arrested her brother. The two were not identified, but the police chief says both lived at the home. The investigation continues, but police say they are not seeking any other suspects.  July, 21st 2020: Zymeiia Stevens, Age 2 MILWAUKEE — Cash bond was set at $100,000 Sunday, July 26 for a Milwaukee mother facing a charge of first-degree reckless homicide for the shooting death of her 2-year-old daughter, Zymeiia Stevens, Tuesday, July 21 near 105th Street and Daphne Street. Prosecutors said she admitted to “accidentally” shooting her daughter after initially offering multiple accounts of what happened, changing her story at least five times — even blaming her own son. According to a criminal complaint, witnesses heard a gunshot around 7:30 p.m. and watched Jasmine Daniels, 22, run outside with her child who had been shot. First responders were called, and witnesses helped perform CPR on Stevens before paramedics arrived. Paramedics performed life-saving measures, but the 2-year-old girl was pronounced dead en route to Children’s Wisconsin. Another witness said they saw a black male exit the residence after the shooting with a gun in his waistband, entering a silver, four-door car. At the hospital, Daniels was interviewed by police. That’s where prosecutors said she began to offer multiple story lines about what happened leading up to the shooting. She reportedly told police her two children — a 3-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter — were in her basement apartment when she went outside and heard “three to four gunshots.” After being confronted again, Daniels claimed she was in the basement with the two children and a gun she owned for protection was lying on a table. She said she looked away for two minutes, and heard a gunshot. She then looked and saw the 3-year-old crying, and the 2-year-old bleeding. According to the complaint, she said, “He didn’t mean to do it”, blaming her 3-year-old son for the shooting. Only the three of them were in the basement at the time of the incident, according to Daniels. A detective asked for consent to search the residence for the gun. Prosecutors said Daniels refused and said the gun would not be located inside the residence. July, 30th 2020: Unnamed Woman, Age 63 A 63-year-old woman died at the scene of a shooting in Milwaukee Thursday afternoon. Milwaukee police said officers responded to a domestic violence-related shooting on the 7100 block of W. Warbler Court. Police said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said a 42-year-old man, who lived with the victim, turned himself in. The shooting remains under investigation, Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 414-935-7360.  July, 30th 2020: Addrianna Christianson, Age 13 Obituary MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County Medical Examiner has identified the victim in a deadly stabbing Thursday night. She’s identified as 13-year-old Addrianna Christianson of Madison. Madison police were dispatched to a home along the 3000 block of Dorchester Way around 9 p.m. Thursday. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Another was treated and released at a nearby hospital, police said. The Madison Police Department said 44-year-old Travis M. Christianson was booked into the Dane County Jail Friday afternoon. Christianson is facing tentative charges of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. July, 30th 2020: Unnamed Woman, Age Unknown MILWAUKEE – Prosecutors say a Milwaukee man, 42, admitted to fatally shooting his girlfriend of seven years, upset his phone was missing. Timothy McBride faces one count of first-degree intentional homicide, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. According to a criminal complaint, McBride turned himself in to Brown Deer police on July 30 — walking into the police department and telling police “he just killed his girlfriend.” Prosecutors said he turned over a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun. Police then responded to an address on Warbler Court (near 76th Street and Brown Deer Road), where they found the victim dead from a gunshot wound to the chest, a spent casing near the victim’s body. An investigation revealed the gun had been purchased by the victim from Fleet Farm. Our lantern will be lit from July 21st to July 28th for Marina Martinez & an unnamed woman...7/21/2020 Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  July, 12th 2020: Marina Martinez, Age 48 Early Sunday morning, 48-year-old Marina Martinez was found at an apartment building near 29th and Highland “covered in blood.” Police said Smith, who has been charged with First Degree Reckless Homicide, lived in the apartment where Martinez was found. “We really want answers as to what made him act that way,” said Zuleyka Montanez, a friend of the victim. Court documents state Smith and Marina Martinez were “dating for about two months,” and that on the morning of her death — “[Smith] was contemplating suicide.” Smith “was drinking and heard voices,” according to documents, and “tried to stab himself.” He told police, who recovered a bloody knife from the scene, that Marina Martinez got in the way and “he stabbed her.” “She was like a mom to me, and for my girls, she was grandma,” Montanez said. “It’s hard.” Described as loving, strong, and funny — Marina Martinez was a support system for many, including Zuleyka Montanez. “Nobody has a right to take anybody’s life, no matter how bad the situation is,” Montanez said. A painful loss that leaves questions — and heartache for those who knew her. According to court records — a competency exam has been ordered for Smith. That report is expected to be returned at Smith’s next court date — on July 31, 2020. July, 18th 2020: Unnamed Woman, Age 68
CUDAHY, Wis. (AP) — Police have arrested a 64-year-old Cudahy man after his 68-year-old sister was found dead in the home they shared. Cudahy Police Chief Thomas Poellot says the death is being treated as a homicide. Police were called early Saturday about a person armed with a shotgun. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports when officers arrived, they found the woman dead and arrested her brother. The two were not identified, but the police chief says both lived at the home. The investigation continues, but police say they are not seeking any other suspects. Our lantern will be lit from July 7th to July 14th for an unnamed baby and an unnamed man...7/7/2020 Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  June 20th, 2020: Unnamed Baby – Age 6 Months PLOVER – Police arrested a 34-year-old man Monday on suspicion of first-degree reckless homicide in the June 20 death of a 6-month-old child. Meyer Willkom of Plover appeared Tuesday in Portage County Circuit Court, where Judge Thomas Flugaur set a $50,000 cash bond and ordered Willkom to have no contact with the child’s mother and no unsupervised contact with children. Police are asking Portage County prosecutors to charge Willkom with first-degree reckless homicide in connection to the death of the child, for whom he was caring. District Attorney Michael Zell said a doctor who examined the baby said the child suffered a subdural hemorrhage, consistent with a head injury and shaken baby syndrome. Willkom was watching his girlfriend’s child, of whom he is not the father, when the child died, according to Plover police. A cause of death has not been determined, but police said it was not natural causes. July, 1st 2020: Unnamed Man, Age 25
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -A 22-year-old Madison woman was arrested after police say she shot her ex-boyfriend Wednesday afternoon. Madison police say while they were investigating the shooting on East Bluff, the woman approached them saying she was responsible for the gunfire. She says she recently broke up with her 25-year-old boyfriend and he followed her car Wednesday. After she pulled into a parking lot on East Bluff, she says he got out of the car and they got into an argument. She said he was trying to get into her car when she shot him. Police said she drove away and the victim ended up back in the car he followed her in. They said there was at least one other person in the car with him. They said the driver stopped on the 400 block of North Sherman Avenue and tried to find medical help. The woman was arrested for first-degree reckless homicide. Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  June 5th, 2020: Alona Gentry, Age 26 A 26-year-old Alona Gentry died from her injuries Friday night after, Milwaukee police say, her partner shot her during an argument. Milwaukee police responded to the shooting around 7:30 p.m. in the 8500 block of West Appleton Avenue, according to a news release. Gentry had a relationship with the suspect, police said. During an argument, the suspect “retrieved a firearm and shot (her) once in the stomach,” police said. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died of her injuries. Police arrested the suspect. June 8th, 2020: Robert and Bonnie Rosolowski
Robert’s Obituary Bonnie’s Obituary Rusk County (WQOW) – We have learned one of the suspects in a Rusk County double homicide, Adam Rosolowski, is the grandson of the victims Robert and Bonnie Rosolowski. That information is contained in a criminal complaint News 18 obtained involving a different court case. In 2018, Adam Rosolowski was charged with stealing a handgun and $600 from his grandparents and driving away in their SUV. He was living with them at the time according to court records. In March of this year he was placed on probation for a year, ordered to repay the stolen money and maintain absolute sobriety. The lawyer told the judge at sentencing that Adam was enrolled in a program to obtain his GED and “has things on track with his life now.” Rosolowski, along with Joseph Falk, 17, and a juvenile male were taken into custody as suspects in the murders which were discovered Sunday near Sheldon.  June 14th, 2020: Unnamed Baby, Age 3 Months Old MILWAUKEE — A 22-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged in connection to the death of his 3-month-old son. Davionte Allen is charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide and one count of neglecting a child, consequence is death. According to a criminal complaint, Allen was left alone with the child for around an hour and a half on Friday, June 12 at a residence near 36th and Sheridan. During that time, the child’s mother had gone to run an errand. Upon her return, the child “appeared to be sleeping” inside a pack-and-play. Allen recorded the child making “weird grunting noises” while the mother was away. Not knowing what happened while she was gone, the mother continued to let the child sleep. Approximately two hours later, the complaint states, the mother went to wake the child, but he was limp and unresponsive. She then rushed him to the hospital. A CT scan at the hospital showed large bleeding on the brain, consistent with traumatic impact from shaken baby syndrome. The child was intubated and transferred to the Children’s Wisconsin intensive care unit. There, the child was found to have hemorrhages “too numerous to count” extended into all layers of the retina. The child also had brain hemorrhage and herniation and damage to the brainstem. The complaint states that the child also had multiple, healing rib fractures. A brain death evaluation was made by the hospital’s neurology department, revealing a complete loss of brain function. The child was taken off life support and died on June 14.  June 16th, 2020: Nedra and Jim Lemke, Age 57 and 59 Nedra’s Obituary Jim’s Obituary SUMNER, Wis. — The two people who were killed outside of a Jefferson County home have been identified as Nedra Lemke, 57, and Jim Lemke, 59. The Fort Atkinson community and many around the world who have been touched by the couple’s kindness are mourning them, as investigators search for the wife’s brother. Law enforcement officials were dispatched to a possible burglary Tuesday night. When they arrived, a deputy found the Lemke’s bodies in the driveway. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, the deputy was then shot at from the home. He returned fire before seeing black smoke coming from the house, which later went up in flames. It has been determined that both Nedra and Jim Lemke died from gunshot wounds in front of Nedra’s late father’s home. Her father died less than two weeks before this incident. “Sometimes when you hear stories like this, you hear ‘This was the best person ever’, and you wonder if that’s really true. But in this case, it is,” said John Ackatz, the Lemke’s pastor at Faith Community Church. Ackatz said Nedra and Jim worked in the church’s youth ministry program for the last 20 years. Along with teaching Sunday school to middle school students, they also went on multiple mission trips around the world. The Department of Justice is still searching for 61-year-old Kevin P. Anderson who is believed to be involved with the incident. Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you. May 1st, 2020: Laura M. McMillan, Age 56 A couple’s death on Washington Road in the Township of Ahnapee north of Algoma has been initially considered a murder-suicide by the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department. According to the news release on Monday evening, 71-year-old Dennis A. McMillan apparently shot Laura McMillan, 56, multiple times at their home before turning the gun on himself. The Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department was called to the residence for a welfare check last Friday. Upon arriving at the home, sheriff deputies observed two bodies on the floor through a window after no one came to the door. The incident remains under investigation with the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation assisting the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department. No other details are available at this time. May 4th, 2020: unnamed man and woman Brown County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the deaths of two people in Allouez as a murder-suicide. Investigators say they were called to the 3200 block of S. Webster Ave. just after 4:30 p.m. Monday to check on the people who lived there. The caller reported seeing what appeared to be blood and said the doors were locked. Deputies went into the house and found a male and female dead. After they got a warrant, deputies collected evidence and documented the scene. They cleared the scene Tuesday morning. Initial investigation points to a murder-suicide, deputies say. Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday. Names of the people involved have not been released. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office says the public is not in danger and no suspects are being sought.  May 5th, 2020: Cathy King, Age 48 Shot to death outside her workplace by a persistent ex-boyfriend, Cathy King wasn’t supposed to leave the Earth this way. She had people to care for: her three children, two grandchildren and a host of friends and extended family members. Checking up on loved ones was her specialty. “Her heart was not a normal size. It was huge,” niece Taee Oliver said Wednesday at a vigil outside a north side Walgreens, where police say a 51-year-old man shot and killed King, 48, Tuesday afternoon. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, not to her,” Oliver said. King was a pharmacy technician at the store, 2727 W. North Ave., her family said. Walgreens employees, friends and family members gathered Wednesday evening in the store parking lot to release balloons and pay their respects. “We love you Ms. Cathy,” read a hand-lettered sign tacked above a small memorial arranged along the store’s brick wall. Pasted to the sign was a selfie: King with her fellow pharmacy employees, smiling behind masks. During a global pandemic, King was an essential worker. She continued to serve the sick in a neighborhood hit hard by the coronavirus, her family said. “You can see that she touched a lot of hearts,” cousin Ragen Stowers said, looking out at the gathered crowd of about 40. Stowers described King as “free-hearted,” and other family members echoed the sentiment. She gave her love to everyone and helped anyone who needed it, Oliver said. “It don’t get no better than her as an aunt, as a mom, as a grandma, as a sister,” Oliver said. “Whatever it was, she was the best at it.” A day after King’s death, it’s hard for her sister Sylvia Washington to talk about the woman she’s known for 48 years. “Cathy was a very good, sweet lady,” Washington said. The two sisters enjoyed a calm Tuesday morning together, drinking coffee, watching TV and chatting. Washington saw her off to work in the early afternoon. She had no idea King would never return. Cathy and the man who shot her had not been in a relationship for months, Washington said. “He was not understanding that. No means no. Move on means move on,” she said. A memorial is set up outside the Walgreens store for worker Cathy King, who was shot and killed Tuesday outside the store. The suspect in the homicide had been in a relationship with King, police said. In the crowd of people who loved King were two women who didn’t know her personally: Laverne Badger and Natalie Hayden. They’re domestic violence survivors and advocates who work to support women after abuse. The recent slew of domestic violence cases in Milwaukee is discouraging, Badger said. “Because it happens so often it almost feels like, are we doing enough? And what we are doing — is it really making an impact?” she said. A sense of urgency around domestic violence is “long overdue,” said Reggie Moore, director of the Office of Violence Prevention. Prompted by recent cases, advocates in Milwaukee are taking new steps toward addressing it, he said. And in the fight against domestic violence, it’s important to remember it’s not just a women’s issue, Moore said. “This is a community issue, and the burden of addressing this issue is on men,” he said. “Violence against women and girls is unacceptable. And until more men step up and adhere to that message and share that message and hold each other accountable to that message, this is going to continue,” Moore said. Change didn’t come soon enough for King. Among the flower bouquets and candles surrounding a framed photo of King were two “Happy Mother’s Day” balloons. King died five days short of the holiday. For those who knew her, the day holds a more painful meaning this year. They’ll be without King, a woman who spread motherly love everywhere she went. May 6th, 2020: Man dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound
A man in his 30s died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a parking lot near Green Bay Road and Brown Deer Road in Brown Deer Wednesday morning, May 6 following a police pursuit. Death investigation underway near Green Bay Road and Deerwood Drive in Brown Deer Brown Deer police initiated a “high-risk stop” of a suspect of a domestic violence incident. They say the man drove from the scene at a home in Brown Deer at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. Officials say the man died by his own hand with a gun in parking lot of a shopping center north of Brown Deer Road on N. Green Bay Road, according to Brown Deer Police Community Outreach Officer Fernando Santiago. “Officers spotted the vehicle driving away from the location of the incident, they initiated a pursuit, very short pursuit, the vehicle ended up stopping near North Deerwood Drive and Green Bay Road,” Santiago said. Dealing with more domestic violence calls than usual… “We’re trying to do our job to make sure people are aware that extended periods at home create, obviously, other challenges between family members — and that there is some things they could do. There’s resources out there,” Santiago said. Investigators from several agencies are looking into this incident — including the U.S. Marshals. Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you. April 19th, 2020: George Hadjinian, Age 60 Obituary Homicide charges have been filed against a 31-year-old man police say opened fire on the home of his children’s mother on Milwaukee’s north side and killed a bystander in yet another instance of domestic violence turning deadly in the city. Arthur M. Kennedy of Milwaukee is facing a first-degree reckless homicide charge in connection with the April 19 shooting death of George Hadjinian, 60. Kennedy is in the Milwaukee County Jail with cash bail set at $100,000. The charges come as the city reels from a mass shooting in which four teens and one adult were killed in a home along the 2800 block of North 12th Street on Monday. The suspect in that shooting, who has not yet been charged, has a history of domestic violence. According to the criminal complaint: Police were called to the 4900 block of North 49th Street shortly after 5 p.m. on April 19 after four witnesses said they saw or heard Kennedy fire several times into a home. Emergency responders located Hadjinian in the driver’s seat of a car near the home with a single gunshot wound. Witnesses told police that Kennedy had been kicked out of the home several weeks earlier by the mother of his children. During a family barbecue earlier on April 19, Kennedy showed up and argued with the woman and other family members until police arrived and told him to leave. A witness told police that Kennedy has a long history of abusing the mother of his children. He’s had extensive run-ins with police dating back to 2006 and pleaded guilty to battery and witness intimidation in 2016, according to online court records. Kennedy showed up at the house again late that afternoon and tossed two cinder blocks through the living room window of the home. The occupants, which included several children, ran to the basement as Kennedy fired as many as six shots from the front of the home, witnesses said. Police later found three casings on the street. At the time of the shooting, one witness said he saw a vehicle, which was driven by Hadjinian, pull into a driveway nearby. Another witness said she saw Kennedy yelling at the driver to leave and shooting in the direction of the car twice.  April 24th, 2020: Craig Tarr, Age 60 Obituary RIVER FALLS, WI. Craig Tarr and his son Amory Haydn, have been identified as the victims found shot dead inside a River Falls, Wisconsin, home on Friday. Tarr, 60, of River Falls, and his 32-year-old son, of Hudson, were found shot dead in what appears to be a murder-suicide. No official determination on the deaths was provided by officials. The father and son were found dead of gunshot injuries Friday morning at a residence located at, W11309 840th Ave in River Falls. According to police, Amory called 911 to tell police his father had been shot. Upon arrival, officials found both men dead of gunshot injuries. The incident is still under investigation. Law enforcement officials said there is no outstanding threat to the public. Craig Tarr was the president of Minnesota and Wisconsin based solar company Energy Concepts. The deadly incident remains under investigation.  April 27th, 2020: Demetrius Thomas, Age 14, Tera Agee, Age 16, Lakeitha Stokes, Age 17, Marcus Stokes, Age 19, Teresa Thomas, Age 41
Teresa Thomas, Demetrius Thomas, Tera Agee (left) Relatives of those victims are now speaking out. They say they want answers — and for the public to realize there are two families mourning this incredible loss. A relative of the eldest victim in this tragedy identified as Teresa Thomas said Thomas and the suspect had an on-again-off-again relationship. Family members say the victims are from Thomas’ side of the family as well as his side. “My sister was Teresa Thomas. My nephew was Demetrius Thomas. My niece was Tera — and I am distraught. I need to know what is going on. I am confused. I’m trying to figure out how you kill five people,” said Teresa’s brother, Johnny Hall. Hall said his life has forever changed. “Sometimes I think I’m dreaming,” Hall said. Hall said he had to identify his sister to authorities. Teresa Thomas was one of the five persons who died in the home near 12th and Locust. Scene of shooting that left 5 dead in home near 12th and Hadley, Milwaukee “My sister took care of everybody. Teresa Thomas took care of everybody,” Hall said. Family members shared pictures with FOX6 News. They say the suspect arrested by police is 43-year-old Christopher Stokes. “Chris was part of our family,” said Toni Cage, a relative of the victims. Relatives on Tuesday said Stokes had once broken Thomas’ arm, relatives say. Family members feel Thomas may have wanted to leave Stokes. “He killed his son — his own son,” said Linda Hines, a relative of the victims. They saw Stokes as recently as last week. “It didn’t seem like he was having no problems,” Hines said. Family members learned the shooting inside the house started in the early hours of the morning. Thomas’ grandchild was spared in the shooting. But they say he was found covered in blood. “There’s two families involved in this,” Cage said. “These families have known each other for years. We have to grieve together. We have to come together.” Relatives say despite what has happened, there are two families in shock and dealing with the unimaginable. “These families have known each other for years. We have to grieve together. We have to come together,” Cage said. Hall has started a Go Fund Me page to raise money to give his sister, his niece, and his nephew a proper burial. CLICK HERE to learn more. Milwaukee police say this an ongoing and active investigation. Our lantern will be lit from 4/20/20 to 4/27/20 for Michael L. Stone and William R. Stone...4/22/2020 Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.  The suspect in a fatal stabbing told police that he planned the attack that left two brothers dead, new court documents show.
April 7th, 2020: Michael L. Stone, 23, and William R. Stone, 19 Obituaries Brandon D. Noll, 22, of Stratford, remains at the Marathon County Jail on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide. Police say he killed Michael L. Stone, 23, and William R. Stone, 19, both of Stratford. A Marathon County judge determined Wednesday there was enough evidence to keep Noll in jail and set a $5 million cash bond. Noll’s next court hearing is scheduled for April 17. Marathon County sheriff’s deputies, Wisconsin State Patrol and Stratford police responded Tuesday to a report of a stabbing near County P in the town of Cleveland, according to the sheriff’s office. They arrested Noll after they say he led them on a high-speed chase that ended in Marshfield. After his arrest, Noll told authorities he had been planning the attack since April 2 or 3, according to court documents. He said he wanted to kill someone his whole life and Tuesday felt like the day he would do it. Noll said he planned to kill the victims quickly so he could “fool around” for about six hours, according to court documents. Noll told detectives he wanted to see how it felt to kill someone and asked if the victims died, according to the documents. When the detectives told him one of them had, Noll said he did not feel any different. Noll and the Stone brothers lived in the same house, the documents state. Noll told police he thought about using his father’s gun to kill the brothers but decided to stab them “because it’s quiet,” according to the documents. Noll told police he hid behind a partition in the basement of the home where one of the victims was playing video games, according to the documents. Noll inadvertently made a noise, and when the victim got to where Noll was hiding, Noll stabbed him in the chest. After hearing the attack, the second victim came to help and Noll stabbed him, too. The second victim tried to run up the stairs and out of the home, while the first victim tried to use a phone, which Noll took, according to the documents. Noll’s brother found the victims in the home and called 911, according to the documents. Michael Stone was pronounced dead at the scene. William Stone was taken to Marshfield Medical Center, where he died Tuesday evening. |
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