Obituary: "Kristina Irene Knopp, 20, of Medford, went home to be with her Lord, Wednesday March 23, 2016.  Kristina was born June 12, 1995, in Novocheboksarsk, Russia.
 
When Kristina was 13, she was adopted by the Knopp Family, who brought her to the United States on May 6, 2009. She was a 2013 graduate of Abbotsford Christian Academy, where she will be remembered as a fierce competitor who played basketball and volleyball.  Kristina was currently an employee of Phillips Medisize, having previously worked at Northland Outlet and Arbys in Medford.
 
Kristina was a free spirit and a true “people person.” She loved to be surrounded with friends, family and especially little children. Her personality lit up a room, and she never knew a stranger. Kristina could see the good in everyone, and was extremely generous through her gift giving. Through her heart for children and generosity, Kristina helped start two schools for underprivileged children overseas. Kristina attended Abbotsford Evangelical Free Church where she helped in Sunday School, Nursery and the One Way Club, and was a member of L.I.F.T Youth Group"...Read more

News Story: "A Medford man who shot and killed his girlfriend and then himself last week was a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and still was married to another woman, according to court documents.
 
Kristina Irene Knopp, 23, died after being shot by Chad K. Mayes, 27, who then killed himself, according to police.
 
Knopp's parents found Knopp and Mayes dead Thursday evening inside her apartment in Medford and called 911 around 7:40 p.m., according to court documents. Medford is a city in Taylor County more than 30 miles north of Marshfield"...Read more

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.
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There is no obituary posted at this time. If we become aware of one, we will post it here.

News Story: "A 26-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of using an accelerant to start a house fire that killed a 2-year-old girl and seriously injured a 10-year-old boy. Michael Morgan was charged Wednesday with arson in the fatal fire Oct. 20 at his estranged wife's home in Milwaukee. He faces up to 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. Six children and their grandmother were home at the time of the fire. The grandmother was able to guide four of the children, ranging in age from 1 to 11, to safety. Firefighters found 2-year-old Tae’ Najah Morgan and Michael Morgan's 10-year-old stepson inside the home. The girl died the following day at a hospital. Her death is being investigated as a homicide"...Read more

News Story: "A father is being held on $500,000 cash bond in Jefferson County on accusations he caused the death of his five-month-old son. 22-year-old Terrance Curtis is charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the Oct. 22 death of Rhett Chesson. Prosecutors say an autopsy showed the baby had blunt force injuries to his head and neck, including skull fractures"...Read more

Obituary: "Sun Prairie - Jane Margaret Skalitzky, age 68, passed away on Friday, September 11, 2015 way too soon but is now with our Lord. She was born to Wilfred and Verena Grosse on July 9, 1947 and raised on a farm near Sun Prairie. She met the love of her life, Joseph Skalitzky, and they were married on November 25, 1967 at Sacred Hearts Church in Sun Prairie. She was a tremendous person who impacted so many people as an educator, volunteer, and friend. Jane was a generous and caring person who always put others' needs before her own. She was a loving mother and grandmother who loved to have fun and at times act much younger than her age. She will be greatly missed by all"...Read more

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News Story: "...A search warrant to collect various biological DNA from 40-year-old Matthew Skalitzky was filed in Dane County court Tuesday. In the document, police said 68-year-old Jane Skalitzky was found decapitated at her son Matthew Skalitzky's rented condo at 1052 Providence Common Fridayafternoon. Police said Matthew Skalitzky, who had a 'significant amount of blood on him,' was taken into custody at the scene"...Read more

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.

Obituary: "Vista Alexis Jackson was born in Racine, WI on June 23, 2001 to Wendell Jackson and Veia Crockett. Vista attended William Horlick High School. She was so excited about starting her first year as a freshman. Vista enjoyed singing and watching movies. There was something about Vista that always drew little children to her. She loved her family and had dreams of becoming a professional singer after college. Vista’s infectious smile will be dearly missed. Our Sweet Pea closed her eyes on September 10, 2015 at the age of 14"...Read more

News Story: "Racine police have arrested a 14-year-boy in the shooting death of a Racine girl. 

Police said Vista Jackson, 14, was shot in her home about 8:20 p.m. Thursday in the 1000 block of Albert Street. 

Vista was taken to Wheaton Franciscan Hospital by Racine Fire Rescue, and then was transferred by air to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, where she died.

'I had just seen her, had just seen this child, you know? She ran past me crying, with one shoe. She came back 20 minutes later. She went and changed her shoes, and then two hours later this child is gone,' neighbor Tara White said.

Investigators have not released any information about what led to the shooting, but said Friday night said they will recommend charges of first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon against the boy. 

​WISN 12 News spoke with close friends of Vista who said she was in an abusive relationship with the 14-year-old boy"...Read more

There is no obituary posted at this time. If we become aware of one, we will post it here.

Woman, Man She Allegedly Stabbed to Death Had History of Violence: "A 31-year-old man who police said was stabbed to death on Tuesday by his on-again, off-again girlfriend had been ordered by a judge three months ago not to have any contact with her unless he had written permission from his probation agent, according to court records.The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man Wednesday as Terrence L. Woods of Madison.

The woman, Cierra Finkley, 25, was arrested on a tentative charge of first-degree reckless homicide after stabbing Woods outside an apartment building at 1186 Moorland Road on Madison’s South Side, Madison police said. She remained in custody on Wednesday.

Police said that the stabbing followed a domestic incident earlier in the day in which Finkley called police to say that Woods had tried to run over her and her child with his car. Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said police were looking for Woods on a tentative charge of second-degree reckless endangerment before the stabbing occurred"...Read more

There is no obituary posted at this time. If we become aware of one, we will post it here.

News Story: "Prosecutors say a 42-year-old Milwaukee woman fatally stabbed her boyfriend through his heart and then tried to tell officers the man had been stabbed in an attempted robbery, according to a criminal complaint released Wednesday.Diana Cunningham faces a charge of first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Gerry Wilson, 54, who was killed Saturday at a home in the 3100 block of N. 52nd St"...Read more

Obituary: "Theresa C. Coates, age 47, of Wisconsin Rapids, WI died Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at Ministry St. Joseph Hospital, Marshfield, WI.

Theresa was born July 30, 1968 in Marshfield, WI to William and Janet (Ashbeck) Fruin. She married Douglas Coates on December 30, 1998 in Port Edwards, WI. He died October 25, 2013. Theresa was employed at Golden County Foods and later at NAPA Auto Parts in Wisconsin Rapids"...Read more

News Story: "Juneau County authorities contacted Wood County at about 9:45 p.m. Monday and asked that police check on a 17-year-old boy who made suicidal threats and was on his way to Saratoga, according to Wood County reports.

Deputies arrived at a home at 6010 Church Ave. at about 10 p.m. and learned that two people at that address had been shot, according to a news release issued Tuesday morning by the sheriff’s department. Helicopters took two patients from the scene to a hospital, where a female was pronounced dead and a male remained hospitalized Tuesday, Wood County Sheriff Thomas Reichert said.

The Church Avenue property is owned by Theresa Coates, according to public records, and she lives there with two daughters, according to neighbor Bruce Dimick.

Wood County court records show that Coates’ 17-year-old daughter and the 17-year-old suicidal boy, whose names Gannett Central Wisconsin Media learned, were accused in January of taking Coates’ car and disappearing for two days. Officers found the teens in Nebraska when the vehicle got a flat tire, according to court records"...Read more

There is no obituary posted at this time. If we become aware of one, we will post it here.

News Story: "(Muscoda, WI - WKOW)  --  Muscoda police are releasing details of a domestic abuse call from Saturday that ended in what they say is an apparent suicide. Officers arrived at the scene at 317 W. River Road early in the evening to find 63-year-old Candice Carr bound with duct tape. She'd also been severely beaten.
Carr told officers the she and her boyfriend, David Friese, 61, also of Muscoda - which is in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin, had gotten into a verbal argument that quickly turned physical. She told police he'd hit her several times with an aluminum bat and when she tried to fight back, he tied her up with duct tape and continued hitting her. 

Investigators say the assault went on for several minutes and ended when Friese took his own life with a 12-gauge shotgun. Carr was able to free herself and called 911"...Read more