Report: Wisconsin saw increase in homicides tied to domestic violence in 2020

LITTLE CHUTE, Wis. (WBAY) - A new report says one person in Wisconsin died every five days due to domestic violence in 2020 with the data showing the majority of the victims were female.

The non-profit End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin published their report last week and it highlights at least 13 incidents that happened in Northeast Wisconsin.

According to Executive Director Monique Minken of End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, paying people a living wage and reducing homelessness are preventive measures in easing domestic violence situations.

“Black woman and Native women are three times more likely than non-white Hispanic women to be victims or killed by homicide in a domestic-violence situation,” Minken said.

The group documented that 60 domestic violence-related homicide deaths took place in 2020 compared to 53 in 2019.

”While police play a role, they’re not the only answer in homicide prevention,” Minken said.

According to the report, 90% of perpetrators in those crimes were male. A gun was used in 52% of killings.

There were several arrests over the weekend in Brown County related to domestic violence. Those incidents hit home the point that Minken is trying to make in the non-profit’s report that their needs to be systems and measures in place to help victims before it’s too late.

Elizabeth Wagner of Little Chute was highlighted in End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin’s report. Police found the 24 year old and her husband dead inside their Little Chute apartment in September of 2020.

As we previously reported, police said her husband was holding a gun and they discovered three shell casings. Investigators labeled her death as murder and nonnegligent manslaughter.

Wagner’s family raised more than $5,000 for a playset at Creative Child Learning Center in Appleton where she taught.

“It’s kind of like a second home to us, a second family. We’re always kind of welcomed to go in there, talk and meet, and she just loved the kids there. She loved them, they loved her,” Susan Andropolis, Elizabeth Wagner’s mother, said.

Andropolis said they’ve ordered the parts for the playset, but the equipment’s shipping has been delayed to a backlog.

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