Person of interest in custody after double homicide in Little Suamico

LITTLE SUAMICO, Wis. (WBAY) - A man has been identified as a person of interest in a double homicide investigation in Oconto County.

On Oct. 2, at about 9 a.m., dispatchers received a 911 call saying two people were not breathing in front of their home in the 1200 block of Melissa Blvd in the Town of Little Suamico.

The sheriff’s office says a 75-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman were found dead outside the home. The victims were identified as Little Suamico residents. No names were released so their families have time to be notified.

Jennifer Delveaux, the victims’ neighbor, said, “They were very nice people. They were very simple. We’re a very simple community out here. We’re very close and whatnot, so it’s been very hard for the neighborhood out here to hear about their passing and that overnight.”

Police identified the person of interest as a 27-year-old man who’s also from Little Suamico. They found him a short time later in Oconto. He’s in custody on an unrelated matter. His name was not released.

The sheriff declined to go on camera. The sheriff’s office released a statement saying, “This case is presumed to be isolated, with the community not in any imminent danger.” That’s usually a sign that the parties involved all knew each other.

Authorities aren’t saying how the two people died. Sheriff Todd Skarban says the investigation is active and in early stages.

Neighbors are wondering what the motive could have been and why these two people were a target at all. Obviously, people in the area are very shaken up by the incident.

“Everybody always says this doesn’t happen in this neighborhood, but it does, and it happens in all neighborhoods, but it’s just sad. It’s sad that it happens like that, because it shakes everybody up,” said Alma Anderson, one of the neighbors.

“I would say we were definitely shaken. I feel like I’m definitely keeping things locked up a little tighter right now. I feel a little bit better that they have somebody in custody because, like I said, this was a big shock to our area,” Delveaux said.

The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office was assisted with taking the man into custody by the Oconto Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office and Wisconsin Department of Justice State Crime Lab are assisting.

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