West Milwaukee homicide; man accused of killing mom with baseball bat
Hayward Jenkins
WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. - A West Milwaukee man has been criminally charged – accused of killing his mother with a baseball bat.
The accused, 38-year-old Hayward Jenkins, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Case details
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, West Milwaukee police were called out to the area of 44th and Mitchell around 8 a.m. on Feb. 24 after a caller reported a woman had been hit on the head with a baseball bat by her son.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the victim unresponsive with a head injury. The victim, identified as 66-year-old Cheryl Jenkins of West Milwaukee, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Per the complaint, a witness told police that Hayward Jenkins arrived at Cheryl Jenkins' residence the night prior and was staying in the guest room.
Scene near 44th and Mitchell, West Milwaukee
Around 4 a.m., the witness said he heard a noise which woke him up. He told police he believed the noise to be coming from the upstairs neighbors, and went back to sleep, court filings say.
The next morning, the witness said he went to the guest bedroom and found that the door was locked, so he entered through a window. That's when he found Cheryl Jenkins on the ground and called 911, the complaint states.
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Surveillance footage
What we know:
Officers canvassed the areas surrounding Jenkins’ residence and located numerous video clips from the incident.
Upon reviewing this surveillance footage, officers observed a subject dressed in dark clothing running between apartment buildings and continuing to the bus stop on Miller Park Way and West Mitchell Street.
Per the complaint, this individual entered the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus at approximately 6:07 a.m. before leaving the area.
Officers noted that the subject in this footage matched Hayward Jenkins's clothing and facial features, court filings say.
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Scene near 44th and Mitchell, West Milwaukee
Jenkins arrested
Dig deeper:
Later that same day, police responded to Potawatomi Casino after receiving information from family members that Hayward Jenkins was there.
When police arrived at the scene, officers confirmed with security that Jenkins was present and took him into custody.
During an interview with investigators, Jenkins stated that he and his mother had gotten into an argument over silver coins, money, and her not listening when he was trying to express himself.
According to the complaint, Jenkins stated that he got angry about the situation and flipped out. He told investigators that he struck his mother in the head with a bat multiple times while she was sitting in a chair.
Jenkins stated he was "wrong for murdering my mother," court filings say.
West Milwaukee homicide, baseball bat used to kill victim
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office said a family member repeatedly struck a woman with a baseball bat, killing her, on Tuesday.
Court proceedings
What we know:
Jenkins made his intal appearance in court on March 1. The court found probable cause to hold Jenkins for further proceedings and cash bond was set at $300,000.
Jenkins is due back in court on March 10 for a preliminary hearing.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.