Milwaukee drug deal, fatal shooting; 2 men sentenced to prison
Drug deal, fatal shooting; 2 men charged
Prosecutors say it was a drug deal turned setup that left a 33-year-old Appleton man shot. But it did not end there.
MILWAUKEE - Two men, both convicted of felony murder in what prosecutors described as a drug-deal-turned-setup that left Cory Fritz dead, were both sentenced to prison on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office charged Gregory Hamilton, 45, with felony murder—armed robbery, as party to a crime. A jury found Hamilton guilty on Aug. 13, the fourth day of the trial, after deliberating for roughly 25 minutes.
The other man charged in the case, 43-year-old Travis Cooper, pleaded guilty to felony murder in January.
Travis Cooper, Gregory Hamilton
Sentencing hearings
What we know:
On Thursday, Aug. 20, a judge sentenced Hamilton to 30 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision, with credit for 515 days served. A restitution hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2.
The same judge also sentenced Cooper to 13 years in prison and seven years of extended supervision, with credit for 516 days served.
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Milwaukee drug deal, fatal shooting; 2 men charged with felony murder
Prosecutors say it was a drug deal turned setup that left a 33-year-old Appleton man shot. But it did not end there.
Deadly drug deal setup
The backstory:
Prosecutors accused Cooper and Hamilton of killing Fritz, a 33-year-old Appleton man, over some weed edibles.
It happened near 43rd and Good Hope in Milwaukee late on March 2, 2025. Surveillance videos helped piece together what happened – including Cooper circling the neighborhood in wait, even buying a drink at a gas station.
Cory Fritz
A criminal complaint said Cooper, Hamilton's best friend, was the stick-up man. But during the holdup, prosecutors said Fritz confronted Cooper and was shot in the head during a struggle. But Fritz wasn't dead.
Prosecutors said Hamilton told a neighbor Fritz hit his head on a mailbox. The neighbor then helped put Fritz in his truck and parked it on the neighbor's property. Fritz died about a day later at Froedtert Hospital.
Phone calls between Hamilton and Cooper tipped off investigators to the setup. When police searched Cooper's home, court filings say they found drugs and Fritz's duffle bag.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage of the case.