Milwaukee kidnapping trial of Timothy Olson; 1st day of testimony
MILWAUKEE - A jury trial is underway for a man charged with kidnapping a 79-year-old woman at gunpoint. Prosecutors say the armed abduction happened the day before Thanksgiving in 2022. The man accused – Timothy Olson.
Timothy Olson trial
What we know:
Olson's trial began with jury selection in Milwaukee County court on Tuesday, March 10. Opening statements were held – and the first testimony is now set to begin on Wednesday.
The state expects to call its first witness on Wednesday morning, a passer-by who saw a disheveled old woman frantically waving him down after prosecutors said she escaped from Olson.
Timothy Olson in court on March 6, 2026.
Olson is representing himself. He has standby counsel, but the judge has said Olson must ask questions himself. If Olson gets kicked out of the courtroom for misconduct, the standby attorney can only ask questions that Olson himself has drafted.
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The jury is made up of eight women and six men. The trial is expected to last the rest of the week.
Milwaukee kidnapping trial of Timothy Olson; opening statements shared
A jury trial is finally underway for a man charged with kidnapping a 79-year-old Franklni woman. Prosecutors say the armed abduction happened the day before Thanksgiving in 2022.
2022 armed abduction
The backstory:
On Thanksgiving Day 2022, a 79-year-old Franklin woman told police she'd escaped a 16-hour abduction at gunpoint during which he allegedly threatened to kill her, forced her to drink whiskey until she passed out, and used her credit card five times.
'Ripoff Romeo' Timothy Olson disputes his competency ruling in court
A doctor says Timothy Olson is competent to stand trial in the 2022 kidnapping of an elderly woman. Olson himself disagrees.
NOTE: FOX6 News plans to stream much of the Olson trial.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, the criminal complaint associated with this case, and previous FOX6 News coverage.