Milwaukee kidnapping trial of Timothy Olson | March 11 testimony
Victim testifies in Timothy Olson trial
Testimony began Wednesday in the trial of Timothy Olson, the man charged with kidnapping a 79-year-old woman at gunpoint.
MILWAUKEE - Testimony began Wednesday in the trial of Timothy Olson, the man charged with kidnapping a 79-year-old woman at gunpoint on the day before Thanksgiving 2022. The victim herself took the stand.
Wednesday's testimony
What they're saying:
It was another day of what Judge Kristy Yang called "shenanigans" from Olson. It could not keep the victim from taking the stand.
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As the victim told her story, Olson began gasping for breath in the courtroom. The judge said it was "another attempt" to delay the trial.
"Time and time again, doctor after doctor, have cleared you. And this trial will go," Yang said.
The victim, now an 82-year-old widow, crept to the witness stand with a walker. She described how an innocent stop for a glass of wine led to "the worst day of my life" – one that still haunts her more than three years later.
"I thought, I'll stop and have a drink," she said. "We used to always go to Casa Di Giorgio for fish fry on Fridays, and we'd been going there for years."
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Prosecutors said Olson approached the victim at the bar and offered to buy a drink, which she refused. Then, he followed her to her car.
She testified that Olson held her captive for 16 hours after he claimed he had a gun – calling it the worst day of her life.
"(He) made it appear as if he had a gun in his jacket pocket and said, 'I have a gun, just drive,’" she testified. "It was pointed at me."
Victim called to testify in Timothy Olson trial on March 11, 2026.
Olson then forced the victim to drive all over the city. Eventually, she said Olson took the wheel and kept stopping at ATMs and gas stations with her credit card.
"Through the whole incident, I kept my hand on the doorknob," she said. "I thought, I can't walk, how can I run?"
The victim eventually passed out from exhaustion. When she woke up the next morning, she said Olson parked the car and ran away.
Attorney breaks down Olson trial | March 11
Attorney Julius Kim, who is not associated with the case, breaks down develops from the first day of testimony in the Timothy Olson.
"I got the window open about five inches, and that's how I was able to get my hands out to wave somebody down," she said.
What's next:
After the state called 10 witnesses, Olson told the judge he was having hallucinations and could not focus on the trial. Yang ended the trial for the day with three civilian witnesses still waiting in the hall.
Jail medical staff will once again evaluate Olson before the trial resumes on Thursday.
Complete coverage
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News plans to stream much of the Olson trial.
- Milwaukee kidnapping trial of Timothy Olson; opening statements shared
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The Source: FOX6 News is in court for the trial and referenced information from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court and prior coverage.