Milwaukee landlord killed, tenant committed to Wisconsin DHS
Scene at 31st and State
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee County judge ordered a man be committed to a state mental health facility for killing his landlord earlier this year.
In Court:
Prosecutors charged 38-year-old Justin Lannigan with first-degree intentional homicide in February. Court records show he was found guilty – but not guilty due to mental disease/defect – on Aug. 1.
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Lannigan's commitment to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services will be for a period of time the department "deems appropriate." Details of that commitment were not immediately available.
Police presence near 31st and State, Milwaukee
31st and State stabbing | Feb. 2, 2025
The backstory:
West Allis police were first called to the area of 61st and Lincoln. A criminal complaint states Lannigan called to report that he had just killed his landlord, having stabbed him "all over the body," at his apartment near 31st and State in Milwaukee.
Lannigan told police he believed the landlord had set up surveillance cameras inside the apartment and was recording him, according to court filings, after he did "social media research" on TikTok and YouTube.
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Prosecutors said Lannigan called the landlord to come fix the refrigerator. When the landlord was looking behind the appliance, Lannigan attacked him. He "choked him until he stopped breathing" after the stabbing.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 74-year-old David Grosse. Court filings said he had approximately 30 stab wounds, and investigators found multiple knives near his body at the scene.
Court filings also said police interviewed Lannigan's family members, who said he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had become increasingly reclusive over the past few months.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.