Waukesha homicide: Kevin Lychwick sentenced to life in prison
Waukesha homicide: Kevin Lychwick sentenced to life in prison
Kevin Lychwick, the Waukesha man convicted of killing his neighbor and hiding the body in 2024, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Kevin Lychwick, the Waukesha man convicted of killing his neighbor and hiding the body in 2024, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
"Today your reckoning has come," said Judge David Maas.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Guilty verdict
The backstory:
Lychwick, 64, was found guilty in June. Lychwick represented himself during the four-day-long trial and again at sentencing on Thursday. During trial, he stuffed things in his ears and frequently lashed out at the judge.
"Today, Mr. Lychwick, you are out of stunts, you are out of options, you are out of tricks," Maas said.
Waukesha homicide: Lychwick speaks, sentenced
Kevin Lychwick, convicted in the Waukesha homicide of Carlos Maldonado, spoke in court -- denying any involvement in the killing -- before a judge handed down a mandatory life sentence on Aug. 20.
Prosecutors said Lychwick killed 56-year-old Carlos Maldonado in April 2024 and hid his body under a tarp and twigs near their apartment building at Moreland and North. A passerby found Maldonado’s body badly decomposed six months later.
"My theory is that he shot him in the abdomen first, then he shot Carlos in the head," prosecutor Chelsea Thompson said. "He left him there, covered him up, but just left him there like trash."
Sister, daughter speak
What they're saying:
Maldonado’s sister and daughter pleaded with the judge to keep Lychwick locked up forever. They said Maldonado was a cancer survivor who felt like he had a second chance at life. The judge asked the media to not identify either family member by name or show their face.
"You took it upon yourself to play God," his sister said.
"I don’t know if he just hated my dad," said his daughter. "I guess I’ll never have the answer – because you won’t admit it."
Waukesha homicide victim's daughter speaks
Kevin Lychwick, convicted of killing Carlos Maldonado and hiding the body, was in Waukesha County court for sentencing on Aug. 20. Maldonado's daughter provided an emotional statement before the judge handed down Lychwick's sentence.
Lychwick, instead, reiterated his defense from trial, falsely saying he was set up by police. Evidence shows he tied Maldonado to a chair and shot him in the stomach and head.
"It is absolute libel and slander that I’ve had to sit here and endure this," said Lychwick, a convicted killer.
Lychwick was seen on a trail camera going into the woods. Police found the gun used to kill Maldonado in Lychwick’s car and a handwritten hit-list in his apartment.
Life in prison
In court:
Many months later, Maldonado’s family has found justice.
"The court is sentencing you to life in prison with no possibility of parole," Maas said. "Mr. Lychwick, you will spend the rest of your life in prison."
What's next:
Lychwick will be back in court in October for a restitution hearing.
Complete coverage
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News streamed the entire trial each day on FOX LOCAL. The app is free to download on your phone, tablet or smart TV.
- June 11: Jury finds Kevin Lychwick guilty at Waukesha homicide trial
- June 10: Kevin Lychwick objects as testimony continued Wednesday
- June 9: Kevin Lychwick claims illness, lashes out in court
- June 8: Kevin Lychwick trial, defendant representing himself
- Waukesha homicide: Man accused of killing neighbor, hiding body
The Source: Information in this story is from the Waukesha Police Department, Waukesha County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court records.