The Murder of Neil LaFave

Neil LaFave

On this day in 1971, Wisconsin game warden Neil LaFave failed to show up for his own birthday party. His absence prompted his wife Peggy to notify the police, who found his truck in a remote swampy area along with a pool of blood and two .22-caliber shells. His headless body was found in a shallow grave. When authorities found his head, they saw that it had two bullet wounds caused by a .22 shotgun.

While serving as a game warden for Wisconsin's Sensiba Wildlife Area, Neil LaFave had earned a reputation for being tough on poachers. Every poacher that he had ever arrested was questioned and anyone who didn't have a solid alibi was asked to take a polygraph test. Only one person refused, 21-year-old Brian Hussong. LaFave had arrested Hussong for poaching multiple times. After authorities obtained a warrant for a wiretap of Hussong's phones, they overheard a conversation between Brian Hussong and his grandmother Agnes, in which she assured Brian that his guns were well-hidden at her house. This gave them grounds to search Agnes Hussong's house, where she showed them a .22 shotgun belonging to Brian. Investigators were able to prove that the shotgun was the murder weapon.

At Brian Hussong's trial, his grandmother tried to deny that it was her voice on the wiretap. She also tried to deny that investigators had searched her house. However, the Michigan Voice Identification Unit was able to verify that it was Agnes Hussong's voice and ballistics reports verified that the murder weapon had been found in her house. Brian Hussong was sentenced to life in prison in 1972.

In August 1981, Brian Hussong managed to escape from Fox Lake Correctional Institution. He holed up in a remote cabin until he was killed in a shootout with the police in December 1981.

At the time of his murder, Neil and his widow Peggy had two children, Nicole, age 2, and Lonny, age 4.

Related Reading:

Conservation Warden Wall of Honor for Neil LaFave

10 Grisly Historical Murderers Caught Thanks To Forensics


Comments

Post a Comment

Comments on this blog will be moderated. Slurs will not be tolerated. Lighthearted humor is welcome but any humor that demeans the victims and the marginalized is not.

Popular posts from this blog

Patton Oswalt to Discuss "I'll Be Gone In The Dark" in Sacramento and More True Crime Tidbits

True crime fans in Sacramento are in for a very special treat next week as Patton Oswalt is set to visit a Citrus Heights Barnes and Noble to discuss "I'll Be Gone In The Dark", written by his late wife Michelle McNamara. Oswalt has mentioned that he would love to sit down with Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected Golden State Killer, and ask him all of the questions that McNamara will never have the chance to ask. I think that would be amazing. If you're in the Toronto area, mark your calendars for the Toronto True Crime Film Festival on June 8th and June 9th. Five movies based on true crimes (including one of my favorites, Monster, starring Charlize Theron) will be screened and there will be three symposiums for discussion of the true crime genre. Sounds like a blast! If you'd prefer to Netflix and chill, the streaming service has got you covered in terms of true crime. These eight true crime shows are worthy of a rewatch if you've already seen them.
Read more

Golden State Killer Suspect Makes Another Court Appearance; Warrant Details Expected to be Released This Friday

As Joseph James DeAngelo made another court appearance on Tuesday, this time in a cage instead of a wheelchair, Judge Michael Sweet indicated that at least part of the court documents detailing how police identified DeAngelo as the GSK will be unsealed. The documents include a list of items, possibly trophies from GSK crime scenes, seized from DeAngelo's property. They also include notes from lead investigators. However, according to the defense, they do not include many details about the genealogical methods used to identify DeAngelo. While many investigative details are expected to be released to the public, both the prosecution and defense teams are reviewing the documents line by line in an effort to determine which parts should be redacted. All sides are reluctant to include names and other details identifying victims of GSK's many sexual assaults. The defense also has concerns about unsealed information affecting their client's chance at receiving a fair trial. How
Read more

Unsolved Murder Roundup

While the true crime community is celebrating, and rightfully so, the capture of the Golden State Killer, it looks like there is still a lot of work to do when it comes to clearing unsolved murders. The OC Register provided a breakdown of reported vs cleared homicides and surprisingly, given all the breakthroughs in technology, we've actually gotten worse at clearing cases. Hopefully, despite the grim statistics, the following cases and the victims involved will receive some justice. Navy veteran James Weaver was brutally murdered while babysitting his 9-month-old grandson. 33 years later, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is hoping that some new DNA submissions will lead to a break in the case. In April of last year, Alberto "Beto" Ruiz Jr. was murdered in what Greeley, CO police believe was a case of road rage. They and his family are hoping that someone will eventually come forward, if not the killer, then at least a witness who can identify the suspect'
Read more