Joshua Davis, 38, of Richland, has been found guilty of the 2021 murder of Pasco County school bus driver Richard Lenhart, reported AppleValley News.
Davis, who had reportedly pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, faces a sentencing date that has not yet been set. His defense team indicated they plan to pursue an appeal immediately.
According to the news report, during the trial, experts for both the prosecution and defense agreed that Davis suffered from schizophrenia. However, they disagreed over whether he understood right from wrong at the time of the killing.
Lenhart, 72, had students on board the bus when Davis boarded the bus outside Longfellow Elementary School on Sept. 24, 2021. Davis reportedly asked if the bus was headed to Road 100. When Lenhart said no, Davis stabbed him multiple times before fleeing toward his vehicle. Authorities apprehended Davis near the scene shortly afterward.
According to the article, at least 35 students were on the bus during the attack, though none were physically harmed. Authorities have not identified a motive, and there is no known connection between Davis and Lenhart.
The Pasco School District honored Lenhart’s legacy in 2023 by opening the Richard L. Lenhart Transportation Center, which serves more than 200 buses for the Pasco and Finley school districts. Lenhart’s widow, Nancy, has championed House Bill 2133, known as the Richard Lenhart Act, which would make it a felony to disrupt the normal operation of a public-school bus or unlawfully board one. While the bill did not pass during the 2023–2024 legislative session, Nancy Lenhart expressed her determination to continue advocating for it.
“This bill is too important not to be made into a law,” she said via the report, urging lawmakers to protect school bus drivers and students.
Sedition – typicallywords intended to incite insurrection against the government – is not punishable by death.
The federal crime is seditious conspiracy, where two or more people conspire to overthrow the government.
It is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
President Donald Trump on Nov. 20 said: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
His reference was to Democratic lawmakers who two days earlier reminded members of the military to disobey illegal orders.
Trump’s post prompted a rebuke from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., among others. Milwaukeean Victor Berger, the first Socialist elected to Congress, was convicted in 1918 of espionage, for his opposition to World War I, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The House refused to seat him on grounds of sedition. But he returned to Congress after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1921.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Is sedition punishable by death? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
A video quickly circulating online showed a father boarding a school bus and telling his daughter to hit another student. The man has now been arrested by local police.
The incident occurred Oct. 9 on a Ferguson-Florissant School District near St. Louis, Missouri. On Tuesday, the Ferguson Police Department identified the father as Maurice Fox, 36, in a statement.
In the video footage released by the department, Fox is seen onboard the bus telling his first-grade daughter to assault another student saying, “This one? Yeah, do what I told you to,” and “Don’t put your hands on my daughter no more because if I find out you’re touching her again, your parents will have to talk to me.” The daughter then begins punching the other student. When she stops, Fox says, “Again, I want her crying.”
Fox later posted on social media that he felt he did what he needed to do to teach his daughter to defend herself from bullies
A news article reported that before Fox was taken into custody, he created an online fundraiser seeking donations for his legal defense. But a spokesperson for GoFundMe said the platform’s terms of service prohibit people charged with violent crimes from raising money for their legal defense. The fundraising page was removed and donations were refunded.
The article also said that according to an affidavit, the school bus driver tried to stop Fox, but “he pushed the driver’s arm out of the way and continued walking.” The video blurs the faces of all others on the school bus, but the school bus driver appears to be seated at the front of the vehicle.
The statement said that Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle confirmed that Fox turned himself and is being held at the St. Louis County Justice Center with a $100,000 bond.
Prior to Fox’s arrest on Monday after turning himself in, police said he was being sought on an at-large warrant from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Fox is now also facing charges of one count of first-degree harassment, two counts of assault in the fourth degree and trespassing on a school bus.
“This incident is extremely troubling on many levels. As adults, we have a responsibility to model appropriate behavior and teach our children how to resolve conflict peacefully. Encouraging violence among children — especially in such a public and frightening way — is unacceptable. We are grateful this individual chose to turn himself in, and we hope this brings some measure of accountability,” said Police Chief Troy Doyle.
He continued, “No child should ever be exposed to that kind of behavior, especially in a setting that should feel safe, like a school bus,” he said. “We encourage parents and guardians to work with school officials, counselors and community resources when facing conflicts involving their children. Collaboration and communication, not confrontation, are how we keep our kids and schools safe.”
In the comments on the police statement, many people commented on the difficult emotions of knowing a child is being bullied, but that there are better ways to handle the situation.
School Transportation News reached out to Ferguson-Florissant School District for comment and received the following statement from their communications department:
“We fully cooperated with law enforcement as they addressed this matter. Student and staff safety is always our top priority, and we will not tolerate anything that compromises their safety. School buses are an extension of the school campus. Trespassing on a school bus and engaging in the behavior described in this incident are completely unacceptable.”
A 17-year-old male was arrested in connection with a crash that left a 15-year-old student severely injured while waiting for his school bus last month, reported WIVB 4 News.
The incident reportedly took place just before 7 a.m. on Sept. 4, when the 17-year-old driver was traveling south in a Ford Explorer, veered off the roadway, drove through a front yard, and collided with a parked vehicle in a driveway.
The impact caused the parked car to strike the 15-year-old boy, who was standing nearby waiting for the school bus. The victim was transported to Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), where he was treated for severe leg injuries. The 17-year-old driver was also taken to ECMC for evaluation.
Following an investigation, police said that cannabis was detected in the driver’s bloodstream at the time of the crash. A further search of the vehicle uncovered two unfinished lower frames of a ghost gun pistol, along with an AR-15-style rifle, leading to serious concerns about the possession of unregistered firearms by a minor.
On Tuesday, the teen was charged with second-degree assault and second-degree vehicular assault. He also faces two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, driving while impaired by drugs, and multiple vehicle and traffic violations. He was arraigned in youth court and remanded to the Oneida County Jail on $100,000 cash bail.
Authorities have not released the names of either the driver or the injured student because they are minors. The investigation remains ongoing.
A young child was hailed as a hero for taking quick, life-saving action after passing a handwritten note asking their school bus driver to call 911, reported WLBT News.
According to the news report, the bus driver immediately followed the instructions and contacted emergency services Sept. 24 just before 7:30 a.m. Deputies were sent to a rural home, where they discovered the child’s mother had been the victim of a violent assault that lasted through the night.
Investigators said article the woman had been seriously injured by the suspect, 29-year-old Glenroy Miller of the Bahamas, who allegedly held a knife to her throat and wrists while threatening to kill her. At one point, Miller reportedly began to take the victim to a hospital but turned around after realizing he could be arrested, forcing her to remain at home without access to help.
When deputies reportedly arrived at the residence, Miller answered the door. The woman, visibly upset and bruised, emerged from a bedroom shortly after. She was taken to the hospital, where an exam revealed she had suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung, from being kicked.
Authorities said the mother had written the note herself and asked her child to deliver it in hopes of getting help. Because she was being held against her will and prevented from calling for assistance, she relied on her child to act.
Miller was reportedly taken into custody and now faces multiple charges. Officials are praising the young student’s courage and the bus driver’s swift response, crediting both with playing a crucial role in rescuing the woman from a dangerous situation.
A Bartow County school bus driver northwest of the Atlanta metro area is facing multiple charges after allegedly operating a school bus while under the influence with students on board, reported Fox 5.
According to the news report, 51-year-old Lori Hagaman was charged with driving a school bus under the influence and several counts of reckless conduct. She was released from jail Monday.
Authorities say two deputies stopped the school bus on U.S. 411 near the Burnt Hickory Road Connector after receiving a report that the vehicle was swerving and the driver appeared unresponsive. Upon exiting the bus, Hagaman was observed staggering and struggling with navigating the bus stairwell. Deputies noted she had slurred speech and reportedly denied both alcohol consumption and any medical issues.
During the investigation, deputies reportedly found an insulated cup in the driver’s cupholder that appeared to contain an alcoholic beverage. A concerned parent also told investigators her 9-year-old daughter suspected the driver had been intoxicated in the past, citing instances of missed bus stops and incorrect student drop-offs.
The Bartow County School System confirmed via the article that no students were injured during the incident. Officials stated that Hagaman has been removed from her assigned route pending further investigation.
A Massachusetts man who worked as a school bus monitor in Rhode Island is facing multiple child molestation charges following a grand jury indictment and arraignment, reported Boston News.
Kevin P. Langlois, 58, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, was reportedly indicted and arraigned Sept. 4 on several charges, including three counts of second-degree child molestation, one count of indecent solicitation of a child, one count of simple assault and one count of indecent exposure.
Authorities say via the news report that the alleged incidents occurred while Langlois was employed by Ocean State Transit and assigned to transport children for the Barrington Public Schools in Rhode Island. The victims were two girls between the ages of 5 and 12.
According to the article, police began investigating after receiving reports of inappropriate behavior involving Langlois while he was supervising children on school buses. Details of the investigation have not been fully disclosed, but officials confirmed that the charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred during his duties as a bus monitor.
According to the news report, Langlois is currently out on bail. It is unclear whether he has retained legal counsel. The case will proceed through the Rhode Island judicial system, and authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward. Barrington Public Schools has not yet commented on the case but is expected to review transportation policies in the wake of the allegations. The investigation is ongoing.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested after authorities say he illegally passed a stopped school bus and struck a child in a St. Tammany Parish neighborhood, reported Fox 8.
The incident reportedly occurred Aug. 25 in the Tall Timbers subdivision of Mandeville, Louisiana, located on the northern bank of Lake Pontchartrain. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said via the article the school bus was stopped with its lights flashing and stop sign extended as children were being dropped off.
As one child crossed the street, a pickup truck driver allegedly ignored the stopped bus and struck the girl. She suffered minor injuries to her arm, authorities said.
Following a public appeal for help identifying the driver, the Sheriff’s office noted via the news report it received several tips after releasing surveillance images of the truck on social media. On Aug. 26, deputies arrested Mario Avila, 19, in connection with the incident.
According to the news report, Avila was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on multiple charges, including hit-and-run, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, driving under suspension with a prior DWI, and unlawfully overtaking a stopped school bus.
Sheriff Randy Smith reportedly issued a warning to motorists, emphasizing the dangers of passing school buses when children are present.
“This is a reminder to all drivers, stop means stop,” Smith said. “Passing a stopped school bus is not only illegal, it puts children’s lives at risk.” The child involved in the incident is expected to make a full recovery.
National Guard troops, like those President Donald Trump is using to crack down on big-city crime, generally are not trained in law enforcement.
Trump sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in August as a crackdown. The Milwaukee police union president said he might ask Trump to send troops to Milwaukee.
D.C. police get 21 modules of criminal procedure training, and Guard members get none, an analysis found.
The Guard’s primary law enforcement training is crowd control, said the analysis’ co-author, Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
U.S. Naval War College professor Lindsay Cohn, a civil-military relations expert, said most Guard members are not trained in law enforcement, but some are spot-trained.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, head of the Wisconsin National Guard, said Guard members are the “wrong people” to fight crime because they’re not trained police officers.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
A disturbing incident on an Orleans Parish school bus in Louisiana has left a longtime school bus monitor hospitalized with multiple injuries after she was allegedly attacked by a high school student and the student’s mother, reported News Channel 10.
The incident reportedly occurred Aug. 21 and was caught on video, involving a McDonogh 35 High School student and her mother physically assaulting school bus monitor Tamika Jackson. The footage aired by News Channel 10 indicates the mother striking Jackson and then her daughter joining the violent altercation.
Jackson’s husband, Johnny Jackson told reporters his wife was transported to the emergency room with severe injuries, including bite marks on her face and thumbs, scratches and a deep gash across her face.
“They pulled her hair out. They bit her in her face, on her lips, on her thumbs,” he said.
Images shown by News Channel 10 support his descriptions of the injuries.
According to the article, Johnny Jackson said the confrontation began after his wife instructed the student not to sit in the last two rows of the bus, an area she suspected students had been using inappropriately, potentially to perform lewd acts. The student, who was not identified in this writing, allegedly called her mother, who then boarded the bus at confronted Jackson, resulting in the violent assault.
Despite her injuries and being on duty at the time, Jackson was reportedly issued a Municipal Court summons by the New Orleans Police Department for disturbing the peace.
Her husband expressed outrage, saying, “It’s insane knowing my wife was at work when this happened, and yet she’s being treated like she was part of a fight.”
NOPD has not filed a police report at this time, citing a lack of video evidence. Officers reportedly told the family they are treating the matter as a “routine fight” until the footage is reviewed.
In response to the incident, InspireNOLA Charter Schools, which oversees McDonogh 35, stated it is conducting an active investigation and emphasized that the safety of students and staff is a top priority. Community members and staff have called for a thorough investigation and accountability following the attack.
A 13-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a car in a hit-and-run crash moments after stepping off a school bus in the south Las Vegas Valley, reported Fox 5.
The incident happened Aug. 20 just before 4:30 p.m. Las Vegas Metro Police said the article that the teen had just exited a school bus and was crossing the street when he was hit by a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Yarla Valeriano-Perez.
Police added Valeriano-Perez initially fled the scene, abandoning her vehicle nearby. She later returned and cooperated with investigators. Impairment was not believed to be a factor in the crash.
Authorities reportedly confirmed that the school bus had its lights flashing at the time, signaling that children were being dropped off. Witnesses reported seeing the teen thrown approximately eight feet into the air upon impact.
Valeriano-Perez was reportedly taken into custody and now faces multiple charges, including felony hit-and-run and reckless driving, along with a misdemeanor count for illegally passing a school bus displaying active signals.
According to the news report, she appeared in court last Thursday, where prosecutors emphasized the severity of the incident, noting that she failed to stop despite visible school bus warnings. Her defense attorneys asked the court for leniency as she has no prior criminal record.
The judge reportedly set bail at $300,000 with a condition that she be prohibited from driving. Valeriano-Perez was scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday.
The teen’s current condition has not been publicly disclosed, but police described his injuries as “substantial.” The investigation is ongoing.
A local school bus driver has been arrested on multiple felony charges involving child sexual exploitation and child endangerment, following an investigation led by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, reported 2 Idaho News.
According to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office via the article, Brian Hendricks was taken into custody on Aug. 7 and now faces seven counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material. The Boise Police Department charged both Hendricks and his partner Rochelle Hendricks with four counts each of felony injury to a child, as well as misdemeanor charges for dog nuisance and general animal nuisance.
According to the news report, Attorney General Raul Labrador praised the collaborative law enforcement effort, stating, “Protecting the people of Idaho is my office’s top priority. I thank the Boise Police Department for their partnership and teamwork in serving this search warrant and helping to remove the children that were in the home,” he continued. “We will continue to diligently work with our law enforcement partners across the state to protect Idaho families as children return to school this fall.”
The arrest reportedly followed a search warrant executed at Hendricks’ residence, where officers discovered several children living in what authorities described as unsafe and uninhabitable conditions. Police reported that the children were in imminent danger and were promptly removed from the home. Multiple animals were also seized due to concerns over neglect and nuisance conditions.
Boise Police Department units, including the Neighborhood Contact Unit, School Resource Officers and patrol officers reportedly assisted the ICAC team in the arrest and investigation. Boise Police Lieutenant Tim Brady emphasized the importance of a unified response.
“The Boise Police Department extends its sincere gratitude to our law enforcement partners and the dedicated professionals who worked on this significant investigation,” he said via the article. “This collective effort was instrumental in ensuring the safety and well-being of all involved in this case. We remain steadfast in our dedication to working together to protect and serve the most vulnerable members of our community.”
It is unclear if Hendricks was immediately fired for his position as a bus driver. At this stage of the investigation, authorities say there is no evidence of any local victims, but they encourage anyone with relevant information to contact local police. The case remains ongoing.
A former school bus driver who worked for multiple districts in the Miami Valley region is facing more than 80 criminal sexual assault charges following a years-long pattern of alleged abuse involving minors, reported by WDTN News.
Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. announced that Matthew Hunt, 49, has been indicted on a total of 82 felony counts including rape, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and various forms of sexual battery. The charges span multiple decades and reportedly involve male students from several school districts where Hunt had been employed as a school bus driver.
Heck said Hunt allegedly lured students by offering them work at his personal business, Hunt Pipe Organ Services, which repairs organs in churches and other venues. Within days of employment, Hunt is accused of making sexual advances toward the teens. Some of the alleged abuse occurred at local churches in Montgomery County, while other incidents reportedly took place in a camper he owned in Lima.
“This activity was ongoing for many years,” Heck said via the article. “We’re also concerned that this activity may have occurred elsewhere, as the defendant has worked as a bus driver in a number of local school districts.”
Hunt reportedly worked as a school bus driver for several local school systems, including Northmont City Schools, Vandalia-Butler Schools, Miami Valley Career Technology Center, St. Christopher School, Tri-County North Schools, Eaton Schools, and Milton-Union Local Schools. His employment across these districts spanned more than two decades, during which the alleged offenses are said to have taken place.
The news report stated that Hunt was reportedly forced to resign from Vandalia-Butler Schools between 2005 and 2009 due to inappropriate contact with a student on a school bus. However, authorities say Hunt answered “no” on his Northmont Schools job application when asked if he had ever been involuntarily terminated from a prior position.
The Northmont City School District reportedly confirmed that Hunt is no longer employed by the district and stated that they are fully cooperating with local law enforcement.
Investigators say via the article that nine individuals have been identified so far as victims. Officials believe there may be more and are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
Hunt was arrested on July 29 and is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1 million bond. He appeared in court again on Aug. 5 where he pleaded not guilty. A judge set bond at $1 million. Hunt is due back in court on Aug. 21 and faces a possible prison sentence of life without parole
A student was stabbed shortly after exiting a school bus last week in Rossville, Maryland, reported Patch News.
According to the news report, Overlea High School administrators informed summer school families that the incident involved a student who had just gotten off bus number 183 on July 24 when the incident occurred.
Police responded to reports of a knife assault near the intersection of Franklin Square Drive and King Avenue. The victim, who was not identified at this writing, was transported to a hospital and is expected to recover.
Authorities have reportedly arrested a minor in connection with the stabbing. The suspect faces charges of first- and second-degree assault and was placed in the care of the Department of Juvenile Services.
In a message to families, Overlea leaders emphasized that student safety remains their highest priority and encouraged parents to reach out with any concerns.
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) says 39.3 million motorists could be illegally passing school buses nationwide, after updating its National Stop Arm Count survey to correct data reported by California.
The California Department of Education provided new figures to NASDPTS to correct the number of driver-side and student loading-door-side illegal passes by motorists at school bus stops. As a result, NASDPTS extrapolated a decrease in the number of potential violations based on a 180-day school year and nationwide, further indicating that while still a major issue illegal passing rates improved during the 2024-2025 school year.
NASDPTS announced its 13th National Stop Arm Violation Count, a one-day snapshot of motorists illegally passing stopped school buses while loading or unloading students during the 2024-2025 school year, at National School Transportation Association Annual Meeting and Convention Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts. Earlier this year, California joined 35 other states and the District of Columbia in voluntary one-day counts of motorists passing the federally mandated stop arm and flashing red lights at school bus stops while children are loading or unloading.
Initially, the NASDPTS report indicated that the 1,943 participating school bus drivers in California — accounting for approximately 8 percent of the 21,668 school buses in operation each school day, according to the California Department of Education’s Office of School Transportation — observed 10,381 violations, and that all occurred on the right-side of the school buses where students load and exit.
California clarified Thursday that a total of 8,231 violations of the school bus stop arm and red lights were reported, with 3,881 occurring from the front of the bus and 4,350 from the rear. None occurred on the right side where the loading door is located, Anna Borges, supervisor the Office of Student Transportation, told School Transportation News.
California is also the only state to require all kindergarten through eighth grade students be escorted by their drivers, when the students must cross the street to and from the school bus to get to or from their homes. In these instances, the Office of Student Transportation clarified that 136 illegal passes were observed, where the motorist or motorist approached the school bus from the front or as oncoming traffic, during afternoon routes. Fifty-nine motorists passed during morning routes and dight during mid-day routes. Motorists passed from the rear of the school bus during escorted routes 104 times in the afternoon, 32 times in the morning, and 10 times at mid-day.
Illegal passes spiked on non-escorted routes, a total of 7,882 instances, or nearly 96 percent of the total observations. This included students who don’t need to cross the street and students in grades 9 through 12.
A total of 1,711 school buses operated by 149 of the California’s 950 school districts that provide home-to-school transportation and 11 private carriers participated in the April 29 count.
With the correction, NASPDTS said 218,000 illegal passing incidents report indicates 114,471 school bus drivers, or 31 percent of the nation’s total, reported a total of 69,408 vehicles passed their buses illegally. Adjusting to account for 100 percent all school bus drivers in the U.S., NASDPTS said over 218,000 illegal passing violations could occur on one day, a decrease of 7,000 based on the initial sample previously reported. NASDTPS also extrapolates 1.3 million fewer incidents could occur during a 180-day school year across all 50 states, 39.3 million compared to the original estimate of 40.6 million. While still high, the new figure represents 13-percent fewer illegal passes than the 45.2 million reported for the 2023-2024 school year.
“Even with these corrected numbers the illegal passing of stopped school buses continues to be the greatest safety danger to children,” said NASDPTS President Mike Stier. ”Regardless of the number, 39.3 million violations is simply too many. We continue to encourage each state to raise awareness on this important safety issue and to do everything possible to ensure motorists put the safety of school children first.”
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts nationwide saw the number of illegal passings spike. NASDPTS had previously cited 41.8 million violations occurring using data from the 2019 and 2022 surveys, as the survey was suspended for two years during the height of COVID, when schools nationwide closed their doors and few school buses were on route. The survey returned in 2022.
Meanwhile, the most recent survey indicated 80 percent of the reported illegal passes occurred on the left side of the stopped school bus. More notably, that left almost 20 occurring on the right side of the bus, where the loading doors are located and where students enter and exit.
According to the NASDPTS update, over 50 percent of the observed illegal passes, 33,914 instances, occurred during afternoon routes. About 46 percent, or 31,127 violations, occurred in the morning and 2,217 violations, over 3 percent, occurred during midday routes. Sixty-nine percent of the observed violations, 39,442, were committed by motorists in oncoming vehicles as opposed to 22,203 vehicles, 36 percent, following from the rear.
Georgia led the way with the most school bus drivers participating in the one-day count at 13,468 followed by Tennessee with 11,811 and North Carolina with 10,597.
As she sits on her living room sofa surrounded by a large cutout, framed photos and a houseful of other reminders of her son Javon, Andrea Wilson, 41, can’t help but lose hope that her son’s murder will ever be solved.
“Nobody’s ever going to be held accountable,” she said. “It just feels like no one is going to be held responsible for his murder.”
It’s been nearly a year since she’s heard from Milwaukee homicide detectives and more than 16 months since Javon, 21, was hanging out with a group of friends when someone opened fire on them. They took him to St. Joseph’s hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound to his stomach.
Losing her firstborn is bad enough, she said, but not having justice makes it harder. Wilson is not alone in her struggles. In Milwaukee, hundreds of families share the unenviable bond of having a loved one murdered, with no one held responsible for it.
Unsolved murders in Milwaukee
From 2020 to 2024, 901 homicides occurred in the city of Milwaukee. Over 350 of those murders remain unsolved, based on homicide clearance data provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.
The homicide clearance rate refers to the percentage of cases cleared through arrest or because an arrest is impossible because of certain circumstances such as death, divided by the total number of homicides. Clearance rates also factor in murders solved during a calendar year for incidents that occurred in prior years.
The clearance rate in Milwaukee fluctuated between 50% and 59% from 2020 to 2023. The year Javon was murdered, in 2023, 59% of 172 murders were cleared.
Last year, when homicides dropped in the city by 30%, the clearance rate rose to 78%. Unsurprisingly, the clearance rate was lowest during the peak of the COVID pandemic when the number of homicides exploded in Milwaukee.
Javon’s story
Javon was a fast talker and good kid who excelled at wrestling and other sports in school. He was also extremely bright, graduating from West Allis Central High School with a 3.9 GPA. Offered two college scholarships, he chose instead to attend MATC and pursue his dreams of being a rapper and entrepreneur.
The day he got shot began like any other. He went to play basketball, came home to shower, and he let his mother know that he was heading out again.
Then there was a knock at the door, and she learned Javon had been shot and was in the hospital.
As she arrived, she asked about his condition.
All the hospital staff would tell her, she said, is that they were waiting for detectives to arrive.
“I should have realized then that he was already dead,” Wilson said.
Wilson said her son wasn’t the intended victim but got caught up in someone else’s beef.
After he died, she said, she called detectives for two weeks straight, even providing the names of potential suspects.
“It didn’t matter. They called it hearsay,” Wilson said. “I feel like I know who murdered my son.”
MPD stated that it continues to seek suspects in Javon’s homicide.
‘There’s no stopping them’
Janice Gorden, who founded the organization Victims of Milwaukee Violence Burial Fund 10 years ago, said it’s common for mothers to conduct their own investigations in their loved one’s murder.
“Sometimes they have way more information than the detectives do,” she said.
Sadly, she said, many become consumed with trying to solve the murder themselves.
“They drive themselves crazy trying to find answers to who killed their loved one,” she said. “I try to help but I can’t. I just listen to people like that because there’s no helping them. There’s no stopping them.”
Since Javon’s death, Wilson said she’s gone through thousands of emotions, one of them being severe depression. Her mother, who helped raise Javon, her first grandson, is equally devastated. Javon also had a special bond with his little brother Shamus, who’s 8 years old.
Shamus keeps a large cutout of Javon’s high school graduation photo in his bedroom and even grew out his hair to mimic his brother’s dreadlock hairstyle. Wilson said Shamus has struggled with anger issues since his big brother was killed.
“He doesn’t know how to adjust his emotions,” she said. “It’s been a very downward spiral for all of us.”
Brenda Hines founded an organization in her son Donovan’s memory to help other grieving families. (Edgar Mendez / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)
‘I never knew it would happen to me’
Like Wilson, Brenda Hines knows the pain of losing a son to gun violence.
Her middle child, Donovan, 23, was shot and killed while driving a car near North 29th Street and West Hampton Avenue in 2017. His case also remains unsolved.
Hines said Donovan was never afraid to travel somewhere new without a plan other than to make it. She said she isn’t sure whether her son was killed in an ongoing dispute over a car or whether it stemmed from a woman.
“I know there were people at the funeral home and at his vigil who knew,” she said.
Hines has worked as a Salvation Army chaplain since 2014, heading to crime scenes to help other families deal with tragic incidents such as murders.
“I never knew it would happen to me,” she said.
Since Donovan’s death, she’s turned her pain into action, opening the Donovan Hines Foundation of Exuberance to honor her son and to help other families by providing mental health, grief counseling and other support.
She also hosts an annual vigil to honor homicide victims in Milwaukee, part of a national series of events. Many of the families she’s met along the way are also waiting for justice for their loved one’s murders.
“It really tears the family apart,” she said. “It’s like an open wound that is still bleeding. The tears flow every day.”
Hines says she can’t tell families she knows exactly how they feel.
“Every situation is different. But, I can tell them I understand,” she said.
Solving murders
James Hutchinson, captain of the Milwaukee Police Department’s Homicide Division, said his team of 33 detectives remains committed to solving a case even as the days grow into years.
“If someone comes in and says we have info on something that happened five years ago, we’ll take that info and follow up,” he said. “From the first two weeks, to a month, or months or years down the line, we’re equally as committed to solving a murder as we were today.”
Many families, such as those of Hines’ and Wilson’s, question whether every stone gets turned in an investigation.
“I don’t know if they did their due diligence,” Wilson said. “I don’t know if they care.”
Hines, who has worked closely with officers during her time as a chaplain, said she respects the challenges police officers face.
“They don’t have enough evidence,” she said.
Still, she can’t help but feel that more could have and should be done.
“I’ve met personally with detectives because they won’t call back,” she said. “It’s a bad process.”
Though it may not be much solace to the hundreds of families in Milwaukee still hoping for justice, Hutchinson said he and the detectives in his unit take each case personally. They know that the victim’s family and friends are devastated by their loved one’s murder.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “Making a death notification is one of the hardest parts of this job.”
Hutchinson said resources in his department were spread thin when murders exploded in the city during the pandemic, which increased the challenge of building a case.
The biggest challenge, though, he said, is that witness cooperation isn’t what it used to be.
“It’s changed for the worse,” Hutchinson said. “There wasn’t a no snitching campaign back then.”
Wilson admits that witnesses to her son’s murder were reluctant to talk to police. She tracked down suspects on her own and offered those names to officers. That wasn’t enough to warrant charges, police told her. She needed her son’s friends to step up.
“At this point y’all should tell what happened,” she told them. “Somebody needs to be held responsible.”
How Milwaukee compares nationally
Thomas Hargrove, founder of the Murder Accountability Project, the largest database of unsolved murders in America, said Milwaukee homicide clearance rates are similar to what he saw nationally, especially during the pandemic.
Many cities have struggled to solve murders since then. Part of the challenge is resources.
“When you have enough resources, good things happen. When you don’t, bad things happen,” Hargrove said. “When you have over 200 murders, your system is off.”
He also said it’s also much harder to get a conviction now than it was 20 years ago, which can create friction between the district attorney’s office and local police.
Although police might make an arrest in a homicide case, that doesn’t mean that charges will be filed.
Police, Hutchinson said, only need probable cause to make an arrest. The burden of proof at the district attorney’s office, which files homicide charges, is higher.
“They have to be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said. “Many times we will make an arrest for probable cause, but we can’t get to that level.”
What often happens, Hutchinson said, is that officers will bring a case to the DA’s office or discuss what evidence they have and then have a dialogue about whether more is needed to file charges.
While that can bring some frustration, admits Hutchinson, it is better than arresting the wrong person.
“My worst nightmare I would have in the world is to have the wrong person held accountable for a crime,” he said.
Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern acknowledges that the work to hold someone accountable for murder can be burdensome on families seeking justice.
“Obviously there is a significant gap between the evidence needed to make an arrest versus the evidence needed to successfully prosecute a case,” Lovern said.
The reason for caution and continued dialogue with officers in hopes of building a strong case is because there’s no room for error.
“We really have one opportunity with a particular suspect to bring forward charges, and we want to get it right. Not only for the person charged, but the victim’s family and the integrity of the system,” he said.
Regardless, said Hargrove, the more murders that remain unsolved, the worse it is for everyone.
“The more murders you clear, the more murderers you get off the street, the more the murder rate will go down,” he said.
Trying to move on
As Hines reflects on the ripple effect her son’s murder has had on her family, she does the only thing she can to maintain hope.
“I have to have the peace of God,” she said. “He has taken care of the situation. I still get angry but I have to let God take control.”
Meanwhile, Wilson, who still talks to Javon’s friends regularly, visits his grave monthly, and she threw him a huge birthday bash in May.
She wonders whether it’s time to put away some of his photos. Among them are large poster boards filled with pictures that were on display during Javon’s funeral.
“I have to admit it is kind of depressing,” she said. “But it makes me feel like he’s still here with me.”
For more information
Anyone with any information about murders is asked to contact Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7360. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-TIPS (8477).
It allows for an individual to request federal agencies conduct a review of a homicide case investigation to determine whether it warrants a reinvestigation.
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