By Shereen Siewert

A 22-year-old Stratford man who fatally stabbed two brothers at his family’s home planned to kill the two victims and used a knife “because it’s quiet,” according to a prosecutor’s statement released Thursday.

Brandon D. Knoll appeared Wednesday in Marathon County Circuit Court for a probable cause hearing and was ordered held on a $5 million cash bond in connection with the deaths of the two men, identified by police as 23-year-old Michael L. Stone and 19-year-old Williams R. Stone.

Michael Stone and William Stone were brothers and were Knoll’s stepbrothers.

Police were called at 8:53 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7 to a home at 121625 CTH P in the town of Cleveland, near Stratford. When deputies arrived at the scene they found Jason Noll, 24, at the door, pleading for help. When officers entered the home, they found William Stone lying in the breezeway with abdominal injuries. He was taken to Marshfield Medical Center for treatment but died hours later of his injuries, police said.

A second victim, Michael Stone, was found in the basement. The Marathon County Medical Examiner pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police say Brandon Noll fled from the home and led officers in marked vehicles on a pursuit with lights and sirens activated. That pursuit ended with police forcing Noll’s vehicle off the road, and the suspect was taken into custody.

In an interview with detectives, Brandon Noll, who lived at the home, said he began planning to kill the victims the week prior to their deaths. He considered using his father’s firearm but chose a knife from a kitchen drawer instead.

Brandon Noll told detectives he hid behind a partition in the basement where Michael Stone was playing video games and stabbed him in the chest, prosecutors said. William Stone was stabbed after hearing the noise of the first attack and coming to his brother’s aid. He fled up the stairs.

The suspect told detectives he “wanted to kill someone for his whole life and today felt like the day he would do it” and wanted to see how it felt to kill someone, prosecutors said. He also told police he planned to kill both victims quickly so he could “fool around” for about six hours.

Brandon Noll faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, among other charges. First-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence.

Scott Parks, Marathon County sheriff, said in a news release that his department, along with the Marathon County District Attorney’s office, was prompted to release the probable cause statement with details surrounding the brothers’ deaths based on misinformation circling social media.

Brandon Noll is due in court at 2 p.m. April 17 for an initial appearance.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the victims,” Parks said, in his statement.