By Shereen Siewert
Dates have been set for the man accused of fatally shooting a 45-year-old victim two years ago on Wausau’s west side.
Michael Turner, 47, is facing charges of first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory life sentence upon conviction. He has been jailed on a $1 million cash bond since his May 2021 arrest.
Police say the victim was in a vehicle on South Fifth Avenue when Turner allegedly drove up, got out of his own vehicle and shot the man, who suffered wounds to his chest and abdomen. The victim, who managed to drive to a nearby Tobacco Outlet, was taken to a hospital for treatment but later died of his injuries.
Turner was captured in Marquette County about an hour after the shooting during a high-risk traffic stop and was transported to the Marathon County Jail. He was alone at the time of his arrest, though investigators previously suggested Turner could have handed off the suspected murder weapon to an accomplice.
Turner initially faced charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. But as a result of the victim’s death, those charges were upgraded.
A 10-day jury trial is due to begin April 15, 2024. Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill will preside over the case.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
