By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
A Wausau resident who shot and killed a 45-year-old man nearly three years ago on the city’s west side pleaded guilty Friday to homicide charges, just ahead of a jury trial that would have started Monday.
Michael Turner, 47, is now convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory life sentence. Turner on Friday also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm after a felony conviction He has been jailed on a $1 million cash bond since his May 2021 arrest.
Wausau Police say the victim was parked on the road in the 1000 block of South Fifth Avenue at about 8:45 a.m. on May 15, 2021 when Turner drove up to the man, got out of his vehicle and shot the victim as he sat in his own vehicle. Marathon County Assistant District Attorney Keri Puig in 2021 said the victim suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and to the abdomen in the attack, then drove to the Tobacco Outlet on Third Avenue.
The victim was taken to a hospital and 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 was due to begin April 15.
In Wisconsin, first-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence. But a judge, at the time of sentencing, can allow a defendant to apply for extended supervision after serving at least 20 years in prison.
Turner will learn his fate on May 28, when he will be sentenced by Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill.
