Milwaukee drug deal, fatal shooting; 2 men charged with felony murder
Drug deal, fatal shooting; 2 men charged
Prosecutors say it was a drug deal turned setup that left a 33-year-old Appleton man shot. But it did not end there.
MILWAUKEE - Prosecutors say it was a drug deal turned setup that left a 33-year-old Appleton man shot. But it did not end there.
Drug deal turned setup
What we know:
Cory Fritz, 33, is remembered by family as a loving son, brother and uncle who loved his nieces and nephew, Star Wars, LEGO and his dogs.
Cory Fritz
On Friday, March 28, 41-year-old Travis Cooper and 44-year-old Gregory Hamilton appeared in Milwaukee County court charged with felony murder. They are accused of killing Fritz over some weed edibles.
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"Mr. Hamilton arranged to have the victim sell weed products to him. The defendant chose to set him up for an armed robbery and that went terribly wrong," said Karine O'Byrne, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney.
Timeline:
It happened late on March 2 near 43rd and Good Hope in Milwaukee. Surveillance videos helped piece together what happened – including Cooper circling the neighborhood in wait, even buying a drink at a gas station.
Travis Cooper
Prosecutors say Cooper, Hamilton's best friend, was the stick-up man. But during the holdup, prosecutors say Fritz confronted Cooper and was shot in the head during a struggle. But Fritz wasn't dead.
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Prosecutors say Hamilton told a neighbor Fritz hit his head on a mailbox. The neighbor then helped put Fritz in his truck and parked it on the neighbor's property.
Gregory Hamilton
Fritz died about a day later at Froedtert Hospital.
What they're saying:
"To say an armed robbery went terribly bad scratches the surface here," said Andrew Bolender, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Commissioner. "Had they called an ambulance, this victim may be alive."
Phone calls between Hamilton and Cooper tipped off investigators to the setup. When police searched Cooper's home, filings say they found drugs as well as Fritz's duffle bag.
The commissioner set bond for Cooper and Hamilton at $150,000 each. They are due back in court in April.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.