Police have arrested DeWayne Allen, 58, in connection with the stabbing death of a 41-year-old Madison man on the East Side Monday night. Allen was later charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
The Madison Police Department’s Public Information Officer Mike Hanson said this was the first murder case in the city this year.
Madison police officers responded to a call near 4700 Cottage Grove Road, where a man with chest wounds was reported. Police officers found the victim wounded.
Allen was taken from the scene of the crime into custody as a suspect. He was transferred to the Dane County Jail where the police officers located and gained possession of the knife used in the homicide.
The victim was transported to the University of Wisconsin Hospital but he was pronounced dead by the coroner upon arrival to the hospital.
“At this point, the only information that we can release is just what’s exactly on the press release because the investigation is ongoing,” Hanson said.
Investigators are still unsure of the motive for the homicide, which probably resulted from a “heated” argument. Both men have had many encounters with the police department in the past, the release said.
Police believe no other suspects were involved and said the Madison community is not in danger and should not feel threatened.
First-degree intentional homicide in Wisconsin is a charge that results when an individual intends to cause death to another person. Intending to cause the death of an unborn child, including a woman who is pregnant with an unborn child, is included in this offense.
The Class A felony would carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Allen. In 38 states across the nation, an intentional homicide could result in the death penalty, but the state of Wisconsin does not allow capital punishment.
According to the Madison Police Department’s 2003 Annual Report, there were 10 criminal homicides reported that year and five criminal homicides reported the previous year. Over the two-year time span, 50 percent of the suspects were arrested.
