Husband Strangles Estranged Wife While on GPS Monitor | Wisconsin Murder Case

Watch this police interrogation with intense raw interrogation from the interrogation room as police conduct a full interrogation of a suspect. This raw interrogation footage captures every moment of the suspect interview, complete with deception detection techniques, and criminal psychology in true JCS style interrogation. The Background: Sunkeun Kim (then ~29) and Madeline Kim (then ~24–27; also referred to in some records by maiden name Wegner) were estranged spouses in the Milwaukee-area (Franklin/Brookfield, Wisconsin). Prior domestic violence: In August–September 2018, Madeline reported incidents including battery, strangulation/suffocation, false imprisonment, and threats; she said he slapped her, took her phone/keys, pushed her, and strangled her until she lost consciousness after an argument involving alcohol limits and finances. She texted a friend “save me.” He had threatened to kill her, the dog, and himself. Charges filed against him in September 2018 for those incidents (strangulation, battery, etc.). He was released on bail (~$15,000 or lower cash bond in reports) with a no-contact order. He later violated the no-contact condition (contact at UW-Milwaukee Student Union on Oct. 10), leading to felony bail-jumping charges and GPS ankle-monitor requirement. Madeline filed for divorce on or about Oct. 29, 2018. Motive centered on the escalating domestic abuse, separation/divorce, and prior threats/violence. The Crime: Date/location: Overnight Friday Nov. 16 into early Saturday Nov. 17, 2018, at Madeline’s condominium on Brookfield Lake Drive / near Bluemound and Brookfield roads, Town of Brookfield, Wisconsin. Method: Manual strangulation (neck compression) with blunt-force trauma to the head; autopsy confirmed this as primary cause of death. Body discovered Nov. 18 by roommate (front door ajar; body on bedroom floor). Roommate last saw her Nov. 15 when she left for the weekend. Neighbor reported several loud thumps from the unit overnight and saw a black Toyota SUV (matching Sunkeun’s) parked outside early Nov. 17. Calculated elements: GPS data placed him near the condo on the afternoon of Nov. 16; phone searches (later recovered after deletion) included terms related to removing an ankle bracelet, stabbing/neck injury/carotid bleeding, stun guns, and related topics; reported attempts related to the GPS device. The Investigation: Roommate’s 911 call led police to the scene. Madeline’s cellphone was missing (consistent with prior incidents where he took it). GPS ankle monitor: Tamper alert on Nov. 19; he claimed battery problems and that he tried to remove it in the shower; data placed him near the condo on Nov. 16. Physical evidence on him: Abrasions on left hand and a burn mark on left arm noted by detectives. Digital evidence: Phone search history as noted above; mother reported he moved ~$23,000 from a joint account in early November. Suspect statements: After arrest, told caseworkers “I need you to tell my attorney I did the homicide. Obviously I’m on GPS.” Earlier comments included not wanting to go to prison and wanting to go home to Korea. He initially claimed he had “just heard the news.” Inconsistencies: Claimed GPS battery issues vs. recovered tamper data and location records placing him at the scene; deleted phone searches recovered by investigators. Conviction and Sentencing: Charged November 2018 with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony bail jumping (plus related prior domestic charges in consolidated cases). 10-day jury trial in Waukesha County Circuit Court; convicted Oct. 9, 2020, of all charged offenses (including the homicide). Sentenced Oct. 16, 2020, by Judge J. Arthur Melvin III to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Only one defendant: Sunkeun Kim. No second defendant was charged or convicted in connection with the homicide.