Manhunt underway for convicted felon after two children and adult found dead inside Wisconsin home
A manhunt is underway for a convicted felon after three people – including two children – were found dead in a Wisconsin home.
Convicted felon Virgil Thew, 47, was seen picking up one of the children who was later found dead in the New Lisbon home in Juneau County. The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune reports this.
Thew is wanted through the Wisconsin Probation and Parole Office and is considered armed and dangerous.
The manhunt comes after the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office contacted Juneau County authorities regarding a missing child shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, New Lisbon police said.
Investigators said the missing child was picked up and was last seen next to Thew.
New Lisbon police began investigating the missing child from Monroe County around 7:40 a.m. Monday morning when they received another call reporting a second missing child from New Lisbon.
But hours later, officers made the heartbreaking discovery of two children and an adult dead in a New Lisbon home on West Bridge Street.
The Wisconsin State Crime Lab, Juneau County Sheriff’s Office and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department responded to the home to investigate.
A manhunt is underway for 47-year-old Virgil Thew, a convicted felon, in connection with the deaths of two children and an adult found in a Wisconsin home Monday afternoon.
The bodies were discovered in a New Lisbon home on the 300 block of West Bridge Street after a search for two missing children
Authorities were alerted to a missing child on Sunday evening and notified the next morning of a second missing child – who was said to have been picked up by Thew the last time they were seen alive
Neighbors were completely shocked when they heard of the grim discovery.
“Everyone is terrified,” said Kristina Johnson, a neighbor News 3 Now.
Johnson said she went outside to check out the abundance of police cars — initially believing it might be a drug bust or a routine traffic stop.
But when she heard about the bodies discovered just steps from her own home, she ran upstairs, turned off the lights and television and hid in the bathroom with her dog.
“That is extremely nerve-wracking,” Johnson told the newspaper. “When I found out there was a murderer and that he was on the loose, I was terrified.”
She noted how the entire community felt tense and made sure to lock their doors religiously as they waited for more information.
While police said one of the missing children found dead in the home was last seen with Thew, it remains unclear whether the other minor found was the second child reported missing just a day later.
The search continues for the 47-year-old man, who is described as 6 feet tall, weighs about 150 pounds and was last seen wearing a dark-colored down jacket, blue jeans and a hat.
It still remains unclear whether the other minor found dead in the home was the other child reported missing
Neighbors initially thought police were there in connection with a possible drug bust, but the community was left ‘terrified’ after hearing about the grim discovery right next door
Thew – who is described as standing 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds and believed to be armed and dangerous – has been convicted of dozens of crimes and is wanted by the Wisconsin Probation and Parole Office
Parole records show he has been convicted of committing dozens of crimes and is currently under active community supervision. Fox News reports this.
Some of his crimes include possession of a gun as a felon, burglary and theft.
He has been in and out of prison almost every year since 1995 before being officially released on parole in 2012.
“If you see him, do not confront or approach him,” authorities wrote in a statement, adding that he is considered a dangerous criminal.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact New Lisbon Police or 911.