A 15-year-old boy is facing murder charges for allegedly strangling his grandmother until she became unconscious. The incident took place in South Milwaukee on August 27 when the police responded to a call at the teen’s residence where they found 68-year-old Elizabeth Totsky unresponsive.
According to the South Milwaukee Police Department, the boy used his right arm and elbow to apply pressure to his grandmother’s neck for approximately five minutes. Initially, the teen claimed they were together in the kitchen cooking eggs when his grandmother suddenly had a seizure and collapsed. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she passed away.
Following an autopsy that revealed signs of strangulation and internal hemorrhages, the suspect changed his story during a subsequent police interview. He mentioned that he had left his room to use the bathroom and upon smelling something burning, went downstairs to find his grandmother on the floor.
The investigators highlighted discrepancies between the initial and revised accounts provided by the grandson. Eventually, when confronted with the autopsy results confirming strangulation, the boy confessed to the crime. The motive behind the tragic incident remains unclear.
Notably, the victim’s husband disclosed that the grandson had previously attempted to strangle Totsky. He recalled an incident where she confided in him about being placed in a chokehold by the defendant, causing her to lose consciousness briefly.
After appearing in juvenile court post-arrest, the prosecutors upgraded the charges, and the boy is now being charged as an adult with first-degree intentional homicide. His court appearance is scheduled for next week.