Skyla Ane Chevelle Sorenson was a 13-year-old White/Caucasian girl whose life ended in a triple homicide in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, during the final days of 2024. Skyla was reported missing after she failed to return home, and investigators learned that she had last been seen in connection with a residence in the 300 block of West Bridge Street. Her family was able to see through her phone's Snapchat location that she appeared to be at that address, a home where Virgil Thew lived with his mother and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Kolba. Skyla had been with another young girl, 12-year-old Alexandria Taylor, who was also reported missing.
On the morning of December 30, 2024, New Lisbon Police Chief Kyle Walker went to the West Bridge Street residence while authorities were trying to locate the missing children. According to information later detailed in the criminal complaint, Thew's mother said she was alone and that she had last seen Skyla with the other girl the previous day. The second child was also believed to be at the residence. As the search continued, investigators began trying to locate Thew as well.
Around midday, authorities received a report that Thew had been trespassing on private property outside New Lisbon. The property owner reportedly saw him walking with his dog and carrying supplies, including a sleeping bag that appeared to conceal a long, straight object consistent with the shape of a long gun. Police later located Thew's vehicle and keys in that area. The discovery became particularly significant because investigators would later determine that a key associated with Thew fit the locked bedroom where the victims were discovered.
The search for Skyla came to a devastating end later that afternoon. At approximately 4:29 p.m., two people who were looking for the missing child forced their way through the locked door of Thew's bedroom at the West Bridge Street residence. Inside, they found Skyla, Alexandria and 33-year-old Elizabeth Kolba lying dead on a bed. Kolba was Thew's girlfriend and lived at the residence. Autopsies determined that all three victims had suffered gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators said the room had been secured with multiple locks.
The circumstances surrounding the locked room quickly focused investigators' attention on Thew. According to the criminal complaint, his mother told police she had not seen anyone other than Thew and the three victims at the house during the preceding days. His sister reportedly told investigators she did not believe anyone else would have possessed keys to his bedroom because of his concern about privacy and theft. Authorities also recovered evidence connecting his keys to the locked room. These circumstances, together with his disappearance from the area, formed part of the evidence cited as the homicide investigation developed.
By January 3, 2025, prosecutors had formally charged Virgil Thew with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide. One of the homicide counts, involving Kolba, carried a domestic-abuse modifier because she and Thew had been in a relationship. Authorities warned that Thew should be considered armed and dangerous. Trail cameras and other reports produced sightings of him in rural areas around New Lisbon, but officers were initially unable to capture him despite searches on the ground and with drones.
The search eventually expanded far beyond the New Lisbon Police Department. The Juneau County Sheriff's Office and other Wisconsin agencies were joined by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service as the manhunt continued. Investigators received numerous tips from the public while trying to determine where Thew had gone. Skyla's family publicly mourned her during the search, remembering her as bright, intelligent and eager to help other people. Her father said she meant everything to him, while family members struggled with the unanswered question of why the children had been killed.
The manhunt ended on January 9, 2025, when authorities received a report about a suspicious man in Elroy, roughly 12 miles from New Lisbon. A deputy responded and identified the man as Thew. Authorities said he was taken into custody without incident. Other reporting based on law-enforcement information said he initially gave the deputy a false name and claimed he was participating in a survival challenge before his identity was established. He was subsequently jailed, and a judge set his cash bond at $5 million.
The criminal case later expanded beyond the original homicide counts. Thew was charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide, three counts of hiding a corpse, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent, and misdemeanor resisting or obstructing an officer. In August 2025, he waived his preliminary hearing and was ordered to stand trial. On October 29, 2025, he entered not-guilty pleas to the charges.
As of September 2026, Thew has not been convicted of Skyla's killing, and the charges remain allegations that prosecutors must prove in court. A final pretrial conference is scheduled for September 29, 2026, with a nine-day jury trial scheduled to begin December 1, 2026. The homicide counts expose him to potential life imprisonment if he is convicted. Publicly available reporting has not established a clear motive explaining why Skyla, Alexandria and Kolba were killed, leaving the reason behind the three deaths among the most painful unanswered questions surrounding the case.
