On a tragic Friday afternoon, May 8, 2026, the life of 80-year-old Susan Paul of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, was brought to a violent end. The setting for this harrowing event was the ordinarily tranquil Pewitt's Nest Nature Preserve in the Township of Baraboo. Multiple witnesses reported a disturbing scene unfolding in the preserve's parking lot, alleging they saw a man forcibly remove a woman from a vehicle before shooting her multiple times. The assailant then fled the area, heading towards the City of Baraboo. Sauk County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:08 p.m. and, upon their arrival just minutes later, they discovered Susan Paul deceased from several close-range gunshot wounds.
The suspect in this shocking act of violence was identified as Susan's 80-year-old husband, George Paul, also of Prairie du Sac. Following the initial incident at the nature preserve, the events took another alarming turn. Roughly an hour after the shooting, a man, later identified as George Paul, drove a Kia Carnival minivan into the parking lot of the Sauk Prairie Police Department. He exited the vehicle and fired several gunshots into the front door and vestibule of the police station. Fortunately, no one inside the building was injured during this brazen act. Shortly after, at 3:11 p.m., Sauk Prairie Police officers located the minivan leaving the department, conducted a traffic stop, and took George Paul into custody without any further incident. Evidence gathered from the scene and within the vehicle linked him to the earlier shooting at Pewitt's Nest.
In the wake of his arrest, George Paul was incarcerated at the Sauk County Jail. He has since been charged with first-degree intentional homicide for the death of his wife, Susan Paul. Additionally, he faces charges of intentionally pointing a firearm at a person, endangering safety by the reckless use of a firearm, criminal damage to property, and discharging a firearm within 100 yards of a building. During an interview with detectives, a bizarre and disturbing motive began to emerge. George Paul allegedly claimed that his wife was a "creature" who had been impersonating her for 55 years and held conspiracy theories about such beings attempting a global takeover. He reportedly stated that he shot at the police department to get their attention. Authorities were reportedly aware of George Paul due to previous instances of threatening behavior and dementia. Upon his arrest, a pistol, a purse, and blood were reportedly discovered inside his vehicle. The investigation into the tragic death of Susan Paul remains active and ongoing as the case proceeds through the legal system, with a status conference scheduled for July 14.
