Billy Ward, 45, an African-American man from Milwaukee, was killed on August 29, 2014 after a traffic collision escalated into a fatal encounter on the city’s north side. Shortly before 11 p.m., Ward was involved in a crash near North 27th Street and West Hope Avenue that included the suspect’s vehicle and another car. He drove away from the initial impact, lost control, and spun out near North 31st Street and West Hope Avenue. As his vehicle came to rest, the suspect vehicle pulled up; witnesses described a confrontation that ended when the suspect shot Ward. He died at the scene.
In the days that followed, Milwaukee police said no one had been charged, and years later the department’s Cold Case Homicide unit reiterated the account publicly while appealing for information, indicating the killer fled and that investigators were still seeking leads. Independent public records and memorial listings identify the victim as Billy Scott Ward Jr., 45, and confirm the date and location in Milwaukee. There is no public record of an arrest or the identification of a named suspect in the case.
