On the tragic day of October 21, 2022, in Hartland, Wisconsin, the life of three-year-old White male Colton McKisick was cut short in a devastating event that also claimed the lives of his entire family. What initially appeared to be a tragic apartment fire on Mansfield Court was soon revealed to be a far more grim scenario. When first responders entered the residence, they discovered the bodies of Colton, his parents Connor and Jessica McKisick, his brother Lincoln, and his two stepsisters, Natalie and Sofina Kleemeier.
The subsequent investigation by the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the fire was not the cause of their deaths. Instead, it was a horrific murder-suicide. Each of the six family members, including young Colton, had suffered from gunshot wounds. The investigation, a joint effort by the Hartland Police Department, the Waukesha County Medical Examiner's Office, and the State Fire Marshal, uncovered a deeply disturbing scene.
Authorities found multiple firearms within the home, as well as an ignitable liquid, suggesting the fire was intentionally set to conceal the true nature of the tragedy. Further examination of the parents' cell phones revealed messages that shed light on the circumstances leading up to the incident. The investigation concluded that both Connor and Jessica McKisick died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, and there were no other suspects or persons of interest. Consequently, no arrests were made, leaving a community to grapple with the profound loss of an entire family.
