In the autumn of 2021, the life of 60-year-old White male, Kenneth Leon Thoma, of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, was tragically cut short. His family had last seen him on the evening of Thursday, October 14, 2021, at his apartment. After not hearing from him, his family reported him missing to the Twin Lakes Police Department on October 19th. The investigation into his disappearance took a grim turn on Saturday, November 6, 2021, when a person working on a bicycle track in a wooded area behind Thoma's
apartment complex discovered what appeared to be human remains.
Authorities were called to the scene in the 1700 block of Wilmot Avenue, and with the assistance of the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, the body of an adult male was recovered. An autopsy was performed on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office. Through dental records, the remains were identified as Kenneth Thoma. The autopsy revealed that Thoma had died as a result of being shot in the back of the head, and evidence discovered at the scene indicated that foul play was involved. His death was officially ruled a homicide.
The investigation into Thoma's murder led to the arrests of three young men. In December 2021, Joey L. Miracle, 18, of Twin Lakes, and Thomas R. Wilton, 20, of Trevor, were taken into custody. Both were charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse, as parties to a crime. Court documents allege that Miracle was the one who shot Thoma with a "ghost gun," while Wilton assisted in burying the body and disposing of the murder weapon.
In February 2022, a third suspect, 18-year-old Joshua C. Grimaldi, a former resident of Twin Lakes, was arrested in McHenry, Illinois. He faced the same charges of first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a body, both as parties to a crime. All three men were held on a $1 million bond. The investigation involved numerous interviews, a review of hundreds of hours of digital evidence, and the execution of several search warrants. A motive mentioned in the criminal complaint suggested Miracle claimed Thoma was involved in sexual assault, an allegation authorities found no evidence to support.
