In a quiet cornfield in Wheeler, Wisconsin, a grim discovery was made on September 12, 2021. Inside an abandoned SUV were the bodies of four individuals, one of whom was Matthew Isaiah Pettus, a 26-year-old Caucasian male. The discovery launched a multi-state investigation that would uncover a tragic story of violence that began miles away in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Matthew, along with his sister Jasmine Christine Sturm, 30, her boyfriend Loyace Foreman III, 35, and their friend Nitosha Lee
Flug-Presley, 30, had all been fatally shot. The investigation quickly determined that the four had been killed in St. Paul and then driven to the rural Wisconsin location. Evidence, including cell phone records and surveillance footage, pointed to a single suspect who had been with the group in the hours leading up to their deaths.
The investigation led to a nationwide manhunt for Antoine Suggs, who was identified as the primary suspect. Authorities tracked him to Arizona, where he eventually surrendered to police. His father, Darren Osborne, was also implicated in the crime, accused of helping his son hide the bodies. Osborne later admitted to his role and was sentenced for aiding an offender.
During his trial, Antoine Suggs claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging the four had attempted to rob him. However, a jury found him guilty on four counts of second-degree intentional murder. The motive for the killings remained unclear to prosecutors, who suggested it stemmed from a night of drinking. Suggs was ultimately sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in the deaths of Matthew Pettus and the other three victims, bringing a close to the legal chapter of a senseless tragedy that spanned two states.
