On a September evening in 2020, tragedy struck at a residence on Clement Street in Green Bay, Wisconsin, ending the life of 30-year-old Jaime Lemus. On September 28th, both Lemus and another man, Gerson Alvarez-Franco, were shot and killed inside an apartment complex in what was later revealed to be a devastating act of familial violence.
The man suspected of the killings was identified by police as Oscar Lemus-Franco, a relative of both victims.
Following the double homicide, the suspect fled the scene, sparking a dramatic and dangerous police pursuit. The chase escalated as speeds reached up to 95 miles per hour before ending when the suspect wrecked his vehicle in downtown Green Bay. He then attempted to flee on foot, but his escape was short-lived.
During the ensuing struggle to take him into custody, Oscar Lemus-Franco stabbed a Green Bay police officer in the face. Officers eventually apprehended him, and it was noted that the suspect had also sustained a self-inflicted cut to his wrist, for which he was hospitalized. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide for the deaths of his relatives, as well as charges related to the chase and the attack on the officer.
The legal proceedings that followed were complex and lengthy, marked by repeated delays due to issues concerning the defendant's mental competency. He initially entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. In late 2023, he pleaded no contest and was convicted of the two homicides and for the reckless injury of the police officer. A subsequent trial was held to determine his mental state at the time of the crimes. Ultimately, it was decided that he would be committed to a state mental institution for the killings of Jaime Lemus and Gerson Alvarez-Franco, a sentence to be served after he completes a 15-year prison term for the attack on the officer during his arrest.
