Garrett Patrick Macone, a 24-year-old Caucasian male, died on Sunday, September 20, 2020, at his home in Chetek, Wisconsin. Born on February 14, 1996, Garrett was known by those who loved him as a compassionate and kind-hearted person who was always willing to help others. He graduated from the Northstar Academy in Cameron, Wisconsin, and had worked various jobs, including alongside his father at Macone Cabinetry.
His interests included fishing, hunting in Montana, playing video games, and spending time with his family and friends around a bonfire.
On that Sunday, shortly before 1:00 PM, the Barron County Sheriff's Department received a distressing 911 call from Garrett's mother, who had discovered her son deceased outside their residence in Chetek Township. When law enforcement arrived, the circumstances surrounding Garrett's death were immediately deemed suspicious. Investigators found injuries on the back of his head that appeared to be gunshot wounds. Further examination of the scene revealed a significant amount of blood spatter in his bedroom, leading them to believe the death occurred inside the home before his body was moved outside.
The investigation quickly uncovered that Garrett had been in a romantic relationship with a woman who was separated from her husband, Andrew Brunette. This connection led detectives to locate Brunette in St. Paul, Minnesota. Initially, Brunette claimed he had been in St. Paul the entire night of September 19th, only leaving briefly for food. However, as the investigation progressed and more people connected to Brunette were interviewed, his story began to unravel.
Eventually, Brunette admitted to law enforcement that he had driven to Garrett's residence with a 9mm handgun and a change of clothes. He confessed to entering the home through an unlocked front door and finding Garrett asleep in his bed. He then fired the handgun twice to ensure his death. Afterward, he moved Garrett's body outside with the intention of disposing of it later. He used towels from the residence to wrap up his own clothes, which he later discarded in a dumpster in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. He also threw the handgun into a creek. Authorities were able to recover both the clothing and the firearm. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of Garrett's death was gunshot wounds to the head. Andrew Brunette, 25, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, was subsequently charged with first-degree intentional homicide. A court set his cash bond at $1 million.
