In the early morning hours of July 25, 2018, the life of Sadie J. Brazzoni, a 34-year-old Caucasian female, was tragically cut short in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was discovered lying in the backyard of a residence near 25th and Chambers, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The incident occurred around 4:20 a.m. in a neighborhood where she was known and well-liked, living just a block away from where her body was found.
Neighbors expressed their shock and disbelief, remembering her as a nice and sweet lady.
The investigation into her death led police to a suspect, Marquille Wimberly, then 24 years old. It was revealed that Brazzoni's death was connected to another violent crime that had occurred just nine days prior. Brazzoni had been a witness to a non-fatal shooting and had rendered aid to the victim, Antoine Jackson, by taking him to the hospital. Prosecutors believe that Wimberly, the perpetrator in the earlier shooting, targeted Brazzoni to silence her as a potential witness. It remains unclear whether she had officially identified Wimberly to the authorities, but it is believed that he feared she had.
Security footage from inside Brazzoni's lower unit, recorded shortly before her death, captured a chilling conversation. In the video, Wimberly is seen talking with another man, expressing that Brazzoni "gotta go" and that he was "in a jam." He is then seen picking up a handgun. Minutes later, at 4:19 a.m., a ShotSpotter alert detected a single gunshot in the rear yard near 25th and Chambers, the location where Brazzoni was found. One witness reported hearing a single gunshot, possibly followed by more which may have been echoes.
Marquille Wimberly was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with Sadie Brazzoni's murder. In September 2019, a jury found him guilty of killing her. His sentencing was scheduled for the following month. The investigation and trial revealed that Brazzoni was executed because she had helped a shooting victim and was perceived as a witness, a fact that ultimately led to her untimely death.
