Joseph Phillip Hensel, a 27-year-old Caucasian male, died unexpectedly on Saturday, October 10, 2015, at his residence on South Wisconsin Street in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He was a graduate of Elkhorn Area High School, class of 2006, and worked as a machine operator. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and hiking, but his greatest love was for his daughter.
On that Saturday morning, law enforcement was called to the home Hensel shared with another man.
Upon arrival, Walworth County Sheriff's deputies discovered the bodies of both Hensel and 32-year-old Christopher Lemock inside the residence. Investigators believe that the incident was a murder-suicide.
The investigation concluded that Christopher Lemock shot and killed Joseph Hensel. Following the shooting, it is believed that Lemock made a 911 call and handed the phone to a young girl who was present at the scene. After handing off the phone, Lemock went into a bedroom and took his own life. The investigation involved the Elkhorn Police Department, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, and the Walworth County medical examiner and district attorney's offices. As the sole suspect in Hensel's death was also deceased, no arrests were made.
