On a summer evening in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the life of 17-year-old Breanna Eskridge, a Black / African American female, was tragically cut short. On July 19, 2015, Eskridge was shot and killed near 12th and Concordia. Her death was not a random act of violence; investigators believed she was targeted. Just eight days earlier, on July 11, Eskridge had witnessed the fatal shooting of her boyfriend, Eddie Powe.
Her mother later told police she believed her daughter was killed for being a witness to that crime.
The investigation into Breanna's death led authorities to Antonio Smith, 34, and Wynette McClelland, 33. McClelland, who described herself as a good friend of Breanna and her twin sister, was with Eskridge moments before she was shot. She confided in McClelland about being present at Powe's murder. McClelland later informed police that she had witnessed Antonio Smith shoot and kill Powe. She also revealed that Smith was deeply concerned that Breanna would identify him to the police and that he intended to kill her to ensure there would be no witnesses. Cell phone records confirmed communication between Smith and McClelland prior to Eskridge's shooting.
Further investigation uncovered that Smith, already in jail for Powe's murder, made phone calls and video chats from behind bars. Some of these conversations involved a storage unit. When police executed a search warrant on the unit, they discovered the firearms and ammunition used in both homicides.
In March 2016, Antonio Smith and Wynette McClelland were charged for their roles in Breanna Eskridge's death. Both faced a felony charge of first-degree intentional homicide as party to a crime. Smith also faced a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. Subsequently, Antonio Smith pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in connection with Breanna's death. Wynette McClelland pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree reckless homicide.
