On the final evening of 2013, a fatal encounter unfolded in Milwaukee that ended the life of 36-year-old Fernando Winters. A simple matter of collecting a debt turned into a deadly robbery attempt when a father and son targeted Winters for the $50 he had just received. The events of that New Year's Eve led to a prolonged legal process that would ultimately see one of the perpetrators sentenced to life in prison.
Earlier in the evening, Winters, along with Eric L.
Hill, 45, and his son, Deonte L. Hill, 25, were all present at a motel on Appleton Avenue to collect money owed to them by the same woman. After the woman paid Winters his $50, he began to walk away. It was then that Eric Hill, who had been driving a gold Mercedes, decided to rob Winters of his money. He instructed his son to park the car on a side street while he went after his target.
Armed with his son's gun, Eric Hill confronted Fernando Winters and demanded the money. When Winters attempted to push the gun away, Hill fired multiple shots, striking him twice. Despite being gravely wounded, Winters initially survived and was able to tell responding police officers that he had been shot by an unknown assailant during an attempted robbery. He later succumbed to his injuries. In his pocket, police found the $50 and contact information for the woman who had paid him, which became a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation.
The investigation quickly led to the arrests of Eric and Deonte Hill. A criminal complaint was filed against them, detailing the events of that night. Eric Hill was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted armed robbery. His son, Deonte Hill, faced charges of felony murder, bail jumping, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Deonte Hill told investigators that he was in the car listening to loud music and smoking marijuana and did not hear the gunshots. He said his father returned to the car and confessed to shooting someone during a robbery attempt. Ultimately, Eric Hill was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Fernando Winters, with the possibility of extended supervision after 32 years.
