In the quiet town of Tomah, Wisconsin, the life of 53-year-old Vance Lee Evans came to a sudden and violent end on April 27, 2010. A male resident of the community, Evans was found deceased in his home, the victim of a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. The grim discovery was made by his new girlfriend, who entered the residence to find his body on the living room floor and smelled the distinct odor of natural gas, hinting at a more sinister plot.
The subsequent investigation
quickly zeroed in on his ex-girlfriend, Tammy S. Cole, an Illinois woman. Prosecutors pieced together a narrative of jealousy, contending that Cole, spurned and unable to accept Evans' new relationship, drove to his home with murderous intent. The theory put forth by the prosecution was that after shooting Evans, Cole intentionally broke a natural gas line and lit a candle, hoping to cause an explosion that would destroy the evidence of her crime.
Cole eventually turned herself in to the authorities. During her trial, her defense attorney argued that the shooting was a tragic accident, occurring as she and Evans stumbled during an amorous embrace. She claimed she had kicked the gas line in a subsequent suicide attempt, overwhelmed by what had happened. However, the jury was not swayed by her version of events.
The trial concluded with the jury finding Tammy Cole guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and attempted arson. She received a sentence of life in prison for the murder of Vance Evans. The court case, filed in Monroe County, brought a legal conclusion to the tragic events, leaving behind the memory of a man lost to a violent act born from a soured romance.
