In the spring of 2009, a domestic dispute in Janesville, Wisconsin, tragically ended the life of 25-year-old Erica Ostenson. On the morning of April 22nd, Ostenson was shot multiple times on the front porch of her home. The gunman was her ex-boyfriend, 37-year-old Kyle E. Hicke. The violent act was witnessed by Ostenson's five-year-old son.
Following the shooting, Hicke fled the scene in his blue pickup truck, leading police on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of 90 mph.
The pursuit weaved from Janesville to Beloit and back again. During the chase, Hicke was seen driving erratically, at one point circling the block of the shooting and making an obscene gesture at officers. The hour-long pursuit finally concluded when police intentionally rammed Hicke's truck to disable it near Mercy Hospital. A pistol thrown from Hicke's vehicle during the chase was later recovered by authorities.
Erica Ostenson was transported to Mercy Hospital but was later pronounced dead. Hicke was taken into custody and ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide. He was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole not until 2052. During the sentencing, the court heard emotional testimony from Ostenson's mother, who described the profound impact the traumatic event had on her young grandson, who tragically blames himself for not being able to stop Hicke. Further evidence of Hicke's lack of remorse was presented, including the fact that he had called and taunted Ostenson's mother from jail after the murder.
