Michael Tenneson: Five Murders Across Wisconsin and Colorado
Background and Escape from Custody
Michael J. Tenneson was born on November 21, 1959, in Wisconsin. By the time he reached adulthood, he had accumulated a criminal record that included burglary and the sexual assault of an elderly woman. His history of violence and property crime placed him repeatedly within the criminal justice system, but his most destructive period began after he escaped from custody in March 1987.
Tenneson was being held at the La Crosse County Jail in Wisconsin when he was allowed to participate in a work-release program. On March 10, 1987, he failed to return to the jail. He remained in the La Crosse area rather than immediately leaving the state, moving through the community while authorities searched for him. Ten days after his escape, he entered a residence on Prospect Street and murdered three people.
The Bush Residence Murders
On March 20, 1987, Tenneson broke into the home of Kenneth Bush in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Investigators determined that the intruder entered through a basement window and forced his way through a locked interior door. The method was significant because Tenneson had previously committed another burglary in the area by entering through a basement window.
Three people were inside the residence: Kenneth Bush, his mother, Lila Bush, and Kenneth's girlfriend, Debra Reget. Tenneson moved through the house and confronted the victims in separate rooms. All three were shot with a .25-caliber firearm. Lila Bush was also beaten during the attack.
The murders were not discovered immediately. The victims' bodies remained inside the residence until concerns about their welfare led to the discovery of the crime scene. Tenneson stole approximately $1,500 and fled in a vehicle belonging to the victims, leaving investigators with a triple homicide, a burglary scene and an escaped prisoner who had disappeared.
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