Prez Wade is convicted in Brown County court, Sept. 23, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Brown County courts/Zoom)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Prez Wade was convicted Monday of a reduced charge for the murder of Braxton Phillips at an Ashwaubenon apartment.
Wade, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless homicide and bail jumping. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22.
He was originally charged with intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory life prison term. The reckless homicide carries a maximum of 60 years in the prison system.
Prosecutors will recommend a 55-year sentence, with 35 years in prison and then 20 years of extended supervision. The defense will argue for what it deems appropriate, the attorneys said in court Monday.
Wade killed Phillips on March 1, 2023, at an apartment complex on Viking Drive.
A man was shot and killed in the 2800 block of Viking Drive at Creekwood Apartments in Ashwaubenon, March 2, 2023.
Also charged in the case is Keilana Brunette. She was convicted of three counts of aiding a felon and obstruction and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 4.
Prez admitted to the shooting when police interviewed him eight days later, according to a 37-page criminal complaint, saying it was accidental.
“Prez stated he was sitting like this as he held up his left arm as if he had his arm around (Phillips) and had his right hand like Prez was holding a gun. Prez stated, ‘I pulled the trigger, boom’ and then (Phillips) started to yell and got up and ran to the door. Prez stated he just sat there shocked because he thought (Phillips) was faking. Prez stated (Phillips) ran to the door and stated, ‘I’m shot [*****]’,’ ran back in front of him and dropped,” the complaint states.
One witness told police Prez was upset with Phillips for being close with Brunette, who is the mother of Wade’s child.
“Prez told him he had thought about shooting (Phillips) before it actually happened. WITNESS 1 stated (Phillips) started to get involved in Prez and Keilana’s relationship,” the complaint states.
The same witness told police there were two guns in the apartment, but Wade made sure the one Phillips had was empty so he couldn’t shoot back, according to the complaint.
The guns were tossed out of a vehicle window along a highway, but were later recovered. A blood sample from Wade’s shoes matched Phillips, the complaint says.
The complaint cites multiple recordings of texts and phone calls Wade made from jail, discussing the disposal of the phone and guns. Also, Wade talks about how much prison time he might get for the shooting, claiming it couldn’t be proven to be more than accident. One example would be these comments from a March 17 jail call to Brunette:
There is like so much evidence that they have to prove for me to do it like intentionally and there is like no evidence.’ ‘There is like no evidence at all that I intended to do any of that [****].’ ‘They have to prove that I intended to do that,’ the complaint quotes Wade as telling Brunette.
Phillips died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the autopsy cited in the complaint.
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