A Milwaukee landlord faces murder charges after allegedly killing a tenant and a mother who was at the home with her child, police say.
Kevin Griffin, 54, reportedly shot his tenant, Terrance Wilder, during a dispute over the rental property on Nov. 4. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, Griffin told investigators he “just lost it” after seeing Wilder allegedly in the middle of a drug deal.
Griffin then allegedly took A’nya Raymond, who was at the home with her young son, hostage and killed her after she witnessed the first shooting. “I was like f— it. I shot her too,” Griffin reportedly told police during an interview, according to the complaint.
Griffin claimed Raymond “was just in the wrong place at the wrong time” while he was attempting to evict Wilder, which had been delayed due to paperwork issues. The complaint states that the landlord and tenant had argued over open back doors at the property. Griffin said Wilder was conducting a drug deal, and in anger, he shot him.
Afterward, Griffin reportedly ordered Raymond and her child into his car. Raymond allegedly tried to plead with him, insisting she had nothing to do with the situation. The complaint says she reached for a knife and mace while in the vehicle, after which Griffin shot her eight times as her child watched. He then left her body in a nearby alley and reportedly disposed of his firearm near train tracks.
Authorities say Griffin returned Raymond’s son to her car before leaving him at a separate location. The boy was later found wandering, shoeless and with apparent blood on his clothing.
Police received a report about the initial shooting on Nov. 5. Wilder was later found in his home on Nov. 9 during the execution of a search warrant, while Raymond’s body was discovered in a nearby alley.
Griffin was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and felon in possession of a firearm. He is being held on $500,000 bond, with a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 26.
Family members of both victims expressed shock and grief. Wilder’s mother described the incident as “my hell,” while Raymond’s mother wrote in a GoFundMe post that learning of her daughter’s death was “the worst news any parent could get.”
City records show Wilder had previously filed complaints about unresolved maintenance issues in his rental apartment, including lack of hot water, leaky faucets, a clogged drain, and an unsecured back door. Wilder’s mother said she believes the shooting may have been retaliation for those complaints.