Authorities: Ex-husband killed Gurnee woman during struggle
A Kenosha man is charged with killing his ex-wife during a pre-dawn struggle at her Gurnee house when he confronted her over allegations by his 9-year-old daughter that she had been assaulted, authorities said in court Tuesday.
David M. Brocksom, 43, told police he had left his two children in a hotel in the Wisconsin Dells and drove to Gurnee to confront Beata J. Brocksom, 48, and that he was hit in the head by an object during a scuffle with the victim over a gun, authorities said. The weapon discharged and a bullet struck her, and she died near some bushes in her yard, officials said in court.
Brocksom was charged with first-degree murder, Assistant State's Attorney Kimberly Furrer said in Lake County court. Judge Christen Bishop ordered him held on $3 million bail.
Defense attorney Douglas Zeit did not comment on the case after the hearing.
Furrer said in court that David Brocksom was in the Wisconsin Dells late Saturday with his children when his daughter told him she was previously assaulted by Beata Brocksom. Furrer did not say in court what type of assault was alleged to have occurred.
David Brocksom left the girl with his 15-year-old son at the hotel and drove to the 3700 block of Pacific Avenue in Gurnee to confront Beata Brocksom, Ferrer said.
He arrived at the victim's home at 4 a.m. Sunday, and the two got into an argument that "quickly escalated," Ferrer said.
David Brocksom said he was struck in the face with an object that knocked him over, Furrer said in court. When he regained consciousness, he was on his back and Beata Brocksom was standing over him with a gun.
The two struggled for control of the weapon, and he pulled her by the hair and shoved her on the bed, Furrer said. The wrestling continued and a shot was fired, Furrer said.
Cynthia Vargas, communication manager for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, said that bullet was later recovered in a mattress inside the house.
The struggle continued, and the gun wound up under the victim's chin and another shot was fired, Furrer said.
David Brocksom told police he thought he had been shot in the face because of the pain in his cheek, Vargas said.
After checking himself and discovering he was not shot, David Brocksom chased his ex-wife through a nearby window and caught her near some bushes in the yard, officials said. During the struggle, David Brocksom said he heard "a gurgling sound," and realized Beata Brocksom had been shot, officials said.
Coroner officials later determined Beata Brocksom had been shot in the neck and the bullet struck her spine, Vargas said.
David Brocksom left his ex-wife near the bushes, then went into the house to retrieve his glasses, authorities said. After finding his glasses and wiping blood off his face, Vargas said, he told police he saw Beata Brocksom laying in the bushes, so he grabbed her two cellphones and ran away.
David Brocksom contacted a girlfriend to pick up his children from the Wisconsin Dells, then went to his parents house where he threw out his clothes and showered, Vargas said.
Vargas said he told his mother he "killed, possibly shot, his ex-wife."
After leaving the children with his mother in Kenosha, Brocksom went to turn himself in to Gurnee police, Vargas said. Officials arrested him in the parking lot of the Gurnee police department at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Officials said the investigation into the shooting continues and additional charges could be filed.
Bishop set a bond review hearing for Brocksom for Friday.
The couple was divorced in 2013.