Trial set for man accused of killing ex-wife in Gurnee
A Kenosha man accused of killing his ex-wife during a pre-dawn struggle at her Gurnee house is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 6, officials said Wednesday.
David Brocksom, 43, faces seven varying counts of first-degree murder and additional counts home invasion and robbery for allegedly barging into Beata Brocksom's house in the 3700 block of Pacific Avenue on Sept. 27 and shooting her as the two fought over a gun.
Brocksom remains held in Lake County jail on $3 million bail, authorities said.
Authorities say David Brocksom left his two children at a Wisconsin Dells hotel Sept. 27 and drove to Gurnee to confront Beata J. Brocksom, 48, after the couple's 9-year-old daughter said the mother had assaulted her. Authorities did not say what type of assault is alleged to have occurred.
The two got into an argument after David Brocksom arrived at the house after 4 a.m., and it quickly escalated to a fist fight, authorities said.
David Brocksom told police he was struck in the face with an object that knocked him over during the fight. When he regained consciousness, Beata Brocksom was standing over him with a gun, authorities said.
The two wrestled for the weapon and two shots were fired, authorities said. One bullet was found lodged in a mattress, officials said, and a second hit Beata Brocksom, authorities said.
The scuffle continued outside of the house before Beata Brocksom died near some bushes in the back of the house, authorities said. Coroner officials determined she had been shot in the neck and the bullet struck her spine, officials said.
After the fight, authorities said, David Brocksom went inside the house, took Beata Brocksom's two cellphones, then drove to his mother's house in Kenosha. His children were picked up in Wisconsin Dells by a friend, and were dropped off at the Kenosha house, authorities said.
Brocksom tried to turn himself in to police at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, when he was pulled over by Gurnee police, officials said.