A 24-year-old inmate named Jackson Vogel has been charged with the murder of his cellmate, 19-year-old Micah Laureano at the Green Bay Correctional Institution in Wisconsin where both men were imprisoned.
Vogel allegedly killed Laureano due to his race and sexual orientation, as Laureano was Black and gay. Vogel, who had a history of violent crime was already serving a 40-year sentence for attempting to murder his mother when he was 16.
Green Bay Correctional Institution |
The killing happened on August 27, when a prison guard noticed something was off in the cell shared by Vogel and Laureano. A piece of paper had been placed over the window blocking the view inside. When the guard ordered Vogel to remove the paper it revealed Laureano’s lifeless body hanging from the top bunk. Laureano's hands and ankles were bound with strips of orange cloth, and he had been strangled according to the witness reports.
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Vogel, who is white, told prison staff that he had killed Laureano because he was Black and gay. He also admitted to feeling bored and said Laureano “checked all the boxes” of someone he wanted to kill. He explained in further detail that he had knocked Laureano unconscious, tied him up, and then strangled him to death. He had described feeling pleasure even “ecstasy,” from the act of strangulation according to the reports.
Investigators found multiple strips of cloth in the cell, which had been used to bind Laureano and a disturbing note left by Vogel that read “Kill all humans,” with racial and homophobic slurs.
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Vogel’s violent behavior aligns with his past- as a teenager, he was convicted of repeatedly stabbing and attempting to strangle his mother. The court sentenced him to 40 years for that crime - a sentence that was upheld on appeal. His attorney at the time has not yet commented on these new charges.
Laureano, the victim, had been sentenced in January to two years for his involvement in a battery case. His lawyer described him as a kind and thoughtful young man with artistic talent. Laureano’s family has not yet publicly responded to the tragic incident.
This murder adds to a concerning pattern of inmate deaths in Wisconsin’s maximum-security prisons. Since June 2023, six inmates have died in these facilities. Five deaths occurred at Waupun Correctional Institution, including suicides, a fentanyl overdose, a stroke, and malnutrition. In some of those cases, prison staff, including Waupun’s former warden, have faced misconduct charges.
Vogel has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, and hate crime and repeat offender penalty enhancers have been added due to the nature of the killing. The investigation is still ongoing but Vogel remains in custody at Green Bay Correctional Institution under restrictive conditions as authorities continue to gather more evidence regarding the case.
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