$1 million bond for man accused in weekend Door County resort murder

STURGEON BAY -- 35-year-old Brian Cooper of Plainfield, Illinois appeared in court Tuesday, August 21st. He's being held on $1 million cash bond, as prosecutors say Cooper killed his friend -- 21-year-old Alisha Bromfield and her unborn child at a Door County resort over the weekend. Cooper has yet to be charged in the case.

Officials say Bromfield was six-and-a-half months pregnant at the time of her death.

Authorities are recommending two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one for third-degree sexual assault.

The Door County District Attorney Tuesday revealed details that some may consider disturbing.

In Court, Door County District Attorney Ray Pelrine says Cooper and Bromfield had known each other for a number of years through work. About one year ago, Pelrine says Cooper told investigators that the two's relationship had become more romantic.

"He wished it to be more and wanted it to be more and hoped it would be more. He invited her to a wedding in Door County for the express purpose of having that relationship go to a more romantic level that he wished. But she clearly did not," Pelrine said.

Pelrine says the two had a small squabble on Saturday before the wedding of Cooper's sister. The two eventually attended the wedding where Pelrine says Cooper drank but Bromfield did not. When they returned to Sand Bay Beach Resort, Pelrine says Cooper wanted to make plans to do something on Sunday, but Bromfield had no wish to stay and wanted to go home and fell asleep.

That's when Pelrine says Cooper became angry at the apparent breakup of their relationship and his feeling of her apparent coldness to him throughout the evening.

"He then awakened her sometime between 2 and 3 in the morning, got on top of her and with his hands, he strangled her to death. After killing her, he then undressed her and undressed himself and he had sexual intercourse with her body," Pelrine said.

Pelrine says Cooper awoke a couple hours later and realized what he had done and made several attempts on his life and tried to drown himself in Ellison Bay.

Pelrine says when police took Cooper into custody, he had no shoes on and his clothes were wet.

"There isn't really any bond high enough, I think, to guarantee his appearance," Pelrine said.

Pelrine asked for the $1 million cash bond. Public defender Eric Maciolek asked for a lower bond of $500,000.

"Obviously this is a serious case. He's never been on probation, never been arrested and as I said, never been incarcerated, so this is overwhelming for him," Maciolek said.

However, Pelrine says Cooper told officers not having a relationship with Bromfield was more overwhelming to him.

"His hopes were shattered, but they were hopes that only existed in his mind -- not from anything that she had led him on to believe," Pelrine said.

Cooper has not yet been formally charged. Those charges could be filed by the end of the week. Pelrine says there will probably additional charges filed.