Deemed competent to proceed, man accused of killing Froedtert nurse enters NGI plea
Kenneth Freeman
MILWAUKEE -- Kenneth Freeman, 28, of Milwaukee, charged with first degree intentional homicide in connection with the death of Carlie Beaudin, 33, on Jan. 25 was found competent to proceed in the case against him on Monday, Aug. 5. Beaudin was a nurse practitioner at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, and prosecutors said Freeman brutally beat her, kicking and stomping Beaudin roughly 40 times in the head and neck before ditching her body in an attack that was captured by security cameras.
Freeman was in court Monday for a hearing, during which a doctor's report was returned addressing his competency. He was ruled competent to proceed, and then waived his preliminary hearing. Probable cause was found for further proceedings, and Freeman entered a not guilty by reason of mental disease/defect/insanity plea. Pursuant to that plea, the court ordered a doctor's examination, and scheduled a jury trial to begin on Nov. 11.
Freeman was ordered to return to court Sept. 6 for a doctor's report return.
Carlie Beaudin
According to a criminal complaint, Beaudin was found under her vehicle in Parking Structure #1 on Jan. 25, with injuries to the head and face. She was taken to the emergency room, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed she suffered blunt force trauma to the head and neck, "with indica of manual strangulation."
A witness said he drove a skid loader to the top level of the structure to remove snow, and when he got to the top level, he discovered a vehicle "parked in a weird manner," with the front end up against a wall. He saw "a pair of legs" from under it, and attempted to use his intercom system to get help. He then called his boss, who contacted Froedtert security.
Homicide investigation at Froedtert Hospital parking structure
Investigators reviewed surveillance video from Parking Structure #5, which showed around 1 a.m., Beaudin exited the elevators on the second floor.
The complaint said Freeman was seen standing behind a concrete pillar, as Beaudin walked toward her vehicle. The video showed Freeman stepped out from behind the pillar and briefly spoke with Beaudin, who kept walking toward her vehicle. Freeman followed her, first walking and then running. He knocked her to the ground, and kicked or stomped her head and neck "almost 40 times," prosecutors said. He then dragged her from the camera's view toward her vehicle. The vehicle was then seen leaving the parking structure -- soon entering Parking Structure #1. The vehicle was observed going backwards once and then forwards, out of camera view, to the location where Beaudin was found, on the top level.
Freeman himself dialed 911, the complaint said. He reported he was involved in the death at Froedtert. He was taken into custody, and found with Beaudin's purse, the complaint said.
In a statement to investigators, prosecutors indicated Freeman said "he deliberately and purely murdered Ms. Willia" and when asked for more details, he said, "There isn't anything I want to talk about."
Officials with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office initially said Beaudin was found trapped and partially frozen, under a vehicle, with deputies dispatched to the parking structure around 3:45 a.m. on Friday. She was pronounced dead at 4:21 a.m.