Kenosha burglary, homicide; man accused bound over for trial

KENOSHA, Wis. - Justin Tercek, a 41-year-old Kenosha man accused of burglary and homicide, was bound over for trial on Tuesday, Feb. 25. He is due back in court on March 13 for an arraignment. 

Suspicious death

The backstory:

Around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, the Kenosha Police Department responded to a home near 18th and 85th for a burglary complaint. The caller reportedly observed blood outside the back door and the door was forced open.

According to the criminal complaint, officers discovered a deceased 52-year-old male with several knife wounds. He has been identified as Andrew Pfannkuche. Pfannkuche was an Illinois resident who had recently purchased his home in Kenosha.

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Pfannkuche's dog, Jake, was also discovered dead inside the home, with knife wounds as well. 

A bloody knife was found in the basement of the home.

Tercek was identified as a person of interest and was ultimately arrested near 50th and 22nd. Per the complaint, he had multiple injuries to his calf area consistent with dog bites, and he had blood on his hands and his clothing.

Dig deeper:

Tercek’s grandmother had previously owned Pfannkuche’s home. Following her death, it was sold to Pfannkuche.

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Kenosha burglary, homicide; man, dog found dead, another man charged

A 41-year-old Kenosha man is accused of burglary and homicide in what police described as a suspicious death that occurred earlier this week.

Prosecutors say that several hours before his death, Pfannkuche spoke with his realtor and the KPD. He told them around 1 a.m. that morning, he woke up to find a person in the kitchen. The person confronted him, allegedly saying, "This is my grandma’s house. What are you doing here?"

Before the person left, they stole a set of keys.

Tracking the SUV

Timeline:

Around 5 a.m., Pfannkuche told police he woke up again and saw an SUV parked on his lawn, where the "For Sale" sign was located. Officials confirmed Tercek was the registered owner of the vehicle.

Around 6 a.m., the SUV registered to Tercek drove through the glass at a Dollar General store in Zion, Ill. 

Around 8:22 a.m., Tercek can be seen on video going into Rhodes Auto in Kenosha to use the bathroom, with no blood visible on his body.

Family steps in

What we know:

Per the complaint, Tercek’s aunt and uncle told the KPD they went to Pfannkuche’s home around 2:30 p.m. to apologize for his actions. When they went to the door, nobody answered, but they could hear a dog inside. When they observed blood inside the home, they called the police for assistance.

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Surveillance video showed a person with Tercek’s similar build enter the home about 50 minutes before the 911 call, and leave the home a short time before the call was made.

Tercek is charged with the following:

• One count of homicide
• One count of mistreating animals causing death
• Two counts of burglary
• One count of criminal damage to property
• Suspicious death

If convicted, Tercek is facing life in prison and approximately $70,000 in fines.