Milwaukee man charged; felony murder in death of 27-year-old woman
Orville Duke
MILWAUKEE - A 28-year-old Milwaukee man is charged with felony murder-battery in the death of a 27-year-old woman in March 2023. The accused is Orville Duke.
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police received a 911 call around 12:45 p.m. on March 15. The caller stated "he just woke up and his girl's not breathing. The caller stated that all he knew was that she got into a fight last night and was drunk and that he picked her up and came home."
Milwaukee police responded to the home near 46th and Villard -- and found a 27-year-old woman deceased.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy of the deceased. The cause of death was determined to be "multiple blunt force injuries," the complaint says.
On March 25, detectives interviewed defendant Duke. Duke indicated on March 14, he and the victim had gone to Potawatomi Casino in separate cars. At one point, the woman left the casino to go to a bar near 51st and Villard. Duke said he later went to the bar to get the woman -- he told detectives the victim "was very intoxicated, and he noticed some redness on her face," the complaint says.
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Eventually, Duke said he got the woman home. He told detectives the woman "started to become aggressive with him," the complaint says. Duke also told police the woman "had a green glass bottle that she used to hit her forehead," the complaint says. Duke said the woman then went to sleep.
According to the criminal complaint, "Duke denied hitting (the woman) and said that her injuries were from the bar and her hitting herself with the bottle. After further questioning, Duke said that (the woman) attacked him, and that to defendant himself, he pushed her and then kicked her in the back." Duke told detectives "as he started kicking her, he 'blacked out' and then once he stopped blacking out, he gained his composure and stopped kicking (the woman)," the complaint says.
Duke made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, Aug. 18. Cash bond was set at $10,000.