Man Accused Of Killing Froedtert Nurse To Stand Trial: Court

WAUWATOSA, WI — A man accused of killing a nurse practitioner in a Froedtert parking ramp in Jan. 2019 is headed to trial after all, after a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge ruled that he is competent to go to trial.

According to court documents, Kenneth Freeman, who stands accused of killing nurse practitioner Carlie Beaudin, had been originally found not competent to stand trial in March 2019 by a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. That ruling was overturned in court this week.

Freeman is due back in court on Feb. 26 for a hearing and is scheduled to stand trial on March 12 according to court records.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County on Jan.29, 2019 Freeman, 27, of Milwaukee, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide. If Freeman is convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to Wisconsin state law.

Bystander Found Frozen Body

According to the criminal complaint, during the early morning hours of Jan. 25, 2019, a contractor working on clearing the Froedtert parking ramp of snow saw a vehicle parked "in a weird manner" up against a wall of the structure just before 3 a.m.

Police say the man went up to the vehicle and was horrified to discover that Beaudin had been trapped underneath. He tried using the intercom system near the elevator to call for help to no avail. He called his supervisor who then radioed for immediate help, police said.

Investigators say they reviewed parking ramp surveillance footage to reveal the sequence of events.

Video Footage Showed Killing: Police

According to investigators, around 1 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2019, video showed Beaudin exiting the elevators on the second floor of the parking ramp. Investigators said Freeman was waiting behind a concrete pillar as Beaudin was walking to her car. He stepped out from behind the pillar, began talking with her, and then ran to pursue Beaudin, investigators say.

Investigators claim Freeman knocked Beaudin to the ground and kicked her about 40 times in the head and neck. They say Freeman dragged Beaudin, who was by that time unconscious, toward her car.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators say Freeman loaded Beaudin's body into the car, and drove from parking ramp five to parking ramp one, where she was found clinging to life.

Investigators say Freeman was arrested a short time later after he called 911 and admitted that he was involved in Beaudin's death in the Froedtert parking structure. He was seen carrying Beaudin's purse and ID cards, police said.

According to the criminal complaint, Freeman told detectives that he "deliberately and purely murdered Ms. Willa" before stating that "there isn't anything I want to talk about."

Medical College Releases Statement

The Medical College of Wisconsin issued a statement following the news of her death:

"Her presence was felt by all who knew her, providing both warmth and strength to patients as well as mentorship to new advanced practice providers (APPs) and nurses. We continue to work closely with law enforcement and remain vigilant about the emotional and physical safety of every person who works or studies at, is cared for by, or visits our campuses, clinics and hospitals. We have enhanced security measures to ensure a safe environment."