Callaway Murder Suicide Leaves Grim Reminders for Both Citizens and Police

It was a story that played out like a television crime drama. And it played out right here in Waukesha.  

Eddie Callaway, 26, led police on an eight-day, two state manhunt after being accused in the April 22 shooting death of 24 year-old Shanel “Nani” Negron at a house near the corner of Moreland Boulevard and Summit Avenue. Callaway was charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide but he was nowhere to be found.  

The manhunt continued as people grieved and were held in fear’s grip that he could return at any moment and perhaps claim even more victims.  The whole tragic affair ended about a week later in Bloomington, IN, about 50 miles from Indianapolis where Callaway’s family lived.  Police knew that he had fled there in the past when get got into trouble with the police. It was there, near a trail in the middle of the night, that Callaway was confronted by police. He took out a gun and killed himself.

This is a case that touched home for me for a number of reasons. The evening of the crime, I happened to be driving to work right down Moreland Boulevard and drove by the scene of this incident. When you see police cars and yellow police ‘Do Not Cross’ tape all over, you feel such immense sadness for the families that lost their loved one.   Of course, there was also that element of fear and concern because police didn’t know where the perpetrator was.  Was he still in the area? Might he soon be wandering down a nearby street? That was unnerving, to say the least, for everybody. 

Knowing the Waukesha police department, I have no doubt that they were doing everything within their power with an exceptionally trained department to locate this individual. But here’s a case where we see someone who starts fleeing and gets out of the jurisdiction of this state. The social media was abuzz with alerts that Callaway was being sought for this murder and the whole sad affair ended violently in Indiana. 

I had the opportunity to speak with a few members of law enforcement about this type of scenario, specifically how trying these kinds of cases are for not only the victims but also for law enforcement officers. Cops are people. They don’t wake up in the morning wanting to pull their gun out and having to shoot somebody.  

Regardless of how one looks at what Eddie Callaway did, he shot himself in front of law enforcement. He put an officer’s life in peril as well.  In the big picture, I’m glad that that officer didn’t have to go through the pain and suffering of having to take someone’s life as well. Certainly, I’m not suggesting that Callaway’s taking of his own life was in any way acceptable. However, he did spare the police even further anguish.

It really hits home when you see allegations of a horrific crime like this and how it can literally happen right down your street. It’s also a grim reminder of the heavy burdens our local police departments carry with them each and every day.

About Attorney Mark Powers
Attorney Mark Powers is a partner at the criminal defense law firm of Huppertz & Powers, S.C. in Waukesha. Previously, Powers served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Waukesha County District Attorney's office and is currently serving as a municipal judge in North Prairie. He focuses in the area of criminal defense, and has handled many cases involving operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, domestic disputes, and drug offenses.  

Powers attended Valparaiso University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate. Prior to law school, Mark attended the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse where he received his bachelor of science in Political Science.   For more information, please call 262.549.5979 or visit www.waukeshacriminalattorneys.com.