A 38-year-old Wisconsin man is facing a first-degree intentional homicide charge after authorities say he fatally beat his 66-year-old mother with a wooden baseball bat during a late-night argument inside her West Milwaukee apartment.
Prosecutors allege that the fatal confrontation stemmed from a dispute over silver coins and money, escalating into deadly violence in what has now become a closely watched Wisconsin homicide case.
According to a criminal complaint, officers responded around 8 a.m. on Feb. 24 to an apartment complex in the 1700 block of South 44th Street after receiving a report of an injured woman. When police arrived, they discovered Cheryl Jenkins lying face down with a baseball bat resting on her body. She suffered a significant head wound along with additional injuries. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. An autopsy later confirmed she died from blunt force trauma.
Investigators say Hayward Jenkins had arrived at his mother’s home the previous evening, knocking on her window between 9 and 10 p.m. His mother allowed him inside, provided food, and offered him a place to sleep in the guest room.
Cheryl Jenkins’ fiancé told police he heard a noise around 4 a.m. but initially dismissed it, assuming it may have come from upstairs neighbors. Believing his fiancée was speaking with her son in the guest room, he returned to bed. Hours later, when she did not respond to his calls, he attempted to enter the guest room but found it locked. He accessed the room through a bathroom and discovered her unresponsive on the floor before calling 911.
By that time, Hayward Jenkins had already left the apartment complex. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators reportedly showed a man matching his description running between buildings toward a bus stop shortly after 6 a.m. He boarded a bus minutes later, according to police.
Later that day, relatives informed authorities that the suspect had been spotted at the Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee. Officers located and arrested him at the casino without incident.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, investigators say Hayward Jenkins admitted to killing his mother. According to the complaint, he told police the two argued over silver coins and money, as well as “her not listening when he was trying to express himself.”
“The defendant stated that his mom blew off his concerns and kept coming in his face,” the complaint stated.
He further claimed she approached him with scissors “like she was going to do something,” police wrote. He told investigators he “became angry with the situation and flipped out,” and began striking her with the baseball bat while she was seated in a chair. Authorities say he later admitted that “he was wrong for murdering my mother.”
Hayward Jenkins is currently being held at the Milwaukee County Jail on a $300,000 bond, according to local outlet WITI. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 10.
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