NEW LISBON − A 33-year-old woman and two girls, ages 12 and 13, were found shot to death Dec. 30 in a Juneau County apartment.
An eight-day manhunt has been underway since Dec. 30 for Virgil G. Thew, 47, of New Lisbon, in connection with their deaths. On Friday, the New Lisbon Police Department announced a statewide crime alert had been issued and the search for Thew had expanded outside of the New Lisbon area.
On Monday, the police department said multiple state and federal agencies were involved in the search for Thew, who has been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the deaths.
Here is what we know about the case so far.
How did the investigation into the triple homicide begin?
At about 7:40 a.m. Dec. 30, the father of a 13-year-old girl notified the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office the girl was missing. The father used SnapChat to find her location at an apartment Virgil Thew shared with his mother and girlfriend on West Bridge Street in New Lisbon, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.
While searching for the 13-year-old girl, police learned a 12-year-old girl also was missing.
Police could not find the two girls, Thew or his girlfriend.
At 4:23 p.m. Dec. 30, almost nine hours after the 13-year-old girl first was reported missing, a 911 caller reported finding three bodies in a bedroom at Thew’s apartment, according to the complaint.
Who are the victims?
The 33-year-old woman has been identified as Elizabeth Kolba, and the ages of the girls have been listed as 12 and 13, by the New Lisbon Police Department. The police department is withholding the girls’ names.
The criminal complaint identifies Kolba as Thew’s girlfriend, and the 12-year-old girl as Thew’s stepdaughter.
How did the victims die?
The woman and two girls were found dead on a bed in Thew’s bedroom at 4:23 p.m. Dec. 30. The door to the bedroom was secured with multiple locks. Family members said Thew got very angry when someone went into his bedroom, according to the criminal complaint.
The girls and woman each died from an apparent gunshot wound, according to the complaint.
Court documents state the three victims died sometime between Dec. 27 and Dec. 30.
How is Virgil Thew connected to the deaths?
On Friday, Thew was charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide, one as a domestic abuse incident, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in Juneau County Circuit Court.
According to the criminal complaint, Thew was seen with the girls around the time of their deaths and he is the stepfather of the younger girl. The criminal complaint also identifies the 33-year-old woman as Thew’s girlfriend.
What does Virgil Thew look like?
Virgil Thew
Thew is 5 feet and 11 inches tall, weighs about 160 pounds and has a 1-inch scar on his forehead, according to the New Lisbon Police Department.
He has brown hair and blue eyes.
When is the last time Virgil Thew was seen?
Police started looking for Thew on Dec. 30.
The last confirmed sighting of Thew was near Orange and McEwen roads in the Juneau County town of Lisbon on Jan. 1.
After an extensive search of the area by ground and drone, law enforcement has not located Thew. They believe that Thew may now be outside the New Lisbon area, they announced Friday night.
Who is looking for Virgil Thew?
The New Lisbon Police Department along with other agencies in Wisconsin, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Services are searching for Thew, according to the New Lisbon Police Department.
On Friday night, the New Lisbon Police Department announced a statewide crime alert had been issued for Thew.
What should you do if you spot Virgil Thew?
Thew is wanted through Wisconsin Probation and Parole.
People should consider him armed and dangerous, according to the New Lisbon Police Department. If seen, do not approach Thew and contact 911.
Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: What we know about a triple homicide & manhunt in New Lisbon Wisconsin