Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee fatal shooting; father shot in head
Man fatally shot, children remember him
A family is remembering a Milwaukee man shot and killed as he sat on his couch earlier this month.
MILWAUKEE – A family is remembering a Milwaukee man shot and killed as he sat on his couch.
It happened on the city’s south side. The 56-year-old died days later.
Investigators say a 26-year-old Milwaukee man fired shots in David Odehnal’s home as he was watching a movie. He was shot in the head.
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His family is grateful arrests were made quickly.
“Growing up, he was absolutely amazing,” said Allen Lembach, Odehnal’s son.
It’s been easier to think about the past for the last couple of weeks than the present.
“We knew he cared,” said Kathleen Odehnal, the victim’s daughter. “He loved his family and his kids.”
The two think of happier times in their dad’s life, rather than how it ended.
Investigators say the 56-year-old was sitting on his couch watching a movie on Wednesday, April 3, when bullets came through the window.
Police arrested 26-year-old Joshua Richardson after dashcam video captured the shooting and the car. 35-year-old Melodie Olson was also arrested after police say she helped him get away.
They face the following criminal counts:
- First-degree reckless homicide (Richardson)
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety (Richardson)
- Attempting to flee or elude an officer (Richardson)
- Possession of a firearm by a felon (Richardson)
- Disorderly conduct-two counts (Richardson)
- Harboring or aiding a felon (Olson)
- Misdemeanor bail jumping (Olson)
“It’s just unreal,” Lembach said.
Investigators say the shooting was in retaliation for a cocaine deal that involved a debt.
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The victim’s children explained their father turned to drugs after their mother died during childbirth.
Scene at 16th and Lincoln
“He was an amazing person who just couldn’t deal with the loss of his wife and that’s why he chose the path he did,” Lembach said.
They are leaning on each other as they mourn and remember their father, focusing on justice.
“Despite how he was living his life and what happened, it doesn’t define who he was as a person,” Lembach said.
The two arrested are both being held in jail.
Richardson’s bond was set at $250,000 and Olson’s $1,000.