WI - Derek Goplin, 38, murdered mother, abandoned 5-y-o son, Antigo, 1 Nov 2021 *Arrest*

[doyoulovemepfg]

WAUKESHA — The man wanted in an alleged homicide case out of Antigo, Wis. was arrested Wednesday night after a citizen transported him to a hospital in Racine County.

According to a press release from the Antigo Police Department, Derek Goplin, 38, was taken into custody. The Antigo Police Department was notified at 7:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Capt. Daniel Duley with the Antigo Police Department told The Freeman that Goplin was located at a boat landing in the Town of Waterford by a bystander on Wednesday. The citizen found Goplin, who appeared to be sick, and transported him to a Burlington Hospital. Duley said the citizen did not initially know Goplin’s identity. It wasn’t until police checked on Goplin’s vehicle at the boat landing that they identified Goplin, Duley said. Goplin was arrested and transported to the Racine County Jail.


Duley confirmed that the 5-year-old boy located abandoned at a Waukesha hotel on Monday was Goplin’s son. The 63-year-old woman who was found stabbed to death Monday in Antigo, Susan Reese, was Goplin’s mother and the 5-year-old boy’s grandmother, Duley confirmed.

Man wanted in alleged Antigo homicide arrested

According to the complaint, the officer spoke with the child, who said, “My dad sleepwalks. Dad is gone.” According to the complaint, the kid then also said: “Do you want me to tell you something? Grandma tried to kill dad. My dad told me to go hide. They were playing hide and seek. Dad made a big line on grandma and blood came out of grandma.”

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

This one is absolutely chilling. My parents live really close to this hotel and were wondering what all the police presence was... The statement from the kid just makes my stomach turn.

 

[razzledazzle]

Oh my...

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

Man accused of killing mother, leaving son in Waukesha hotel

Police say a Northwoods man suspected of killing his mother and abandoning his 5-year-old son at a Waukesha hotel has been arrested.

Derek Goplin, 38, of Antigo, was arrested about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at Aurora Medical Center in Burlington.


Waukesha police found the boy wandering alone in an Ingleside Hotel hallway Monday morning.

The boy told police he watched his dad stab his grandmother to death at her Antigo home, investigators said.

They thought maybe he'd just seen a Halloween horror movie, but they called Antigo police, who went to the home and found Susan Reese, 63, stabbed to death.

"Nothing's been determined on that, any motive, or what led up to this incident," Antigo police Capt. Dan Duley said.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

Person of interest in Antigo murder arrested in Racine County

ANTIGO, Wis. (WSAW) - Police have arrested a person of interest in the murder of an Antigo woman.

Police had been searching for Derek Goplin since Monday. He was arrested Wednesday night in Racine County.

Authorities said the body of Susan Reese, 63, was found in her Antigo home Monday morning. Online court records indicate she was killed the previous day.

In a press conference Thursday morning, Captain Dan Duley with the Antigo Police Department said a citizen saw Goplin at a boat landing in Racine County. That person thought Goplin looked ill and took him to a local hospital. Goplin was later identifed at a hospital in Burlington and was taken into custody. He is currently in the Racine County Jail. Duley said Goplin will be interviewed by investigators in Racine County Thursday morning before returning to Langlade County.

 

[borndem]

This one is absolutely chilling. My parents live really close to this hotel and were wondering what all the police presence was... The statement from the kid just makes my stomach turn.

You said it, @doyoulovepfg. Thanks for starting this thread. Another alarming and very sad case.
So glad that Goplin is in custody.

At least the 5 y/o survived and apparently is at least physically unharmed -- hoping he is in good health and that his family members can make him feel that things are okay -- no more horror movies.
He will need good, capable professional care soon probably, but IMO what he needs now is to feel lots of warmth, smiles, hugs, good food, some toys and positivity. Love is what this little guy needs, and I hoping he's in the middle of a lot of it. My heart aches for him.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

You said it, @doyoulovepfg. Thanks for starting this thread. Another alarming and very sad case.
So glad that Goplin is in custody.

At least the 5 y/o survived and apparently is at least physically unharmed -- hoping he is in good health and that his family members can make him feel that things are okay -- no more horror movies.
He will need good, capable professional care soon probably, but IMO what he needs now is to feel lots of warmth, smiles, hugs, good food, some toys and positivity. Love is what this little guy needs, and I hoping he's in the middle of a lot of it. My heart aches for him.

The cop that is point person on this case per the first article is a family friend of ours. He is great with kids and is a boy dad himself, so I have no doubt that the little guy was kept safe and occupied - I bet they probably even took him to the arcade and waterpark at the Ingleside after interviewing him and probably let him get a fun toy.

The guy in Burlington who thought Goplin looked sick is a hero too. Very glad he took him to the hospital and ended up unharmed himself, that is one dangerous man.

 

[borndem]

The cop that is point person on this case per the first article is a family friend of ours. He is great with kids and is a boy dad himself, so I have no doubt that the little guy was kept safe and occupied - I bet they probably even took him to the arcade and waterpark at the Ingleside after interviewing him and probably let him get a fun toy.

The guy in Burlington who thought Goplin looked sick is a hero too. Very glad he took him to the hospital and ended up unharmed himself, that is one dangerous man.

Wow, that's a great report about the police officer -- just what the doctor ordered, STS -- so very glad to hear it. And yes, another hero in this tragedy, as you said, about the person who took Goplin to the hospital.
The world needs many more heroes such as these two men!

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

Wow, that's a great report about the police officer -- just what the doctor ordered, STS -- so very glad to hear it. And yes, another hero in this tragedy, as you said, about the person who took Goplin to the hospital.
The world needs many more heroes such as these two men!

Little dude was definitely lucky he ended up at the Ingleside of all places... if you're local, you know that's like a five year old's paradise.

 

[LadyL]

poor kid
hope he has a mom to live with now that both his dad and grandma are gone

 

[borndem]

Little dude was definitely lucky he ended up at the Ingleside of all places... if you're local, you know that's like a five year old's paradise.

Yes, I "looked at it" via Google, and it did look like a nice place -- a yes, a good place to be for a child of his age. So that, I hope, was a plus for the little guy.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

poor kid
hope he has a mom to live with now that both his dad and grandma are gone

One of the articles said DCFS placed him in a home with some of his siblings. That's a good thing, I hope.

 

[borndem]

Yes, let's hope it a good, loving home for all who are there. Maybe we can find a rainbow in this sad situation...

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

ANTIGO, Wis. (WSAW) - The Antigo Police Department identified the victim of an ongoing homicide investigation Tuesday. Susan Reese, 63, was found dead, stabbed to death in a home in Antigo Monday morning.

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Family members gathered Tuesday, remembering their loved one.

“Aunt Suzi was always taking care of family,” said Reese’s great-niece Bailey Slater. “Family was the focal point of her life.”

Reese was known in the Antigo community for having owned the restaurant “Game On” with her husband that has since closed.

“Some people might remember her and her grandson walking around the restaurant, helping out when needed,” said Slater.

“She was precious,” said Reese’s mother D’anna Cox. “I’m the proudest mother in the world.”

“She would drop everything,” said Reese’s niece Shannon Conrad. “It didn’t matter if it was an emergency. Her heart was most important.”
Family of homicide victim remember their loved one

 

[borndem]

Oh, just why, why, why, is an apparently wonderful and loving person taken from so many, especially when there is a little boy who must have loved her very much and knowing that she loved him...
SMH