Investigators say a recorded distress call, child statements and officer observations form the core of the case.
KENOSHA, Wis. — Prosecutors in Kenosha say a distress call, a child witness account and officers’ own observations helped build the case against Marckus Plaza, who is accused of fatally stabbing his estranged wife, Makayla Plaza, before a 30-hour search ended with his arrest in a salon basement.
The criminal case moved forward Monday as a court commissioner set Plaza’s bond at $2 million and prosecutors added charges beyond first-degree intentional homicide. He is also accused of causing mental harm to two children and of misdemeanor offenses tied to his flight and capture. The filings place the killing in a larger chain of events that includes an earlier dispute, failed restraining order efforts and a neighborhood search that pushed police to warn residents to stay inside.
Authorities say the case began to unfold publicly on the morning of April 1, when a friend received a call from Makayla Plaza and feared she was in danger. Prosecutors said that call was recorded and captured desperate pleas, including cries for help and statements that she was sorry. They allege Marckus Plaza could also be heard on the line telling her it was too late. Police went to the home near 75th Street and 22nd Avenue, where they said he did not let them in. According to the complaint, officers then went around the residence and saw him dragging a body in the basement. That detail became one of the earliest direct observations in the case. Investigators later said Makayla Plaza had been stabbed multiple times. By the time police tried to close in, prosecutors said, the suspect had gotten away.
The search that followed became a major part of the story in Kenosha. Police said Marckus Plaza led them on a 30-hour manhunt before officers found him in the basement of a salon near 75th Street and 23rd Avenue. During that period, residents in the area were asked to shelter in place, underscoring the seriousness of the search and the uncertainty around where he might be. Prosecutors later added misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer and entry into a building, linking those charges to the manhunt and arrest. Even with those allegations on file, some questions remain unanswered in public records, including the exact route prosecutors believe he took after leaving the house and what evidence investigators recovered during the search. Those details may emerge later through testimony, police reports or future court proceedings.
Prosecutors also pointed to what they said came from one of the couple’s children. According to the report, the child told investigators that his mother was dead and that his father did it with a knife. Prosecutors said the child also had blood spatter on his clothing. Those allegations are central to the felony counts accusing Plaza of causing mental harm to a child. The emotional weight of those claims was visible in court, where relatives described the killing as a loss that shattered the family. Makayla Plaza’s mother said the defendant had taken everything from everybody. Korey Williams, identified in the reporting as Makayla Plaza’s boyfriend, said he had tried to help her get away from abuse and wanted the defendant to feel the same fear she felt that night. Their remarks gave the hearing a tone that went beyond routine bail arguments.
The filings also tie the homicide case to earlier conflict. Reporting on court documents says Makayla Plaza sought a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband in February, but a court commissioner denied the request. Around that same period, prosecutors filed a separate misdemeanor case accusing Marckus Plaza of disorderly conduct, battery and publishing a private representation without consent after an incident involving Williams. According to that complaint, he posted private photos of Williams on Snapchat and then fought him. That earlier case carried a $2,500 bail. On its own, the February file did not predict a killing. But in the broader timeline now laid out by prosecutors, it shows that the relationship was already under strain and that law enforcement and the courts had already become involved before April 1.
What happens next will depend on how prosecutors present the evidence and how the defense answers the allegations. The case is still in its opening phase, and Marckus Plaza is presumed innocent unless convicted. Prosecutors are expected to rely on the recorded phone call, witness accounts, police observations and physical evidence from the home and the arrest scene. Additional court hearings should clarify scheduling, possible preliminary proceedings and the handling of the homicide and child-related counts. The separate February case may continue on its own track even as the homicide prosecution moves ahead. For now, the public record offers a stark outline of a domestic case that turned into a killing investigation and a citywide search.
By the end of Monday’s hearing, the broad picture was clearer even as many details remained sealed inside the investigation. Prosecutors had sketched a timeline from a desperate call to a basement arrest, and family members had given voice to the grief left behind. The next major turn is expected in court, where the evidence behind those allegations will begin to face closer scrutiny.
Author note: Last updated April 7, 2026.