Investigators say the Nov. 4 shootings are tied to an eviction fight; a young child was found alone after the second killing.
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee landlord faces two homicide counts after prosecutors say he shot his tenant in an upstairs unit and later killed a woman who witnessed it, leaving her child alone at a different location. Kevin Griffin, 54, appeared in court Sunday, Nov. 16, when a judge set his bond at $500,000.
The case centers on a duplex near 12th Street and Fiebrantz Avenue and what prosecutors call linked killings on Nov. 4. Police found 39-year-old Terrance Wilder dead in his bedroom at the property. Hours later, 31-year-old A’Nya Raymond was discovered in an alley near 41st Street and Hampton Avenue. Her young son was located barefoot near 9th Street and Keefe Avenue. Griffin, identified as the property owner, is charged with two counts of first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.
According to the criminal complaint summarized in court, Griffin told detectives he had been trying to evict Wilder and confronted him in the upstairs unit on Nov. 4 after an argument that included a complaint about a back door. Griffin said he “just lost it” and fired once, striking Wilder. Prosecutors say Raymond, who also lived at the address, witnessed the shooting. In a recorded interview, Griffin said she was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He told investigators he put Raymond and her child in his Mercedes, drove around, struck her and then shot her during the drive, later leaving her body in an alley and discarding a gun near train tracks.
Inspection records reviewed by reporters show Wilder had recently contacted the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services. A complaint filed Aug. 28 said he lacked hot water and cited other problems in the unit. An inspector later ordered repairs to a drain, faucets, a back door and a railing. Records indicate those items did not appear fixed by early November. Court filings show Griffin sought to evict Wilder earlier this fall; a court commissioner granted eviction, but Wilder had not moved out. Wilder’s relatives said he had been showering at family homes and was preparing to leave the unit before the shooting.
At Griffin’s initial appearance on Nov. 16, a court commissioner referenced the severity of the allegations and Griffin’s past felony record in setting cash bond at $500,000. Prosecutors charged two counts of first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and a count of felon in possession of a firearm. The preliminary hearing on Wed., Nov. 26, will test probable cause; if the case is bound over, attorneys could file motions on Griffin’s statements, searches, and expected ballistic and lab results. Investigators are seeking additional surveillance video and digital records tied to the addresses near 12th and Fiebrantz, 41st and Hampton, and 9th and Keefe.
Outside Griffin’s duplex, a small memorial grew on the porch: a flower and a bottle set by friends and relatives. “He loved his kids and he loved his family,” Wilder’s aunt, Wendy Wilder, said by phone. Raymond’s relatives said the 31-year-old was a devoted mother. Neighbors reported heavy police presence along Hampton Avenue the night Raymond’s body was located and later saw officers canvassing where the child was found. Residents said officers returned the next day to collect additional footage from doorbell cameras.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 18, Griffin remained in the Milwaukee County Jail. Police and prosecutors say the investigation is active, with lab work pending. The next milestone is the Nov. 26 preliminary hearing, which will determine whether the case advances toward trial.
Author note: Last updated November 18, 2025.