Judge’s son charged with killing woman

Judge Thomas Donegan

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The son of a Milwaukee County judge is accused of strangling to death a woman in a Milwaukee park.

James Donegan was charged Thursday with first-degree intentional homicide and armed robbery in the death of 45-year-old Teresa Boone Sept. 2 in Reservoir Park.

According to the complaint, Donegan thought Boone and others were after him and assumed her purse contained a gun. He allegedly admitted to killing her, using a box cutter to stab her in the neck and taking her purse. The autopsy revealed she died of strangulation.

Donegan is the 32-year-old son of Circuit Judge Thomas Donegan.

The judge tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel his son has significant mental health problems and wasn’t taking his medication. He said he feels awful for the victim’s family.