Homicide defendant given 25 years for fatal crash

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — A North Dakota homicide defendant who led federal agents in Wisconsin on a high-speed chase that ended in a fatal crash has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Donald Cooper Jr., 28, was convicted of two counts of second-degree reckless homicide in the April 3 crash in Milwaukee that killed two people.

Cooper was fleeing from U.S. Marshals when he ran a red light and collided with another car, killing 23-year-old Joseph Badora, of Greenfield, and 20-year-old Maria Buhler, of Sheboygan Falls.

The marshals were following Cooper because he was wanted in connection with the January 2020 shooting death of a 29-year-old man in Minot, North Dakota, the Journal Sentinel reported.

They attempted to pull over Cooper, but instead, he led them on a chase, reaching speeds of 90 miles an hour, according to a criminal complaint.

“The defendant obviously needs to go to prison for a long time. He’s a danger to every person in Milwaukee,” Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski said during Wednesday’s sentencing.

Cooper still faces felony charges in North Dakota and is expected to be transported there for trial.