Man charged with killing woman, shooting her boyfriend in dispute that began over $100

Police are accusing a 26-year-old man of shooting another man in the neck in a dispute over $100, and then chasing down his girlfriend and shooting her in the head, killing her.

Latwaun C. Hale of Milwaukee is facing a charge of first-degree reckless homicide and three other felonies in the shooting, which killed Josephine Taylor, 35, and critically injured her 28-year-old boyfriend on March 29.

Hale was not in custody as of Saturday.

According to the criminal complaint:

Taylor was riding in a pickup truck driven by her boyfriend when, at 5:40 p.m., they witnessed a fight at North 21st and West Wright streets in the Park West neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side. The driver pulled the car over to watch.

Hale, who knows the driver, approached the car and began arguing over a $100 debt he claimed the driver owed. Witnesses told police that Hale shot the driver in the neck and took $2,000 from him. The driver told police he then heard someone say to Hale, “You might as well kill them, too,” referring to the car’s other three passengers.

The car’s occupants then ran away, but Hale chased down Taylor in his own car. A witness said she saw Hale catch up to Taylor and shoot her as she pleaded for her life.

Police later found Taylor’s body with one gunshot wound to the head.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.