News

West Allis man arrested in connection with bodies found in suitcases

Laura Simonson
Laura Simonson

Police identify one of the victims as Minnesota woman, 37

A West Allis man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the deaths of two women whose bodies were found in suitcases in the Town of Geneva on June 5.

Steven M. Zelich, 52, of 8011 W. Lincoln Ave., West Allis, has been booked on two counts of hiding a corpse. He is not scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Thursday, according to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office..

Zelich was taken into custody Wednesday, and one of the victims was  identified.

The identified woman is Laura Simonson, 37, of Farmington, Minn., whose mother reported her missing Nov. 22. The second victim has not yet been identified, and police are seeking help from the public.

Steven Zelich
Steven Zelich

The second victim is described as possibly Caucasian, between 15 and 35 tears old, 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches, 120 to 140 pounds with long, straight dark brown or black hair. She has a pronounced overbite and crooked lower teeth, two piercings in each ear, and a quarter-sized heart tattoo on the lower left abdomen or pelvic area.

Unidentified victim
Police drawing of unidentified victim

The West Allis Police Department is assisting in the investigation and assures West Allis citizens no danger exists there. Also involved in the investigation are the Town of Geneva Police Department, Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, State of Wisconsin Crime Lab, Federal Bureau of Investigation in Milwaukee and Rochester, Minn., the Farmington (Minn.) Police Department, the Rochester (Minn.) Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the West Allis Police Department.

Anyone who might have additional information should contact the Town of Geneva Police Department at (262) 248-9926. People can anonymously email tips to https://www.tipsubmit.com/webtips.aspx?AgencyID=1192, Text their Tip to “CRIMES” (274637) and begin the message with tip4wc followed by a tip, or report the tip to the Walworth County Crime Stoppers (262) 723-2677 (COPS).

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