(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Maria Larson, 49, of Trevor, was in court today for her initial appearance. She was in court voluntarily, in lieu of being arrested for her outstanding $75,000 warrant. Larson was charged today with first degree reckless homicide, facing 40 years in the Wisconsin State Prison System. Larson has a long history of crime, starting at least as far back as 1996. She was convicted in Kenosha County of conspiracy to deliver cocaine and was given probation. In 2010, she was convicted of DUI and retail theft in Florida. In 2013, she was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in Illinois in which she missed court twice. She got probation. In 2021, the Kenosha County DA’s office charged Larson with with felony second degree recklessly endangering safety and disorderly conduct – domestic abuse. This was for a November 27, 2021 incident in which she was accused of endangering the public by driving in a reckless manner while arguing with her boyfriend in her car, almost crashing into another vehicle. The Kenosha County DA dropped the felony and she plead to the DC charge and was fined. She has never been sentenced to jail.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
According to the criminal complaint, Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home of Ted Kmiec, an attorney and Salem Lakes trustee, at about 6:54 pm on March 21, 2022. When deputies arrived on scene, Kmiec brought them to his bedroom, where the woman lay dead. Deputies and paramedics quickly realized the woman was beyond life saving measures. A Sheriff’s detective arrived on scene and determined it was a likely fentanyl/opiate overdose. The medical examiner’s office ruled the cause of death as acute fentanyl intoxication. The woman’s cell phone was examined and police found several suspicious conversations with an individual known as Jerry Campion between the dates of February 20, 2022 and March 12, 2022. During these messages, the woman was offering to buy pills from Campion. In one message, the woman says she intentionally took too many pills “for fun.” Campion told her to be careful with taking too much. Campion was questioned by detectives and initially denied selling drugs to the woman. He finally admitted that he was the woman’s drug dealer. He told police she would crush the pills and snort them. Campion told police he bought theses pills from Larson. Larson gave police a hypothetical that involved her knowing that the drugs were very strong and dangerous and eventually stopped selling them.
Kmiec (61) is married, and his wife is reportedly currently battling cancer. Since publication, Kmiec and his wife have both said publicly that Mrs. Kmiec’s cancer is in remission. KCE has learned that Kmiec knew his mistress’ drug dealer, Gerald Campion. In fact, Kmiec represented Campion in a felony matter, in which Campion was alleged to have punched his wife, slammed her into a wall, and choked her until she passed out and fell to the floor. Kmiec got the felony dropped. Kmiec has refused to answer any of our questions about this unnatural death.
Campion is still wanted on a $75,000 warrant and at the time of publication has not been booked into the Kenosha County Jail.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
In court today, Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Tombasco pointed out Larson’s criminal history and the “strength of the state’s case” due to her incriminating statements. He also suggested that Larson was a flight risk and a significant cash bond was needed to secure her appearance in court.
(Photo By Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Defense attorney Terry Rose asked for a reasonable cash bond, citing the fact that Larson was in court today and hired him as soon as she suspected she might be arrested. He told the court that his client wasn’t a flight risk and has lived in Kenosha County her whole life.
(Photo By Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner Larry Keating said that the allegation against Larson was “very very serious.” He pointed out the maximum sentence of 40 years. He mentioned her ties to Illinois and Florida and agreed that there was a flight risk. With that, he set Larson’s bond at $25,000 and ordered Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies to take her into custody.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Larson was able to post bond this evening at about 6:45 pm. She was ordered to stay away from the deceased woman’s family members, including the Salem Lakes Municipal Judge, who is her father. Larson is due in court on February 16, 2023 at 8:30 am for a preliminary hearing.
Cell Phone Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
21 Responses
There are many stories in this. All are sad and tragic.
This nation is deep into a worsening drug crisis. In some way it will likely touch most families. The economic drain is staggering. It is beyond law enforcement. The more we try to attack the monster it just seems to gets meaner. (At the end of the day Nancy Reagan was right: just say no. But we had doctors and drug companies pushing opiates.)
If there is a good side to this it’s that it happened in a small town where you can put names and faces to the story and these people are our neighbors. And we live in a place with piss poor drug, alcohol and mental health treatment. The victim’s ex-husband had a bad history with drugs. Maria Larson’s major drug conviction was in 1996. All around it’s a broken system with broken people and if someone hadn’t of died nothing likely would have been done and, quite frankly, whatever is done now will be like pissing in an ocean.
Some people are pissed at Kevin for reporting this and that’s probably because of how it was skewed. The real story is even worse. And before we bang up on law enforcement, courts, etc., we should remember who is really to blame. Look in the mirror. It’s supply and demand. If McD’s didn’t have customers it would go out of business. Ditto for employees. This won’t be the first or last tragedy like this. And nothing excuses what people did here but it does help put a face on it and explain it.
So the deceased’s father is a judge in Salem Lakes?
Seriously, what the fuck is going on in that little place?
He tried. But like so many kids they march to their own beat.
Legalize it all, and just tax the hell out of it like alcohol and tobacco. If these people want it they’ll get it anyway. At least the taxpayers can lessen their burden. Then the addicts know what they’re getting and police wont have to spend countless hours chasing them down, building cases against them, and save the courts time as well. They can just overdose in their own house if they choose to.
The down side is that in many cases these days doctors and big pharma are the pill pushers. Then when people get hooked they go Pontius Pilate.
They can OD in their own houses now, in fact I’d recommend it. Otherwise, all the good people who, “just say no” get to pay an ever increasing tab for those whose sum total will never be a positive value, always a debit.
One bad part of all of this is that the addicts have ruined temporary pain management for the rest of us regular people. I broke my thumb a while back and tore the tendon, tore 3/4 of the fingernail off. They pushed it back into its spot, stitched it all together on a Friday afternoon. I asked for pain medication to get me until monday when I would see the orthopaedic hand specialist. Sorry sir, the drug addicts have ruined pain management for everyone else, you’ll have to suffer………A lot of pain, that I could have avoided- Thanks drug addicts…
I agree- make it all over the counter, put a warning label on it, let nature take its course. Laws aren’t stopping anyone from living the life of an addict, just making the cartels rich. Tax it a move on. Let non addicts have the ability to be comfortable after an injury.
I myself don’t use meds, but your injuries sound serious! Addicts ruin society for all. Where ever they group together the property value goes down, and they spread drama, and disease. I know Larson, she’s been a criminal all her life, along with her brother. Give her the full 40 yrs, and make an example out of her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She only upset because she got caught, I hope are DA actually does their job on this one and all parties involved get time. even the attorney … how shameful has a city and county has become such a S%$^ show ….
They don’t do their jobs thats why this is getting worse. They baby addicts. Let them loose time and again. They get arrested, go to court, test dirty appearance after appearance and walk away, no consequences. Time and again, same ones over and over because of the b.s. addict crap. They choose to use. They like it. They don’t want to stop. They are enabled. Given the diseases excuse. Many users can tell you they chose to walk away and did. And many will tell you they like it. Paddock Lake, Salem has quite a few users on this age bracket and they LOVE their drugs. Their kids follow…lock up the users. Stop treating them different, we have laws, follow them. Seeing the same ones over and over is ridicilous.
Gerald Campion is the drug dealer who sold that girl the pills. He sold to her multiple times knowing the pills contained fentanyl. I have the official police report and not only does Campion admit to being the direct source of the distribution of drugs to the deceased, he, being Campion jokes with the girl about being careful to not take so much! He’s the dealer yet as of right this minute he’s still sitting at home?!?! WTF? It’s true this country is washed in drug addiction and rehabilitation is an open joke, so let’s do this a different way. Arrest the real dealers and stop persecuting the base level addicts who have a diasease.
I challenge anyone whose never dealt with addiction issues to stop driving your car, stop using your cell phone, hell stop eating any food at all on a volunteer basis and see how long you go before you “need” to drive to Walmart, “need” to call for pizza delivery, or “need” to do one of the basic things we all do for existence, eat. Then maybe you’ll understand about one percent of what an addict goes through. Bottom line? Judge not lest ye be judged.
Is he related to Trustee Dan Campion in any way?
Yes
What way?
Unfortunately that is the drug policy we started in the 60s where there were Draconian penalties. All of the sudden when white kids started getting arrested we thought we should go after the dealers. We’ve been looking for Mr. Big for over 60 years and still haven’t found him. Everyone associated with this scourge needs to be dealt with. We can adjust, of course, how but without customers there would not be dealers.
Wow….you read the police report and all you came up with was….the same thing already reported on this site. Congrats scholar JEFF RICARD.
Shut up lib-tard! These addicts aren’t victims, it’s low life choices from low life scum. I’m guessing you’re one yourself……………………Or better yet why don’t we call them the “substancely challenged” WTF LOL.
Correct me if I’m wrong but campion is wanted on a 75.000 warrant so not sitting home.
Drug dealing must be a lucrative business to be able to afford Attorney Rose.
This is all about personal responsibility and her death was the result of her lack of personal responsibility. The “Trustee” degenerate attorney knew she’s an addict. What did he do to stop her?
While the drug dealers are guilty of dealing drugs they shouldn’t be charged with murder. They likely deal drugs as a means of supporting themselves which is a result of shit politicians, scum media, open borders and removing God from all aspects of our lives. Our own government lets this shit into the country.
Do bar owners or alcohol distilleries get charged for the drunk that hits a tree and kill themselves? Would this be a story if the drug dealers were black and would their bond be $75,000?
If I’m on that jury, they walk on homicide charges.
Shame on Ted Kmiec. A “ Trustee”. What a joke of a man. Salem Lakes needs to do some soul searching as does the rest of these United States of Israel.