A man wanted by Kenosha County Sheriff’s Deputies for reckless homicide has been pronounced dead, KCE can confirm. The cause of death is unknown, but Campion died on or about Sunday, February 19, 2023. Gerald “Jerry” Campion, 65, of Trevor, has been charged with first degree reckless homicide, facing 40 years in the Wisconsin State Prison System for his alleged involvement in the fentanyl snorting death the mistress of Salem Lakes Trustee Ted Kmiec. KCE cannot yet reveal Compion’s cause of death.
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 Maria Larson, Campion’s co-defendant. Larson gave police a hypothetical that involved her knowing that the drugs were very strong and dangerous and eventually stopped selling them.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
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.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Larson had her initial appearance and was released on a $25,000 cash bond. Today, just after 1 pm, the state of Wisconsin, by ADA Timothy Martin, moved to dismiss the homicide charge against Campion due to him being deceased. Court Commissioner Keating then dismissed the action.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
According to criminal defense attorney Michael D. Cicchini, “A defendant has the right to confront in court, i.e., to cross-exam, any testimonial hearsay statements the state tries to introduce at trial. If the statements of the now deceased defendant-witness are important to the state’s case against the surviving defendant, the state could have an uphill battle depending on the nature of those statements and the other evidence that it has against the surviving defendant.” Cicchini has written extensively on the confrontation clause, here. According to the criminal complaint, Campion himself fingered Larson. Larson is due back in court on April 4, 2023.
28 Responses
Why do you need to keep bringing this poor woman’s death up? Is it all just to make Ted Kmiec look bad? Shameful.
I’m sorry, it’s newsworthy whether you are supportive of Ted or not
You and I agree that overdosing is huge problem. Where we differ is , I believe that constantly referring to the victim as someone’s “mistress” is in my opinion simply wrong. I have no problem with you or anyone writing a story on Kmiec or anyone other board member for not doing their jobs.
You are Wrong @Shameful.
Ted Kmiec is an elected public official who should be held to a higher degree of accountability. If Kmiec’s lack of a Moral Compass allows him to be banging a chick while in a marriage with a solemn vow, just think what his negative moral compass will allow him to do as a sworn in, elected, public, civil servant. No sense of right or wrong will lead to corruption on a higher level. I’m sorry that you and many others do not get this.
@JimBob,
The timing of all these attacks is very suspicious. Kmiec had been dating this woman for years, but not a peep until election time? You can’t even spell moral compass.
@JimBob . well using your “holding public officials to a higher degree of accountability”, I guess you won’t be voting for a couple of the newcomers as they have been divorced also?
Well what was she then? He’s married….. he was sleeping with her, and the family identified him as her boyfriend in the obit. Since he’s still married, and there appears to be no record of a pending divorce, what term works best for you?
Mrs. Kmiec filed for divorce in April of 2021. The divorce is not final at this time. It’s public record and available at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/
Mrs. Kmiec filed for divorce in April 2021. Divorce is not final at this time. Look it up yourself on the Wis Circuit Court website, it’s public record. Not in any way sticking up for Kmiec, but facts are facts, don’t speculate.
Married guy’s girlfriend? Oh, wait, that’s kind of the textbook definition of a mistress, isn’t it ?
So the wife filed for divorce after the mistress died. So I March he was still a married man.
Mrs. Kmiec filed in 2021, mistress died in 2022.
PLease let me know how many of the potential new trustees have been divorced, or have been taken to court by creditors? ( poor fiscal management, tsk tsk) Clearly if you have an issue with Kmiec getting a divorce your “moral compass” couldn’t accept these new candidates either, or does your moral compass only work one way?
Exactly!!!
Reporting factual events is shameful?
How do you enlighten yourself
as to avoid bad situations?
How about reporting all factual events and not just pick and choose? Do some research on the potential new board members on ccap or any other sources you find, and report here on what you find out. I will be waiting to hear what you find out.
The drug dealer did the right thing and saved taxpayer money and resources. One less drug dealer in the county !
Win. Win !
This man had friends and family who cared about him too, sit there on your high horse gloating over a stranger’s death calling it a win, sicko! All the facts are not even out! Big time drug dealer, yea right, a disabled man who was rarely able to leave his own house! Did you even read the article? The part where she contacted him asking for them, and quoting she took TOO MUCH “for fun”?? How many hands did they pass through? Why don’t you go after the POS who manufactured them!
Yes He was a kind man. Why do u think he told the truth. Maria was friends with him for years.
@JimBob, the timing is appropriate as one cannot help when the Kmiec’s mistress died!! Yeah it all happened around an election, should Kmiec have told his mistress to hold off on taking her drugs until after the election was over??
Your name JimBob suits you well, since your comment is just as dumb as your name!!
Shameful, on all accounts, that lady had a name a birth given name and it wasn’t “mistress”. Her Parents still grieve their Daughter, her friends still grieve their friend. She was loved very much. The cause of her death and illness/ addiction should not define her or be used a whole year after her passing as a tool .
This was a deliberate smear campaign and the timing is no coincidence.
We do hold our public officials to a higher standard, at the cost of what though? And who? Her family? Shameful! You all need to check yourselves.
Smear campaign? Guess it worked, didn’t it?
This woman spent her life giving back to others , was a wonderful mother, friend, daughter , niece and resident of Salem her entire life. I have known her and her family for over 45 years. There is no reason to pull her name into something she had nothing to do with. This has nothing to do with whether or not Kmiec gets elected or not. It has to do with being a decent human being and showing empathy and compassion for her family and friends. Lastly, If anyone feels the need to badmouth this woman on this site, at least have the balls to include your name.
I heard that Ted Kmiec tried to commit suicide.
Teddy is not in a good place at this moment. His son has run into alot of problems over the last few years and was just arrested again this morning while out on bond from charges out of Fond Du Lac County.
As well as Winnebago County.
Wait what???
Ted Kmiec should be fully investigated about his involvement in her death, he had to know where and who she was getting it from. His son is also connected with drugs.