(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — Judge Angelina Gabriele will preside over upcoming hearings in the high-profile cold case homicide of David Vanderzee, where Kenosha County prosecutors are seeking to double the bond for both defendants to $1 million each.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
District Attorney Xavier Solis filed formal motions Monday asking the court to increase the $500,000 cash bonds previously set for Roxanna Vanderzee-Collins and her alleged accomplice and former lover, John Viskocil. Both are charged with first-degree intentional homicide for what authorities describe as a calculated execution of Vanderzee in his Powers Lake home in 2003.
While the hearings have not yet been scheduled, the legal community is already buzzing about what the decisions could signal for Judge Gabriele’s approach under the new Solis administration. Gabriele, a longtime fixture in the courthouse, served as Deputy District Attorney under former DA Michael Graveley, a Democrat widely criticized for passing on multiple serious prosecutions—including this one. During her tenure, Gabriele was often seen as a reliable rubber stamp for the DA’s office. Some legal observers believe that could change now that Graveley’s protégé, Carli McNeill, was defeated by Solis in last year’s election.
“This is the litmus test,” one veteran defense attorney told Kenosha County Eye. “The question is: will she stick to her historical pattern of deferring to the state, or will she recalibrate under new leadership?”
In the new filings, Solis emphasized that the original $1 million bond requests were justified and remain appropriate. He called the killing a “coordinated, premeditated homicide” and cited evidence including phone records, statements, inconsistent alibis, and the nature of the crime: five shots to the back of the victim’s head.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
“The nature of this crime, the prolonged evasion of justice, and the defendant’s calculated actions and post-homicide conduct… justify the imposition of a higher bond,” Solis wrote in the motions. He also argued that both defendants lack ties to Kenosha County, increasing their flight risk.
Collins was released from custody Monday evening after posting the full $500,000 in cash. Viskocil remains in the Kenosha County Jail.
In Kenosha County, the standard cash bond for murder charges has typically been $1 million—a benchmark Solis is seeking to restore in what may become a defining moment for both his administration and Judge Gabriele’s legacy on the bench.
Kenosha County Eye will report the date of the hearings as soon as it is scheduled.
4 Responses
Too funny. They didn’t expect cat lady to have $500k cash, so now they want to raise it to a million. What if she has a million, they going to increase it to 2 million?
Did you read the article? The DA asked for a $1 million dollars in bail. The commissioner didn’t think cat lady could post the $500,000
The minimum bail amount is 1million for murder. I dont understand why it was set at 500k. Whatever happened to McNeill?
You mean Carli? I bet she is in bed with Jess.